We set up ‘Exercise in the Community’ in

2006 to try out ways of promoting physical

activity and healthy living among

members of Black and Minority Ethnic

(BME) communities in Stoke on Trent. We

ran lots of health and fitness educational

programmes in local community venues in

different parts of the city. They were all

free to participants, easy to access and

arranged in a culturally aware way.

moving towards fitnessExercise in the Community Project in Stoke on Trent

WEA West Midlands Region

introductionWe set up ‘Exercise in the Community’ in

2006 to try out ways of promoting physical

activity and healthy living among

members of Black and Minority Ethnic

(BME) communities in Stoke on Trent. We

ran lots of health and fitness educational

programmes in local community venues in

different parts of the city. They were all

free to participants, easy to access and

arranged in a culturally aware way.

introduction

It was possible to do this because the project was supported

financially through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund as it

was designed to meet local targets around improving the

health of local people.

This report describes how the project helped health

improvement by encouraging exercise that reduces levels of

obesity and the risk of conditions such as diabetes, coronary

heart disease and stroke. It also gave people more

confidence to make use of local health services and to begin

changing their lifestyle, making them healthier.

The educational programmes included Keep Fit, Aerobic

Work Out, Circuit Training, Totally Toning Dancing and Tone

and Posture.

The project targeted adult members of minority ethnic

communities in particular areas including Burslem,

Cobridge, Shelton and Longton. Up to now most participants

have been female and the activities have been particularly

popular with older people.

Partnership has been essential. The project came about

because of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP)’s

commitment to improving health, particularly amongst

disadvantaged groups. The LSP co-ordinates the activities of

different public, private and voluntary organisations and the

project benefited greatly from this partnership working.

The ‘Exercise in the Community’ project

was set up in 2007 to try out ways of

promoting physical activity and healthy

living among members of Black and

Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in

Stoke on Trent. We ran lots of health and

fitness educational programmes in local

community venues in different parts of the

city. They were all free to participants,

easy to access and arranged in a culturally

aware way.

introductionWe set up ‘Exercise in the Community’ in

2006 to try out ways of promoting physical

activity and healthy living among

members of Black and Minority Ethnic

(BME) communities in Stoke on Trent. We

ran lots of health and fitness educational

programmes in local community venues in

different parts of the city. They were all

free to participants, easy to access and

arranged in a culturally aware way.

health improvementDuring the session an initial health

assessment is carried out with learners

to measure their weight, Body Mass Index

(BMI), blood pressure and waist

circumference. These ‘health indicators’

are then measured half way through the

course (usually week 5) and again at the

end of the course (usually week 10).

As at October 2007, 129 people

participated in health education

programmes and activities and 121

completed their course of study (94%

retention rate). 95% of beneficiaries were

women; 5% were men. Of the 121 people

who completed a programme of study 93

(77%) achieved health improvements.

The chart opposite illustrates the number

of health improvements recorded in

terms of reduced weight, body mass

index, waist circumference and blood

pressure between January and October

2007:

Note: the above values total more than 93 as some

beneficiaries achieved health improvements in more

than one category

Since October many more people have

enrolled on Exercise in the Community

programmes and by the end of March it is

anticipated that over 200 people will have

benefited from project activities.

What are the main successes to date?

■ Reduction in obesity levels among adults residing in health

deprived communities within Stoke-on-Trent as measured

by reduced weight, waist circumference, blood pressure and

body mass index

■ Personal development and lifestyle changes among

beneficiaries. For example, feeling more confident about

themselves and improving awareness of the importance of

taking regular exercise

■ Improved community cohesion as people from different

ethnic/cultural backgrounds have come together to share

expectations and experiences of health education and to

take action to improve their health

What has helped make the project a success?

Feedback from participants, partners and other key

stakeholders has highlighted the following enablers to success:

■ Enthusiastic involvement from local voluntary, community

and statutory organisations

■ Community gym programmes and activities at local venues

that are familiar to participants and where they feel ‘safe’

■ The possibility of support with cost of childcare facilities

and transport to access exercise in the community

■ Structured and bespoke health education programmes that

are free of charge

■ Availability of regular health checks

■ Culturally competent programmes such as single sex gym

sessions and flexibility in course delivery (for example to fit

around religious festivals, extended overseas leave)

■ Supportive learning environment facilitated by friendly

tutors

■ The opportunity to ‘have a voice’ in shaping programmes

■ Referrals to Beth Johnson Foundation mid-life project for

additional support in health checks and developing healthy

living action plans

Reduced BP

Weight Loss

Waist Reduction

Reduced BMI

64

55

48

38

personal accounts

Haresh

Haresh arrived from India 34 years ago and has lived in Stoke

on Trent ever since. He used to work in the potteries, lifting

and standing for long hours; this has given him pain in his

back for the last 20 years. Haresh didn’t do much exercise,

except for going to work as there were few opportunities

locally and he lacked the confidence and money to join a

private gym. He heard of the community gym through a

relative and decided to join a class at the Gurdwara Sikh

Temple. He set himself the following goals:

