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Physical activity seminars

Getting active is the theme for a series of Parliamentary seminars being run by Cancer Research UK, Asthma UK and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy during Spring 2006.

The three seminars are highlighting the benefits of physical activity for the maintenance of health and well-being. Each session focuses on a different section of the population: children and young people, the working population and older people.

The seminars provide a forum to discuss how each group can be encouraged to become more active, and the roles that individuals, employers, communities and Government have to play.

The partnership was born out of work at the party conferences in 2005, when the organisations unveiled their physical activity manifesto, called "Active Workplaces? Active Communities? Active Government...?". The manifesto has a series of calls for Government action to promote activity in each age group. Since then a number of leading health, fitness and transport organisations have endorsed the manifesto.

Seminar 1: The working population
This seminar was held in January, in conjunction with the All Party Group on Occupational Health. Delegates heard from Lord Hunt of Kings Health (representing the Dept of Work and Pensions), Steve Alambritis of the Federation of Small Businesses, Marilyn Howard of the Disability Rights Commission and specialist physiotherapist, Bronwyn Clifford. Maxine Taylor of Cancer Research UK chaired a lively discussion, looking at how employers can be encouraged to keep their workforce fit and healthy.

Seminar 2: Children and Young People
This seminar was held on Tuesday 14 February at the joint meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Asthma and Obesity and was supported by the All Party Group on Children. Attendees heard from Graham Hastings Evans from the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England, Alison Oliver from the Youth Sport Trust and Melody Hossaini, Co-Chair of the UK Youth Parliament. There followed an interesting discussion about the role of local and national governments in improving facilities for children to be active and in supporting sport and physical activity in schools and the local community.

Seminar 3: Older people
Sandra Gidley MP, then Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Older People, chaired the final seminar on Wednesday 15 March. Philip Hunt from Age Concern, Leonie Dawson from the CSP and Josianne Roma-Reardon from Asthma UK all spoke convincingly about the benefits to be derived from remaining active in later life and the role that being physically active has in improving physical and mental health. The meeting also heard from Keith Boughton, a man with severe brittle asthma, about his determination to stay fit and active. Representatives from a variety of local and national organisations raised the need for greater recognition of the benefits of active ageing; questioned what the Government is doing to ensure a coordinated approach to increasing activity levels in older people; and shared best practice examples of community groups working with older people to help them stay active.

Download a copy of our physical activity manifesto.