Sport for Confidence Welcomes Sports Minister to Basildon Sporting Village

 

On Wednesday, 30th October, Sport for Confidence welcomed Sports Minister, Stephanie Peacock, to Basildon Sporting Village where she spent time with Sport for Confidence Occupational Therapists, working alongside sports coaches, are using physical activity to narrow the gap in occupational, social care and health outcomes. 

 

The visit piggy-backed the launch of the Government’s consultation on its new 10 Year Plan for Health that advocates for a move from hospital to community, and from sickness to prevention. Following a 6-month consultation period the new strategy will launch next spring led by the Department for Health and Social Care in collaboration with other government bodies, including the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). 

 

Lyndsey Barrett, founder and lead occupational therapist at Sport for Confidence CIC, says: “It is really encouraging to finally hear a government recognising and planning a shift towards a more preventative health strategy that delivers services where people are to those who need them most. 

 

“Working closely with Essex County Council and a number of other community partners, we are delivering Reconnect, a pioneering, countywide, place-based therapeutic intervention to provide early help and preventative support to adults living with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or long-term health conditions, and their carers, through the use of physical activity. 

 

“Being able to bring our work to life for the Sports Minister through practical demonstration really helps to highlight valuable contribution occupational therapy can play in the delivery of the Government’s new health agenda and, more specifically, how therapeutic physical activity can be used as a preventative measure to enhance the health and wellbeing of those most in need within the local community 

 

During the visit, the Sports Minister spoke to Sport for Confidence occupational therapists and sports coaches, met with volunteers and observed participants enjoying Boccia and table tennis led sessions. 

 

The visit also preceded Occupational Therapy Week 2024 (#OTWeek2024), an annual event organized by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), which kicked off on Monday, November 4. This year’s campaign theme, “The Power of OT – Transforming Health and Social Care,” spotlights the vital role of occupational therapy in health, social care, and society. Sport for Confidence is supporting the campaign, working with its extensive network of partners and supporters to showcase occupational therapy as a key change maker in health and social care 

 

For more information about the Government’s 10 Year Plan for Health visit: www.gov.uk .  

 

For more information about Sport for Confidence’s commitment to #OTWeek24 click here