South Tyneside residents with respiratory and cardiac conditions encouraged to play walking football
The walking football club in South Shields is open to all resident aiming to boost health and improve mobility.
A new walking football club held in South Shields has been launched to get South Tyneside residents with respiratory and cardiac conditions moving.
The new group is the only one set up for people with long-term health conditions in the borough.
It is open to all, but those with respiratory illnesses like COPD or asthma, cardiac conditions and diabetes are being invited to join in.
The aim is to boost health and improve mobility, while giving people a chance to make new friends.
The session has been set up by South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (STSFT) and is being run and funded by the Foundation of Light.
It is hosted at Temple Park Centre in South Shields on Fridays at 10am and costs £2.
A total of 25 people can get involved in the match, which lasts around an hour, with time built in so people can have a quick breather and a drink if they need it.
Simone Rowlands, Project Lead for Cardiac Rehab at STSFT, said: “We have wanted to do this for some time in South Tyneside and we are delighted the Foundation of Light has worked with us to run it.
“We both share a passion to improve health and help get people more active, so I want to take this chance to thank the Foundation for teaming up to get this going.
“As a Trust, we already run classes to help our patients who have had cardiac or have respiratory conditions. This supports their recovery and rehabilitation.
“But these sessions are also for those who want to get up out of their chair and get moving a bit more.
“It’s at a low level, so they don’t need to worry about not being fast or that it will be too difficult for them.”
“You’ve faced the same issues”
John Woodhouse, 64, from Jarrow, has also joined the Healthy Hearts group as he continues to work on his recovery following a heart attack four years ago.
He said: “The walking football sessions are really enjoyable and fun, which makes it better than usual fitness classes.
“It’s also the fact that the others there are in the same position as you. Because you’re in that same boat, you don’t feel totally alien around each other, you’ve faced the same issues and it’s so much easier.”
Jade Gilbertson, Foundation of Light Health and Wellbeing Manager, said: “Football has a real power to bring people together, and these sessions are a great example of how the game can be adapted to help people become more active in a way that feels comfortable, enjoyable and accessible.
“We’re really pleased to be working with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust to provide an opportunity specifically designed around the needs of people living with long-term health conditions.
“It’s not just about the physical benefits either. As we’ve already seen, the sessions give people the chance to have fun, build confidence and connect with others who may have had similar experiences.”