Meeting documents

The Community Health and Leisure Manager summarised the agenda report, which provided members with an update on the work of the Community Health and Leisure Service in Area West.  With the aid of a powerpoint presentation she highlighted the following:

·         Staffing Structure within the Community Health & Leisure Service;

·         Healthy lifestyles development including the success of the flexicise scheme, health walk leader training and Sport 50 programme;

·         A bid to Sport England for funding worth £194,000 had been successful to develop physical activity opportunities from GP surgeries specifically benefiting Crewkerne and Chard;

·         Sports Development including successful delivery of schools tennis programme, badminton competitions and area cricket finals;

·         Play & Youth Facilities – support being provided with the Henhayes Play Area refurbishment, refurbishment of Packers Way Play Area, Misterton and improvements to the skateboard park in Horton;

·         A Bike Fest Event was being held on 12^th August at Birchfield Park; 

·         Support provided to youth clubs and the development of playschemes and holiday activity programme;

·         The success of the Gold Star Awards;

·         Securing Planning Gain – Officers have supported the development of a new Community Pavilion/Community Facility in Ilminster.  If successful £113,000 would be spent in Area West.  Other schemes supported included New floodlighting at Chard Tennis Club and advice provided to Chard Town Council to take forward the provision of temporary changing at Jocelyn Park.

During the ensuing discussion, the Community Health and Leisure Manager noted the comments of members and responded to questions on points of detail.  Members were informed of the following:

·         In response to a question regarding the Health Walks Leaflet and encouraging young people to take part, members were informed that there was only one health walk that took place at the weekend due to issues with recruiting lead walkers at weekends and that participants were mainly older people.    Buggy walks and activities within the Healthy Workplace Programme were aimed at younger people;

·         In terms of working with businesses, the Healthy Lifestyles Officer already worked closely with gyms and leisure centres as part of the Active South Somerset.  The team were limited by their capacity but would give consideration to the possibility of undertaking further work with businesses in the future;

·         Steve Barnes, the Play & Youth Facilities Officer would be able to provide assistance with the Disclosure & Baring Scheme;

·         The 1610 Leisure Centre in Chard offered its own concessionary discounts and were not part of the Passport to Leisure Scheme;

·         With regard to the lack of playing pitches in Chard, members noted that some work had been undertaken and that negotiations were ongoing;

·         Members were informed that in line with updated national planning guidance, work on a new playing pitch strategy would be undertaken.

With the aid of a powerpoint presentation, the Health Lifestyles Officers informed members about the Click into Activity Project.  Information provided during the presentation included:

·         Background and outline of the project;

·         Early milestones and targets;

·         Key outcomes and sustainability of the project.

In response to member questions, the Health Lifestyles Officer informed members that:

·         The Exercise Specialists would also cover the importance of a healthy diet and that access was also available to nutritionists;

·         The aim of the project was to provide robust evidence that physical activity and exercise can reduce cost and demand on the NHS;

·         She would be interested in working with any groups;

·         The University of the West of England evaluation of the project would be very thorough and would include measures around quality of life and mental health.

The Chairman and members of the Committee thanked the Community Health & Leisure Manager for her report and congratulated her on the outstanding work of her team.