New scheme to make sport more affordable

People from deprived areas are being encouraged to take part in sport by offering sessions and even gym memberships at bargain prices.

Oldham Community Leisure (OCL) is leading the Energize project, working alongside Oldham Athletic Community Trust, Community 1st Oldham and Oldham College to offer sporting activities, volunteering opportunities and training.

OCL health and outdoor development officer Alan Keane said: “This is a great example of Oldham organisations working together to make taking part in sport and physical activity easy, enjoyable, and affordable.”

The project, which has an ambitious target of 10,000 new attendances at new sport sessions between January and July, received £14,000 funding from Community 1st Oldham, a public and private partnership which develops community-based primary health, social care and community premises in Oldham, and £10,000 from Sport England’s SportMatch.

The programme will offer a number of popular sports including football, boxing, cricket, basketball, swimming and rugby for a nominal charge of around 50 pence per session. Three-month gym memberships will be available for £10. Other outdoor activities include walking, climbing, sailing, running and cycling.