Solihull Active Newsletter December 2020

News and Updates

Sport and physical activity

In line with guidance from sporting national governing bodies, you can take part in organised sport and physical activity outdoors with up to 30 people. However, you should avoid contact in training and, for some sports, avoid contact in all activities. Read the guidance on what this means for your sport.

Gyms and sports facilities will be open for individual exercise and exercise in single households or support bubbles only. Indoor group activities and exercise classes should not take place.

You can continue to do unlimited exercise alone, or in an outdoor public place in groups up to 6

There are exceptions for the following, which can take place in any number:

disability sport
sports as part of the curriculum in education
supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s (including those who were under 18 on 31 August 2020)

You should follow the guidance on:

Local leisure centres reopen

Tudor Grange Leisure Centre and North Solihull Sports Centre in Solihull, managed by sports and leisure operator Everyone Active in partnership with Solihull Council, reopened on Wednesday 2 December following a month’s closure due to the national lockdown.

The Government has confirmed that leisure centres are safe to reopen with strict operational measures in place. Solihull, along with Birmingham and Black Country, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, Warwickshire and Coventry were placed in Tier 3 from 2 December which means that group exercise classes (including fitness and dance) will not go ahead, but the gyms and pools will be open. Full information on how the tier system affects your local centre is available here.

Everyone Active has committed to keeping its customers safe and active, ensuring it will meet and exceed Government guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 with the Everyone Active Pledge. Full detail on the operator’s pledge and safety measures can be found here.

For further information on Everyone Active and its leisure centres, visit www.everyoneactive.com

Health and Wellbeing

Top Tips for being Active as a Family this Winter

Travel to Tokyo – The Tokyo 2020 Games may not be happening this year but you can still get active, stay connected and win prizes with Travel to Tokyo, Team GB and Paralympics GB’s official, free programme for children aged 5-11 and their families.
Youth Sport Trust – 60 second challenges: A fun ‘compete against yourself’ approach to physical activity with a focus on resilience and perseverance. Family resources like Active Board Games i.e. snakes and ladders.
Super movers – a campaign from the Premier League and BBC to help get a generation of pupils up and moving while they learn. Videos include Super Moves times tables, English, maths, science and PHSE.
British orienteering – families are being encouraged to take part in Orienteering activity and share a photo of their experiences #getactivethisautumn take a look at some great ways to be active
Bird/cloud spotting – stick your beak out, use your eagle-eyes and get spotting those birds! Or download the CloudSpotter App from the Cloud Appreciation Society and encourage your kids to get out spotting those clouds!

Love to Ride Winter Wheelers campaign

Give cycling a go this December and win prizes for the #WinterWheelersWM challenge. Everyone can join in – it doesn’t matter if you ride every day or haven’t been on a bike in years, all you need to do is try riding in December and record it on Twitter @LovetoRide_ or Facebook: @lovetoride.net

Every day you cycle in December you enter two prize draws to win seasonal cycling prizes.

Men’s Mental Health Conversation

Think Active is hosting a Men’s Mental Health Conversation session on behalf of the Mind West Midlands Regional Network Hub.

When: Monday 7 December

Time: 5.30-6.30pm

Via: Zoom – link to be given following booking. To book visit: https://www.thinkactive.org/mens-mental-health-conversation/

What is it:

A conversation about mental health and the role sport and physical activity can have to support good mental health. How sports clubs and groups can provide a setting where individuals (with a particular focus on men) feel comfortable to speak up.

Who is it for:

Individuals, clubs & groups who have a role in providing and delivering sport and physical activity. Anyone with an interest in making sure that sports clubs and groups are a positive contributor to good mental health and well-being.

Fields in Trust – My park is #notjust…

Local parks are #notjust the green patches in our towns and cities – 2020 has shown us that they are so much more…

To mark just how much we’ve all valued our amazing local parks and green spaces this year they’re collaborating with parkrun UK and inviting you to share with them the many ways you’ve used and enjoyed parks in 2020.

Perhaps your local green space has been a place to stay active, to unwind and have fun, to escape to nature, or to stay socially connected whilst physically distanced. These spaces are #notjust parks, they are valuable assets for our communities, they benefit our physical and mental health and wellbeing, and they are vital ecosystems in our urban jungles. They are different things to different people. But for all of us they are good, they do good, and they need to be protected for good.

They want to know how you have been using and valuing your local parks and green spaces this year. Whether you share a selfie or a velfie, you post it to Twitter or send it to them direct, let them know why your local green space is #notjust a park to you!