Walking Sports
Millwall Community Trust provide free open access weekly sports activities for 48 weeks and 2-day trips for a full year funded programme. The Millwall Walking Sports Club has run for over four years and has been successfully delivered in many different settings and locations such as TRA halls, community and leisure centres, estate ball courts, parks and Guys Hospital.
The programme helps bring older people from different backgrounds together through taking part in fun walking sports activities which also helps reduce stress, isolation and loneliness. The activities help support older people who are currently inactive and supports those with two or three limiting long-term health conditions, including dementia, mental health, limited mobility to stay fit and healthy. 30 minutes before each activity, refreshments are provided along with local newspapers to encourage individual and open table conversations.
The structured sports activities include the use of throwing, catching, rolling and striking the ball techniques which provide participants to have fun, stimulate the mind, develop balance and hand-eye coordination. The weekly sessions help take away the stress for those living with someone who has dementia for the time they are at the programme which is often all they might normally get.
Weekly telephone conversations also help regular communication going which reduces people feeling lonely away from the sessions.
The beneficiaries of the Millwall Walking Sports Clubs are older people which bring people from different backgrounds in the local area together. The sessions are open access for any older person wishing to take part and the programme and cater for those who require additional support such as limited mobility, mental health or dementia.