■ To improve his posture and flexibility (so he can sit and

walk with less back pain)

■ To improve his fitness levels (so he can play a game of

football with his grandchildren)

■ To be able to walk at a faster rate without getting out of

breath

Since starting Exercise in the Community, Haresh exercises

twice a week and takes regular walks. He likes the fact that

the classes are available at the Temple, because he can

exercise in relaxing and familiar surroundings with other

members of his own community. Haresh now understands

the importance of warming up and cooling down when

exercising. He feels that he is not only physically but mentally

stronger. He no longer has so much back pain and because of

this can take part in harder exercises that will help

strengthen his back and abdominal muscles further.

Haresh has not lost much weight but regular exercise has

meant that his waist size is slowly reducing. He understands

that to lose weight he has to cut down on his calorie intake

and eat less fatty foods and he is considering this at the

moment. Overall, he says he feels better about himself and is

feeling fitter.

Alaya

Alaya has lived in Cobridge for 8 years. She is

a lone parent with one 15 year old child and

no longer has contact with other family

members. Alaya suffers from social isolation

and depression. Before participating on the

project she would sleep most of the day and

rarely ventured outside. As she put it ‘life

wasn’t worth living, the tablets took over my

life, controlled my life’. She found out about

‘Exercise in the Community’ through a friend

and decided to join one of the classes. She set

herself the following goals:

■ To take more regular exercise

■ To lose weight (return to a size 16, from

size 20)

■ To have a flatter stomach

■ To know how to prepare healthier meals

for her and her child

Since joining the project Alaya has lost a

significant amount of weight and reduced her

waist circumference. She reckons that she is

much happier and has more confidence to

meet and talk to other people. In addition, she

has reduced her medication with her doctor’s

help and as a result is now more alert and

able to concentrate for longer. She keeps an

activity and food diary, which she completes

everyday. This helps with understanding what

and how much to eat and also how much

activity she needs to do each day. Alaya is also

a volunteer for ‘Exercise in the Community’,

helping with setting up the equipment and

bringing in music for the cool down session.

With this experience and her renewed sense

of confidence she now feels ready to try paid

employment and is applying for job’s in the

retail industry.

“I like learning about how my body works and I now know how to keep myselffit and how much I have to do each week to attain this. I would go everyday; itgets me out of the house and I feel happy.” Shakila (60)

“It gets me out of the house and it’s for ladies only, so my husband doesn’tmind. My mother in law comes with me and we enjoy the classes and I meetothers in the community. The atmosphere is relaxed and the tutors friendly ”Sabah (32)

Janika

Janika is 35 years old and migrated from Bangladesh in 1992.

She has 5 children and lives with her husband in Cobridge.

Janika can’t read or write but speaks a little English. Because

of this she feels she is unable to work. She would like to learn

English at her local community centre if there was an

opportunity. Janika is overweight and suffers from arthritis,

experiencing regular aches and pains in her back, shoulders

and legs -especially during the winter months. She has the

following goals:

■ To lose weight (to get to a size 12 from size 16)

■ To feel fitter so that she can exercise with her children

■ To build stamina to take part in more than one exercise

class per week

Since taking part in exercise sessions with the ‘Exercise in the

Community’ project Janika can now demonstrate a warm up

and cool down and state why this is important in physical

activity. Also, for the first time in her life she can use a skipping

rope and do over 100 skips without stopping. She says she is no

longer woken at night with aches and pains and therefore feels

more rested. There is no sign of weight loss or reduction in

waist measurement or blood pressure as Janika has only just

started attending the course. She claims to be much more

confident within herself, however, and is convinced that with a

more balanced diet and regular exercise she will reach her

goals.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the classes. The integration of the different culturesworks well and everyone is friendly. We always have fun and a laugh. Withoutthese classes we would just sit at home all-day. I feel much fitter ” Judith (60)

“I like it that I have a regular health check; being a diabetic I wasn’t sure if Icould exercise and what I should do. The exercise helps me feel fitter andwith the help of the tutors I can do a lot more. It helps that they are free and Itry and get my friends to come along.” Eugenia (77)

links with other projects

‘Communities for Health’ Project

This is an innovative collaboration between the Beth Johnson

Foundation and the WEA. It expands on the work already

developed by Exercise in the Community and the Foundation’s

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Mid-Life Programme by

working in partnership to tackle health inequalities, increase

life expectancy and reduce morbidity within Stoke by

encouraging individuals to adopt elements of a healthy

lifestyle. The project adds value to each of the existing

programmes by drawing on the knowledge, experience,

strengths and resources of the respective organisations.

The Fit for Life project as it is locally known, is an opportunity

for two different organisations to work together to promote a

healthier future for people aged 45 and over that live in

Stoke, particularly the areas of Chell, Tunstall and Longton.

