Sport For Confidence is to deliver a series of physical activity sessions to carers, following a

unique partnership with the NHS Southend Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Southend Borough Council (SBC).

The social enterprise will run activity sessions two to three times per week in accessible venues across Essex, for a period of 12 months, starting March 2019.

The focus will be on encouraging and fostering progression into self-led activities to ensure those attending are able to continue their new, active lifestyle.

Physical activity sessions will be designed and delivered by Sport For Confidence.

Sport for Confidence was founded by occupational therapist Lyndsey Barrett and supports people who face barriers to physical activity participation to get involved in a variety of sporting activities in mainstream settings.

“Carers have been identified as a group which is traditionally inactive and socially isolated," Barrett said.

"Our activity sessions will focus on helping carer to integrate physical activity into their daily lives, while also creating opportunities to expand their social network.

"A report last year by the Activity Alliance revealed that the activity level of a carer has a direct influence of the activity of the individuals in their care.

"So, as well as directly influencing the activity levels of carers, we also hope this project will have a much wider ripple effect, benefiting those in care as well as the carers themselves.”

The project has been funded on the back of a recent successful bid by Sport For Confidence to host a series of interactive workshops, with carers, at various locations across Southend, to explore the reasons why carers struggle to be physically active and ways to breakdown these barriers.