Cardiff & Vale Health Charity is helping to keep older people active at home

Monday, 1 June 2020

Cardiff & Vale Health Charity is delighted to be working with Elderfit to fund exercise DVDs so that older people can stay healthy and active at home during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Elderfit is a Community Interest Company which specialises in exercise for the older person. Their aim is to reduce falls through strength and balance exercises, as well as offering a socially stimulating environment.  The programme has been designed in conjunction with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Public Health Wales.

Due to Coronavirus, community sessions were temporarily cancelled so Elderfit approached Cardiff & Vale Health Charity to see if they could help.

Cardiff & Vale Health Charity funded 1,000 DVDs for distribution throughout Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan to help keep people active.

Elderfit sessions are fun, educational and increasingly challenging- but most importantly they are engaging.  All ranges of ages and abilities are covered, ensuring that everyone’s skill levels are catered to.

Alun Morgan, Assistant Director of Therapies and Health Sciences/Professional Lead for Quality, Safety and Patient Experience at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “When Elderfit approached us we thought that it would be good to distribute the DVD as part of our Community Resource Team information packs.  This also offered a great opportunity to also promote Elderfit’s web-based materials which were about to be launched.  With the DVD and web-based sessions we’ll be helping to keep people fit and active during the current pandemic.

Gareth Bartlett, Director of Elderfit said: "There has never been a more important time to stay active at home. We want to keep people moving and stay connected.

“With so many people having to self-isolate we felt it essential we set up a platform that these individuals could access. We have now managed to create a Members area on our webpage. This area has access to our DVD home workout, a community forum to chat with friends and other members, as well as regular home exercise sessions for beginners and more advanced. All sessions are designed to help maintain strength & balance.

“We understand not everyone isolating has access to the internet. This is why we have agreed to sell 2000 of our DVD's at cost price to the Cardiff Community Resource Team, so that the physiotherapists can distribute to those individuals who will benefit the most.

“We are extremely grateful for this support to our company during these very uncertain times. Equally, we are very proud that we could have a positive impact on people’s lives across Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.”

Simone Joslyn, Head of Arts and Health Charity said: “We were delighted to be able to help Elderfit and fund these DVDs which will no doubt help older people keep mobile and active while at home.”

To find out how Cardiff & Vale Health Charity could help you please visit www.healthcharity.wales or email fundraising.cav@wales.nhs.uk