Two new trustees are hoping to get the county moving as they join Active Lancashire.
Zafar Coupland and Amanda Parker are already making themselves known at the forward-thinking county sport partnership, taking the total number of trustees from nine to 11.
Zafar is the manager of Sahara in Preston, a voluntary women’s organisation working with predominantly black or minority ethnic women dealing with domestic abuse, unemployment and training.
Amanda’s professional experience lies primarily within IT and technology systems, having started her own business called Intellexa Ltd.
She has shown a long-standing commitment to voluntary service through charity work, as well as her huge involvement in hockey and its development with young people.
Adrian Leather, CEO at Active Lancashire commented, "We hope by creating more access to young person centred sport and physical activity sessions, behaviour change will occur, resulting in young people becoming more regularly active."
Lesley Lloyd, chairman of the board, says: “I am delighted to welcome Amanda and Zafar to the Active Lancashire board. Their exceptional skills, expertise and networks will be invaluable to the organisation at this exciting stage in our development.”
The appointments support the new organisational aims of the business introduced alongside the re-brand back in April, in which Active Lancashire revealed its plans to develop its areas of work over the coming year.
The organisation, based at Lancashire Business Park, Leyland, was first established 2000 with only six members of staff, and it has now grown to have a team of 36. The organisation was originally called Active Lancashire but later became Active Lancashire to recognise its work with partners. The final re-brand came in April 2018 when it changed to Active Lancashire to reflect the work it is doing outside of sport.
Adrian Leather, Active Lancashire CEO, adds: “Active Lancashire is one of 43 county sport partnerships established to help deliver the government’s drive to develop a ‘single sports delivery system’ across England.
“It aims to bring partners together to create healthy lifestyles through sport and physical activity. Its partners include local government, sporting governing bodies, police, education, health sector, volunteering and media partners.
"It has a number of projects which work with different groups across Lancashire.
Active Ants is a primary school digital health programme supporting children to achieve 60 minutes of physical activity a day in line with national guidelines.
“Positive Together aims to provide diversionary sports and physical activities for children and young people to reduce inactivity and anti-social behaviour. More Positive Together is a £6m project and part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England to help improve people’s employment prospects.
“Satellite Clubs are informal physical activity sessions, working in partnership with community groups, charities, community interest companies, grass roots sports clubs and housing associations who have reach to our target audience of 14 to 19 year olds.
“We hope by creating more access to young person centred sport and physical activity sessions, behaviour change will occur, resulting in young people becoming more regularly active.
“Challenge Through Sport Initiative (CSI) is an ambitious innovative partnership project to encourage more active and healthier lifestyles for adults in drug and alcohol recovery by getting involved in regular sport and physical activity.”
Dave Bayliff started attending CSI sessions in April 2016 and he has now become a paid support worker on the project.
He says: “It’s really important to keep myself busy and this has been a good way of doing that.
“I always liked sport at school but had just stopped doing it because of the situation I was in.
“My whole belief system has changed and the last year is full of good memories, which really makes a difference.”
