Wellbeing for Life have played a vital role in the Active Shildon partnership through their holistic support in the area.

The service aims to empower individuals and support them to make choices that will benefit their health and wellbeing. They work with anyone over the age of 16 who lives, works or has a GP in County Durham. Wellbeing for Life believe that wellbeing is about your health, happiness, opportunities, and your overall quality of life.

We recently spoke to Wellbeing for Life’s South West Durham Coordinator, Martin Jones, about physical activity and Wellbeing For Life’s involvement in the Active Shildon partnership.

Why is physical activity important to you?
“Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Being physically active can boost your mood as you release endorphins, so it makes you feel good too.

Physical activity is important to us as we want to show people it is not just about gyms or spending loads of money on equipment, just moving more, even going for a walk, dancing, doing some gardening or housework is a great place to start moving more.”

What do you see as the main benefits of being involved in the Active Shildon pilot?
“The main benefits are being able to work with other partners to work towards improving the quality of life for people in Shildon and providing services and options to the community. It is great to be so targeted as you can really make it personal and see the difference.”