Cardiff City Council launches Move More Cardiff

Earlier this week Cardiff City Council and Public Health Wales launched their joint strategy for getting the people of Cardiff to move more.

Recent surveys have highlighted that one of the adverse effects of the Covid-19 lockdown is the difficulty people are having breaking the habits of a more sedentary lifestyle. This Strategy aims to break this trend in a number of ways with the goal of making exercise the norm.

There were a number of speakers at the event which was opened by Councillor Hugh Thomas – Leader of Cardiff Council who described the four main principles of the Strategy which are:

                     ‘To create active People’,                            ‘Create active Societies’,                             ‘ Create active Systems’,                         ‘ Create active Environments’.

Hayley Lever from Greater Manchester Moving detailed how Greater Manchester were already progressing with their similar Strategy with an offer to work closely with Cardiff so that experiences and initiatives could be shared.

Sheldon Hanton Pro Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation Services at Cardiff Met gave an sight into how the University was currently working with local communities to provide the opportunities for pupils to benefit from the numerous facilities that the University has to offer. Other speakers included, Fiona Kinghorn Executive Director of Public Health, Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board and Lauren Idowu Principal Public Health Practitioner C&V Public Health Team. Finally, Laura Williams Assistant Director of Sport Physical Activity and Health at Cardiff Met spoke about the practical issues of actually implementing the Strategy on the ground. Delegates were asked to outline how they are currently working within the community of Cardiff to give the people of Cardiff the opportunities to get more active and to Move More. There was also the chance to put forward ideas of how our particular sport could be developed in the future to get people to Move More.

This was an opportunity to make contacts and to discuss our ideas for the future. A major part of the Strategy was to alter peoples mindset and making exercise the norm. Canoe Wales has a key interest in this with a view to making the River Taf more accessible for paddlesports and viewing the river as an asset rather than a liability. 

Delegates were encouraged to use active travel to get to the launch. Canoe Wales was invited to the event and was represented by our Talent Pathway Officer (south) James Pigdon. There was no better way to showcase our sport and show that moving around Cardiff by kayak was the norm so he journeyed to the event by kayak from Cardiff Bay!