What is Active Herts?

Active Herts is a new £1m, three year collaborative project that aims to increase physical activity levels among inactive adults living in Hertfordshire’s most deprived communities.

Who’s Involved?

Active Herts is coordinated by Herts Sports and Physical Activity Partnership and funded by Sport England, Herts Public Health, Herts Valley and East and North Herts Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Delivery partners include, Mind in Mid Herts, Herts Mind Network, Broxbourne Borough Council, Hertsmere Leisure, Hertsmere Borough Council, Stevenage Borough Council, Watford Football Club Community Sports and Education Trust, Watford Borough Council, University of East Anglia and the University of Hertfordshire.

Why?

Physical inactivity is the fourth largest cause of disease and disability, contributing to 1 in 6 deaths in the UK which makes it as dangerous as smoking.

In Hertfordshire, 1 in 4 adults are completely sedentary and there is a direct correlation between levels of deprivation, health inequalities and physical inactivity. (Source: Public Health and Sport England, 2013)

Linked to this, health costs of physical inactivity in Hertfordshire are estimated at £16,075,310 per year (excluding obesity).

What do we provide?

Active Herts offers free consultations for up to 12 months to referred or self-referred patients/clients who want to become active. Support from our team of Get Active Specialists helps people to get started and be successful in making positive changes to their lifestyle.

We work on a 1:1 basis with patients/clients at participating GP surgeries and Mind Wellbeing Centres. The Get Active Specialist team use behaviour change techniques and motivational interviewing to agree a personalised ‘get active’ plan linked to the individuals’ health goals.