Older & Active in Leeds started as a citywide project in 2008 and formed part of Altogether Better, a program to help people and communities across Yorkshire and the Humber region to eat better, be more physically active and improve their mental health. Although the initial Big Lottery funding has now come to an end, the project continues to work with older people and promote healthy and active lives.
The aim of the project is to promote healthy and active life in older people using a Community Health Educators (CHEs) approach to motivate and empower older people, especially those who are isolated or at risk of isolation.
CHEs work with groups of older people to encourage active living, promote and lead basic activities such as walks, chair-based activity classes. CHEs will also be able to provide basic advice on healthy eating and local availability of fresh food. We hope to make activities fun and accessible to all older people.