£30,000 for sports and fitness in North Norfolk

The Active North Norfolk partnership has won £30,000 in Lottery funding from Sport England for two years' worth of sport and fitness activities aimed primarily at people aged 55 and over and, with the 2012 Olympics in mind, at younger and disadvantaged people.

North Norfolk District Council and its partners in the Active North Norfolk community sports network aim to use the money to get more people taking part in sports and physical activity, through a variety of different partners and agencies.

These activities will include fitness, archery, climbing, fencing, martial arts, circuit training, athletics, football, cricket, table tennis and boccia (an inclusive game like boules or pétanque, which can be played by people with disabilities). They will be offered in various ways (some through the mobile gym service, others at village halls or through after school clubs) and many of them will be run specially for children and young people who are not employed or in education, or who are at risk of being disengaged from their families and community.

Karl Read, Leisure and Cultural Services Manager for North Norfolk District Council and acting chair of Active North Norfolk said: "This is fantastic news for the District. This money will go direct to activities in the community that need it most."

The Active North Norfolk network includes North Norfolk District Council, the North Norfolk Community Partnership, NHS Norfolk, DC Leisure, Norfolk Youth Service, Active Norfolk, local area partnerships, Voluntary Norfolk, the North Norfolk School Sports Partnership, sports clubs across the District, and others involved in improving the health and fitness of North Norfolk people.

The money was awarded from Sport England's Community Investment Fund. Sport England's new strategy aims to increase participation among young people in advance of the 2012 London Olympics, while older people are a priority for North Norfolk District Council and its partners. Active North Norfolk is the only partnership in Norfolk to secure two years of funding through this initiative.

• For more information, contact Karl Read on 01263 516002.

ENDS