One in five adults in Hertfordshire currently does less than thirty minutes of activity a week, which means they are missing out on a wide range of physical, mental and social benefits.

In response to this, Hertfordshire Sports Partnership (HSP), Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) and the ten Hertfordshire Districts and Boroughs have teamed up to launch Hertfordshire’s first Year of Physical Activity in 2018.

The Year of Physical Activity, which aims to make Hertfordshire the most active county, was launched at the ‘Fit for the Future’ conference hosted by HSP at the Fielder Centre, University of Hertfordshire on Thursday 23 November.

Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health, Richard Roberts, said:

“Regular activity can significantly improve our health, for example reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and depression.

“It is also a great way to meet new people, improve your social life, put you in a good mood and help you sleep better.

“We know it can be a daunting prospect to take up physical activity when you’re not very active but our Year of Physical Activity will help throw a spotlight on some of the fantastic opportunities available across the county so we’d really urge everyone to take part.”

The Fit for Future conference brought together representatives from a myriad of voluntary and community sector organisations who wanted to show their support of the Year of Physical Activity.

Jane Parker, Hertfordshire Year of Physical Activity co-ordinator, said:

“We would encourage everyone to get involved in this fantastic opportunity and would love to hear from anyone interested in running an activity during one of the twelve themed months.

“You could be a parish or town council, leisure provider, lunch club leader, sports club, group exercise leader, University of Third Age group, Rotary club, or group of mums who want to get involved.

“You may be someone who provides sport and physical activity opportunities who can promote what you offer under the HertsYOPA18 umbrella to encourage new people to join your group.

“Or you could even be someone who runs a group that has no link to sport and physical activity but would like to encourage your group to go for a walk together or try new activities throughout the year.

“Whoever you are, we want to hear from you!”

For more information, or to get involved in the campaign, contact Jane Parker at hertsyopa18@herts.ac.uk.