Movement for good - the Stepping Forward Project
We've been delivering a programme of physical activities in partnership with CCCU Sports.
For people experiencing homelessness, opportunities to take part in physical activity can be hard to access. With financial barriers to conventional sports classes and gym activities, and a lack of confidence preventing people from accessing public fitness spaces, many of our clients have no real opportunity to engage with the physical and mental benefits of meaningful movement.
Thanks to funding from Sport England's Movement Fund, we've been delivering our project, Stepping Forward: Fitness for All, in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University's Sports Centre. The project has enabled us to offer different types of movement for all abilities, providing our clients with opportunities to get active, try new things, build confidence and connect with others, showing how physical activity can be about a lot more than fitness.
Exciting weekly activities have included Tai Chi and games at the day centre and monthly CCCU Sports Centre group sessions including rock climbing. The project continues into the autumn with chair yoga led by Samala, hosted by Chatterbox Cafe, with places for community participants alongside our clients.
Tai Chi has been led by Barry Phelan, a World Champion from Wugong Academy, giving clients a rare opportunity to pause, breathe and reconnect with their bodies in a safe and supportive space. The sessions led clients through slow, flowing movements controlled through breathing and mindfulness.
The brilliant and enthusiastic staff from CCCU Sports Centre have led group activities, with popular sessions of skittles and boules at the day centre, as well as rock climbing and padel at CCCU. One person who joined a bowling session said they "really enjoyed speaking to new people and making new friends."
There was also funding for CCCU gym memberships for Catching Lives clients, meaning people could continue to access movement outside of our organised sessions, building routines to help with confidence and wellbeing. One person gave feedback that "the gym membership I was given really helped me with my mental health and to be able to interact with people a lot better."
Thank you to Sport England for funding this project and allowing people experiencing homelessness to take part in physical activity and experience the benefits of meaningful movement. Thank you to the team at CCCU for helping to deliver this project with engaging activities for everyone's abilities!
If you're interested in joining Samala's chair yoga on Tuesdays 4-5pm, please enquire at Chatterbox Cafe.