Programme Manager: Louise Williams

Project Organiser: Janet Henson

‘Learning in the Community’ Project

We set up ‘Learning in the Community’ in 2006, to develop

outreach work and a range of community based learning

programmes in North and South Meir. Examples of

programmes that have proved popular include Women and

Health, Computers for Beginners, Practical Helpers, Helping

in Schools, Digital Photography and Introduction to

Counselling. These have provided opportunities for local

people to:

■ Receive advice and information about learning

opportunities

■ Take part in short ‘taster’ activities designed to attract

new learners

■ Access learning at entry level and level one

■ Access learning at level two relevant to vocational

progression

Manager: Louise Williams. Organiser: Fleur Parker

feedback from observers

‘This is a well organised and managed project that is

successfully reaching adults that would not usually take part

in health education. The activities are clearly helping to

improve the health and well being of people in the most

deprived areas of the city’

Carole Bagnall, Neighbourhood Renewal Funding Programme

Manager, Stoke-on-Trent Local Strategic Partnership

‘Exercise in the Community has a positive impact on

individuals physically, socially and mentally. It is a valuable

service and the only one tailored to meet the needs of

minority ethnic communities in the area. Long may it

continue’

Balwinder Kaur, Equality and Diversity Practice Development

and Midwife, Stoke NHS PCT

‘This is an excellent initiative to improve the health and well

being of minority ethnic communities. I have visited the

Exercise in the Community project and was very impressed at

both the level of satisfaction and health improvements

described by project participants’.

Paul Warsop, Chairman, North Stoke NHS PCT Trust Board

‘The project clearly links to a range of PCT targets including

life expectancy, obesity, and self-management of long term

conditions (diabetes). It has had a lot of success to date, and

needs to run for longer to maximise links into other areas of

work, for example diabetes clinics and rehabilitation

programmes for BME communities’

Judy Kurth, Strategic Coordinator, Healthy Communities and

Older People (HCOP), Stoke NHS PCT

what next? partners‘Exercise in the Community’ has shown – in a short

period of time - the value of this approach to

community health education. The challenge is to build

on this and ensure sustained health improvements

amongst Stoke-on-Trent residents.

To achieve this we need to be able to plan ahead over

several years and establish secure staffing, management,

finance and a local ‘base’ for the project. From this platform

it would be possible to:

■ Reach out to more Stoke residents, particularly those

with long term conditions such as diabetes

■ Strengthen partnership working so that residents benefit

from the different contributions of a range of co-

operating organisations

■ Contribute to making Stoke a healthy and vibrant

community

The success of the project owes much to the enthusiastic and

active participation and support from a range of staff at local

voluntary and community organisations that have promoted or

hosted programmes and activities. In particular, we wish to

acknowledge the cooperation of the following:

■ Cobridge Community CentreBursley Road, ST6 3DQ

■ Florence Sports & Social ClubLightwood Road, ST3 4JS

■ Gurdwara Sikh Temple61 Liverpool Road, ST4 1AQ

■ Longton Methodist Central HallThe Strand, Longton, ST3 2JH

■ Queensbury Youth and Adult CentreQueensbury Road, Longton, ST3 1QZ

■ Racial Equality Council (REC) 75-77 Raymond Street, ST1 4DP

■ Shelton Day Care CentreCemetery Road, ST4 2DL

■ Shelton Youth CentreCrowther Street, Shelton, ST4 2ER

■ St Michael's Church Hall203 St. Michael's Rd, Chell, ST6 6JT

■ The Salvation ArmyDunning Street, Tunstall, ST6 5AP

■ Tunstall Pool Greengates Street, Tunstall, ST6 6BL

Also thanks go to:

The Beth Johnson Foundation

Thomas Boughey Children’s Centre

Stoke City Council Healthy City Team

Stoke Local Strategic Partnership

Stoke NHS Primary Care Trust (PCT)

Registered charity number: 1112775. Company limited by guarantee in England and Wales no: 2806910. Registered office: 3rd floor, 70 Clifton Street, London, EC2A 4HBDesign & photography by Homer Creative. www.homercreative.com

WEA in Stoke-on-Trent

c/o Community Learning Centre

Mitchell High School

Corneville Road

Bucknall

Stoke-on-Trent ST2 9EH

The project is supported by Stoke-on-Trent

Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) via

Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF).

Exercise in the Community

Project Organiser:

Janet Henson

Mobile: 07708428753

Learning in the Community

Project Organiser:

Fleur Parker

Mobile: 07986220345

Programme Area Manager:

Louise Williams

Mobile: 07962 223598

WEA West Midlands Regional Office

4th floor

Lancaster House,

67 Newhall Street

Birmingham

B3 1NQ

Tel 0121 237 8120

Fax 0121 237 8121

westmidlands@wea.org.uk

www.westmidlands.wea.org.uk

Contacts