Active Hastings wins Community Engagement Award

Active Hastings are delighted to announce they have been named the winner of the Community Engagement Award at this year's Sussex Sport & Physical Activity Awards.

The award ceremony took place on Thursday 30 November, at the Sussex County Cricket Ground in Hove. The Sussex Sport & Physical Activity Awards (previously known as the Sussex Sports Awards) is run by Active Sussex. It is one of the most prestigious events in the Sussex sporting calendar, celebrating the hard work, dedication and successes of individuals and community groups both on and off the field.

The Community Engagement Award was one of nine awards celebrated at the event, during the award ceremony the spotlight was shone on Active Hastings as an exemplary organisation that has tackled inequalities in physical activity. The Active Hastings team demonstrated they successfully engaged people in physical activity who would otherwise have been physically inactive.

Active Hastings is hosted by Hastings Borough Council, in partnership with East Sussex County Council, and brings together a wide range of local and national partners to ensure that everyone in Hastings can get active. The team creates a range of courses and classes for adults and children to improve health and wellbeing, and to reduce health inequalities in Hastings by increasing access and participation in physical activity interventions.

Cath Donovan, Active Hastings Co-ordinator, said: "We are so delighted to be the winners of the Community Engagement Award at the Sussex Sports Awards! Thank you so much to everyone who nominated and chose us for the award. We love working with the residents of Hastings, to ensure everyone feels encouraged to live an active and healthy lifestyle. We have an awesome team, who work so hard in providing new physical activity opportunities for the whole community.

"We would like to give a special mention to Defiant Sports, who won the Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP Inclusion & Diversity Award. In Hastings, Joel Lock from Defiant Sports, has been running a weekly Inclusive Sports session with Active Hastings, to remove barriers for children with disabilities, long-term health conditions or special educational needs, to participate in sport. Joel also won the Rising Star award.

"Across the nine awards saw finalists from throughout Sussex, including a plethora of Hastings based activity providers, which showcased the outstanding contribution to sport and physical activity throughout the town. Well done to all the finalists and a big shout out to the Hastings based finalist including The Y.E.S. Project, Jas Gray and Heather Jury, Active Hastings GP Link Workers, 20/20 Health, Eric Douglin, World Club Basketball Tournament and Amy Walker, Hastings Rounders."

Councillor Andy Batsford, lead councillor for Health and Culture at Hastings Borough Council, said: "Huge congratulations to the Active Hastings team for winning the Community Engagement Award at the very prestigious Sussex Sport & Physical Activity Awards.

"I am so proud of the whole team, who are so dedicated in making Hastings more active, it's very inspiring to see so many Hastings residents embrace and participate in physical activity sessions and courses. I would also like to congratulate and thank all the Hastings based finalist for making such a positive impact in our town."

Read the full list of winners.

For more information on what sport and physical activities are available in Hastings visit: activehastings.org.uk

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Notes to editor:
Active Hastings works closely with local providers of physical activity to give you easy, fun ways to get your everyday dose of physical activity. It only takes 30 minutes a day for adults and 60 a day for children to get fitter, healthier and happier. You can even break it down into 10 minute slots!

Active Hastings coordinates the local Community Physical Activity Network, which brings together schools, sport clubs, National Governing Bodies of Sport, health organisations, the voluntary sector and the private sector to work together, unblock barriers to participation and improve the local sport and physical activity delivery system.

Active Hastings is hosted by Hastings Borough Council, in partnership with East Sussex County Council, and brings together a wide range of local and national partners to ensure that everyone in Hastings can get active.

Find out more at www.activehastings.org.uk or follow them on Facebook 'Active Hastings'.

For more information contact Emma Bailey, Social Marketing and Communications Officer, Active Hastings, Hastings Borough Council on 01424 451145 or emma.bailey@hastings.gov.uk