- Darren Campbell
Think Active have gained insight into how children and young people engage with physical activity at an event attended by thousands of local residents in Solihull.
As part of our work with Young Opportunities (YO) Solihull, Think Active were among dozens of local organisations who came together at Meriden Park in Chelmsley Wood for the YO Solihull Playday on Wednesday 5 August.
More than 2,500 people attended the event organised in conjunction with National Playday, held annually by Play England to highlight the importance of play and to champion for better playing spaces and opportunities for children and young people.
"Attending events like this helps us raise awareness of our work within the community, build relationships and connect with local people"
Charlie Creed, Think Active
As the Active Partnership for Solihull alongside Coventry and Warwickshire, Think Active works with local partners to help create the conditions for children and young people to be active.
Members of the Think Active team met local residents at the YO Solihull Playday to hear their views on being active and discover some of the factors both encouraging and preventing young people engaging in physical activity.
Some of the insight gained from the discussions included learning more about the barriers to physical activity for young girls in particular, as well as the potential influence of parents on young people choosing to take part.
Partnership manager Bradley Jacques with MAPA Chief Executive Zoe Hill at Think Active’s stall
Visitors to Think Active’s stall also had the opportunity to get active by playing a ‘whack-a-mole’ style reaction game using illuminated blaze pods, while other activities available at the event included dancing, tug-of-war, an inflatable running race, three-legged race and sack race.
Charlie Creed, Sport Welfare Lead at Think Active, said: “Attending events like Playday helps us raise awareness of our work within the community, build relationships and connect with local people, while creating opportunities to hear directly from participants and use their voice and experiences to shape and drive the work we do.”
Helping improve physical activity levels among children and young people is one of Think Active’s priorities, supported through initiatives including School Games and the Sport England Children and Young People Active Lives Survey. Discover more about our work here.
Looking for ideas of how to help children and young people get more active? Explore opportunities in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire here, and find more inspiration in our Tips To Be Active pages.
Think Active is a member of the Active Partnerships network, collaborating with local partners throughout Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire to promote the power of sport and physical activity for transforming lives and keeping people living well. Find out more about what we do.
