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we need to tell them why they need to run or walk and what the benefits are.”


WINNING FORM The results have been nothing short of remarkable. Membership at Avondale is now up to 1,500 and the centre is on-track to turn a profit next year. The rapid increase in the number of members has been largely down to the centre being able to attract people from the 87 per cent of the public who were previously physically inactive. As a result of its achievements, the concept has tapped into new funding streams and it’s now held up as a best practice example within the borough and beyond. At the heart of the Avondale experiment


was a pilot scheme known as actiLife – essentially a ‘back to activity’ scheme that targeted local residents who were either overweight or felt too intimidated to use a gym. It was designed to start people off by getting them walking, with a specially- designed walking programme and team members dedicated to leading sessions. McPhail explains: “Public health departments have confused the public by giving conflicting messages in the past, not to mention campaigns suggesting that all


sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 3 2014 © Cybertrek 2014


Walking football (above) is among the activities offered under actiSport, a sports-specific programme following on from actiLife (below)


people need to do to get healthy is to walk. Walking isn’t enough, but it is the first step on the journey to health and fitness.” A total of 300 participants were


recruited onto the ‘pre-membership’ scheme via a range of channels, including GP referrals and links with the local housing association and job centre. Running over a period of 12 months – actiLife was one of the interventions monitored in the year-long ukactive Research Institute study of 2012 – the results were impressive: 33 per cent of participants reported a decrease in weight and blood pressure, 75 per cent reported being more active, and 90 per cent said they would recommend the programme to a friend. Most important of all, they all felt more aware of their activity levels and more confident about taking responsibility for their own activity and weight in the future. “You can’t expect these people to


come straight to the gym,” McPhail adds. “You need an industrial-sized concept or intervention that just gets them interested in physical activity more broadly.”


TEMPLATE FOR SPORT According to McPhail, the model is something that could be replicated by any


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