03/19/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

SWANSEA council award-winning Us Girls and ParkLives sports and activities programmes are back for the summer holidays.

The two weeks of sport and physical activity kick off on August 17 in a safe and socially-distanced way for communities across the city.

The free programme includes health-related fitness, dance and other activities outside in parks at Brynmill, Ravenhill, Ynystawe and Parc Llewellyn.

As they’re outside, all Us Girls and ParkLives sessions are weather-dependent and although the programmes are free to join, all sessions have to be booked in advance

Us Girls is aimed towards girls aged eight to 14 while ParkLives is open to all. The activity sessions run for an hour at a time and include dance sessions with qualified instructors who will ensure events go ahead within government coronavirus prevention guidelines.

ParkLives will also be providing free activities in local parks encouraging people to be active and enjoy the green spaces in their local community.

The summer programme includes a range of fun activity sessions designed to be welcoming for people of all ages and abilities. The timetabled activities are usually one hour long and led by supportive and friendly session leaders, and volunteers from the local communities.

Due to current restrictions, ParkLives sessions will be limited to bowling greens within the following parks; Brynmill Park, Ravenhill Park, Parc Llewellyn, and Ynystawe Park. This will ensure the sessions safe for both staff and participants.

Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said the programmes would be welcomed by hundreds of potential participants. He said:

“As lockdown is easing and people are starting to enjoy going out and about responsibly, it’s just brilliant timing that our Sport and Health team have been able to get ParkLives and Us Girls back on the road.

“The key thing is to keep everyone safe which is why events will be outside and socially-distanced.”

The cabinet member added:

“I want to thank the Sports and Health team for their effort in getting the programme running. During the pandemic, many of the team have been working in their local communities along with hundreds of volunteers delivering food parcels to the shielded and supporting our vulnerable residents.

“Now that there is a move to a new kind of normality, it’s important to recognise the work the team has also been doing behind the scenes to get Us Girls and ParkLives up and running so quickly.

“It’s well-known that sport and physical activity play a crucial role in health and well-being, so it’s good to see these programmes back.”

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