Weekly sessions for disabled people are set to begin at Rushden’s Pemberton Centre

Rushden’s Pemberton Centre is the venue for new weekly physical activity sessions for disabled people, with the aim to tackle loneliness, improve participants’ well-being and reduce social isolation.

Activities will be on offer beginning Thursday, February 9 from 7.15pm until 8.45pm and continue indefinitely.

Attendance will be free of change thanks to it being funded by Sport England’s Together Fund.

This is an extension of the Tackling Inequalities Fund, which began in April 2020 to help ease the damaging effects that the Covid-19 pandemic had on the sport and physical activity sector.

Funding prioritises four major audiences, ensuring that lower socio-economic groups, culturally diverse communities, disabled people, and people with long-term health conditions have access to physical activity and the benefits it can bring.

The sessions are courtesy of Bak Up CIC, a Raunds-based charity that makes strides to provide counselling, support for vulnerable adults, and various programs and projects that empower communities.

Prince Caesar from Bak UP CIC said: “This funding will allow us to use sports to provide active well-being sessions for disabled people and their families from Rushden and the surrounding areas.

"We are extremely grateful to Sport England and Northamptonshire Sport for awarding us with this funding.

"We are certain it will provide an alternative solution to tackling loneliness and create a stronger more inclusive local community.”

Northamptonshire Sport’s place based officer for Rushden said: “This is a great addition to the menu of opportunities available for disabled people and their families in Rushden.

"With the YIP Club already on Tuesday evenings for young disabled people and MAC Club for adults on Thursday mornings, these sessions mean those who work during the day now have something they can access as well as providing an additional opportunity for others.

“We know that disabled people are unfortunately the least active in society and effects of the pandemic have sadly exacerbated this problem.

"Sessions like this being developed will hopefully help to address this issue and reverse the trend.”

More information about the sessions can be found by emailing [email protected] or by contacting 07979 451623.