Young people encouraged to get more active

Eighty young people from the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon area who completed the Portadown Gets Active Youth programme over the summer months have been presented with Open College Network (OCN) accredited awards at a special celebration event.

The Portadown Gets Active programme, funded by the McClay Foundation and supported by Craigavon-headquartered Almac, was delivered through the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership (CYPSP) with partners Children in Northern Ireland, Pathway Activities NI, Oasis Youth Project, Education Authority, Public Health Agency and Brakes.

The programme encouraged young people to stay active during the summer months and helped them understand the importance of healthy living by providing them with the skills and confidence to cook simple nutritious meals on a budget. The OCN accreditation of the programme shows the possibilities of learning outside of a school setting and over the summer months in a fun and interactive way.

The Portadown Gets Active Programme emphasised the confidence, independence and team building skills that were built in the young people who participated on the programme.

In addition to creating a safe place for young people to continue learning and participate in physical activities during school holidays, the programme also fostered their relationship building skills and helped develop resilience to improve emotional wellbeing.

The awards evening was attended by statutory agencies.