Fifteen leading health and social care charities have come together to launch a national campaign aimed at building more physical activity into the lives of people with long-term health conditions.
‘We Are Undefeatable’, which will be supported by Sport England through National Lottery funding, will seek to help those with conditions such as diabetes, cancer, arthritis and Parkinson’s.
One in four people in England live with a long-term health condition, and they are twice as likely to be inactive despite evidence that being active can help manage many conditions and help reduce the impact and severity of some symptoms.
New research shows the majority of people with a long-term health condition want to be active and are aware of the health benefits.
The campaign hopes to inspire, reassure and support people to be active by showing the real-life experiences of people living with a variety of conditions – both visible and invisible – on their own journeys to being active. It also recognises the unique barriers people living with long-term health conditions face.
The charities involved are: Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Asthma UK, Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now, British Lung Foundation, British Red Cross, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Mind, MS Society, Parkinson’s UK, Rethink Mental Illness, Royal Voluntary Service, Stroke Association and Versus Arthritis.
Juliet Bouverie, Stroke Association CEO and spokesperson for the campaign, said: “People want to be more active because it improves their mood and wellbeing. I’m hugely excited about helping more people living with a health condition feel that physical activity is possible, with lots of ideas about the ways that you can keep moving.”
Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth added: “This campaign forms part of a longer-term drive by Sport England to change cultural and social norms around long-term health conditions and physical activity.”
The campaign will run across TV, radio and social media, and campaign support packs are being distributed to every GP surgery and community pharmacy in England as part of a wider programme to support healthcare professionals to promote physical activity to their patients.
To find out more, visit www.weareundefeatable.co.uk or follow the hashtag #WeAreUndefeatable.
