Push to get Blackpool folk fit after Covid

Oldham-based Cornerstone Design and Marketing has been chosen to work with the authority for two years, with the option to extend for a further year.

It will work to promote Active Blackpool, the council’s leisure services department, which wants to encourage more people to get involved in exercise especially those who are most inactive.

A recent performance report for the council’s leisure services predicted a year-end deficit of £350,000 on the department’s annual income target of £3.36m due to Covid.

But over the previous 12 months the department has also secured an additional £571,000 in external funding to deliver outreach and community programmes as well as supporting the Covid-19 response effort.

The report says: “The challenge for the leisure service is re-engaging the community to participate in activities post Covid, particularly in health and fitness, group exercise and swimming as these are significant income generating areas. ”

It says the challenges include re-engaging previous customers and “promoting the breadth of activities available, as well as targeting new customers who have not previously used our service. ”

Among the priorities will be to encourage people who do not take part in any exercise, to seek out council facilities.

The report says: “Evidence shows that getting someone who doesn’t move at all to move just a little will have a greater impact on their health and wellbeing than getting someone who already moves to move more.

“Therefore, the service is keen to work collaboratively with local partners to engage those local residents that are inactive, which is a key role of the active lives development team moving forward.”

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