Children in Hollingbury are being encouraged to be more active by using the facilities at their local community centre. Carden tots to teens, based at the Old Boat Corner Community Centre, Carden Hill, offers active play sessions for younger children as well as activities for older children.

Tamsin Knight, Carden tots to teens supervisor, expressed surprise at the relatively low turn-out for their play-gym sessions, despite the reasonable prices.

The group is supported by local charity Together Group and works closely with the council’s Active for Life scheme, which is a city-wide programme, encouraging participation in sports and physical activities. The government has recently taken a stronger interest in encouraging more activity in younger people, introducing television campaigns such as Change4Life which promote a healthy active lifestyle.

Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Health claims that, “Being active is no longer simply and option – it is essential if we are to live healthy and fulfilling lives into old age.”

In spite of the opportunity to encourage these positive lifestyle choices from an early age, ‘Carden tots to teens’ is still struggling to keep up numbers in its sessions for younger members.

Tamsin Knight is currently in talks with Active for Life worker, Sophie Banham to organise a Halloween event for local families during the half term holidays.

The event will be held in Hollingbury and encourage family participation. The group hopes this will be a good way to make local residents more aware of the activities available at tots to teens and encourage the local community to become more active whilst spending quality time with family.