Press Release

The ‘Active Citizenship Programme’ Award Ceremony

Monday 30th October 2006

The ‘Active Citizenship Programme’ is aimed at encouraging local community representatives, coaches and exercise professionals to undertake accredited training on various health and exercise related courses that would subsequently enable these coaches to set up associated health and exercise programmes in their local areas, indirectly helping to increase the levels of people taking part in structured physical activity.

On 24th February 2006 the Derry City Council TRIAX Community Sport Programme was awarded Neighbourhood Renewal funding for the delivery of the ‘Active Citizenship Through Sport’ Programme from the Department for Social Development’s North West Development Office.

The aim of this project is to underpin the DSD strategy of neighbourhood renewal by developing the capacity of local people and building cohesion within the neighbourhood renewal areas in Cityside (TRIAX), Outer North and Waterside. These areas are important as they define the places of greatest disadvantage and this project allows the Derry City Council Community Sport programme to concentrate efforts to combat deprivation and to support local structures in each of these areas.

The community sport programmes in each of these respective areas has overseen the delivery of and has been responsible for delivering a skills building programme that enable people from groups such as young people, older people, disabled people, women and local coaches and volunteers to take part in an integrated range of accredited training opportunities, including obesity prevention training, older people’s exercise, first aid, child protection, disability games training and health related exercise for children.

Those individuals engaged in this programme would then be re-engaged in the delivery of various health and physical activity programmes in their respective communities thereby this process would see those individuals increase their involvement within the local community and help to build the level of volunteers delivering support programmes to both areas and groups of need within Neighbourhood Renewal Areas.

This award ceremony is a recognition of all the achievements and qualifications attained by all individuals on the project.

The Mayor welcoming the programme said she supported any project that encouraged physical exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

Mr Paul McNaught, North West Development Office, said, “I would like to congratulate all the award winners for their excellent achievements. Residents living in deprived areas are more likely to suffer from health problems and this project will help to combat this. This project is a good example of partnership working between Derry City Council and the Department for Social Development and demonstrates how Neighbourhood Renewal can make a difference.”

Ends

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