Sport for Confidence Arrives at Colchester Sports Park!

Colchester City Council has supported the expansion of the Sport for Confidence delivery model to Colchester Sports Park. 

 

The model will work alongside the existing county wide Reconnect provision to provide support to adults living with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or long-term health conditions, and their carers. 

 

“This programme extension to the Sports Park is fantastic news as it means more people will be able to gain access to Reconnect,” Says Georgia Wills, Occupational Therapist, Sport For Confidence. 

 

“The programme is designed to provide a meaningful, engaging experience for each and every participant, with sessions focused on developing skills and friendships that extend beyond the field of play and into daily lives. Run by sports coaches and supported by occupational therapists, the Reconnect tackles inequalities that exist in sport and health, levelling the playing field through the provision of services to those who need them most.” 

 

The programme launches at Colchester Sports Park with scheduled sessions every Tuesday that offer a mix of activities including football and netball. Georgia adds: “Everyone is welcome, whether they arrive independently or via a referral from a GP surgery or other community provider. The programme is already tried and tested at Leisure World Colchester and many other leisure centres across the county. We are extremely excited to now be given an opportunity to bring the programme to Colchester Sports Park. 

 

Callum Riordan, sports coach, Sport for Confidence, adds: “As we attract more participants we will extend the programme’s timetable and the activities on offer at Colchester Sports Park in alignment with the specific needs and preferences of those attending. Sport For Confidence works within a proven framework but each programme has the flexibility to adjust to local requirements recognising that no two communities are the same.” 

 

Sessions will take place in the Sports Hall, Studio and 4G pitch at Colchester Sports Park. Cllr Martin Goss, Colchester City Council Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhood Services and Leisure, says: “We want everyone in Colchester to be able to benefit from the many health and social benefits sport and physical activity have to offer. 

 

The integration of the Sport for Confidence programme at the Sports Park complements the partnerships we already have in place with a wide range of community providers from GPs and local charities to community nursing and therapies teams, ensuring everyone has access to the facilities and services they need to lead an active, healthy life.” 

 

Reconnect is based on a two-year test and learn pilot carried out at multiple sites across Essex that studied the impact of a whole system approach to adult social health and social care. The evidence was overwhelmingly positive. 

 

Outcomes, independently compiled and verified by the University of Essex, confirmed that embedding physical activity into a whole system approach to adult health and social care could deliver £58.72 of social value per £1 invested. Reconnect represents a new county-wide approach creating therapeutic physical activity opportunities to drive occupational outcomes that result in heath, happiness and life satisfaction.