Impact April - June 2020: Update on the Elevate Programme during lock-down Elevate classes are designed to improve strength and balance for local people aged 60+ The Energize office shut without warning two weeks before the national lock-down due to a Covid-19 outbreak in our building! We had to work quickly to support our participants and our instructors. We spent lots of time reassuring the Elevate instructors and helping them to contact venues and, more importantly, their participants to cancel their classes. Once we had done this, along with the instructors, we created the Elevate at Home programme, initially for Elevate participants, but quickly we opened it up for the wider public. “Thank you for the information. Wearing the carpet out marching up and down missing (Elevate Instructor) Dan Lewis!!!” Our overall goal was to keep in touch with all our participants to offer support, encouragement and any help we could safely give to assist them to keep well and active. “It’s so lovely for you to be calling, it’s nice to know that people are looking out for us at this time” Elevate at Home was publicised on local radio, in the press, via social media as well as through organisations like Shropshire RCC. So far the adapted project has included: - Creating and distributing a full 12-week training programme with fun, easy to follow diagrams Weekly phone calls to all Elevate participants from their usual and familiar instructor Ad hoc support for participants needing it from collecting prescriptions and food to sending cards and flowers to keep spirits up In the last few months, over 400 training packs have been distributed across the County. In addition, the Elevate instructors have spent over 470 hours advising, signposting and motivating nearly 450 participants. “I love the little diagrams, they’re lovely, I’m going to practise them every day, exercising is so vital especially for us as we get older.” *************** Elevate is a pilot programme commissioned to Energize by Shropshire Council to develop community exercise classes and measure whether they can improve confidence for local people aged 60+ in their strength and balance, helping them to live independently. This work will influence the local ‘Integrated Falls Strategy’. May - June 2020: Virtual School Games As soon as schools were closed for most pupils, we knew that the traditional school games summer events would be cancelled. Working with our local School Games Organisers, we created a concept for 'Virtual School Games' aimed at primary school-age children. This competition ran for 6 weeks from 11 May to 26 June and incorporated challenges for six different sports: Dodgeball, New Age Kurling, Boccia, Athletics, Tennis and Cricket. All the challenges were demonstrated by local sporting champion, hurdler - Dani Hales in her videos on our YouTube channel. We also created full instructions which were shared on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Across all the challenges, we had 326 entries from 30 different primary schools. We also had some lovely feedback from schools and families. "It's been a great thing to do whilst both my children (aged 5 & 8) are off school. Thank you" And here are some of our winners... Our other work: Using activity as a vehicle to improve people’s lives, we are able to demonstrate that Energize is having a much broader social impact on the individuals we are working with. Whether this be helping people with drug and alcohol addictions, making someone’s life easier by making them more mobile and able to play with their grandchildren or just giving people the confidence to do something positive for themselves like getting a scholarship or a job. Have a look at our Case Studies to read about many people who's lives have been changed for the better through power of sport and physical activity over the last couple of years. Full Impact Report 2018/19