2010
2009
News Update
Everton Active Family Centre
23 March 2009The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at LJMU has recently extended its commitment to promoting real health and fitness behavioural change within families in the local community.
A collaboration between Everton Football Club and their community arm, Everton in the Community (EITC), and the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences has given rise the School’s first satellite site, Everton Active Family Centre (EAFC). EAFC is a based at the Park End of Goodison Park, home of Everton Football Club.
This unique partnership between Everton and the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences is further enhanced by the support of Liverpool City Council’s Active City initiative and the provision of over £10,000 worth of Technogym EasyLine fitness equipment for the Centre via Liverpool Lifestyles.
EITC football coaches deliver a range of development programmes targeting schools, women and girls, disabled football and social inclusion. The collaboration offers an opportunity for young people and their families who may have been indifferent to the notions of health and fitness, but have been excited and informed through the practice and messages of the EITC coaches, to seek guidance from, and engage with, sport and exercise practitioners from LJMU.
The guidance is offered in a child, and family, friendly environment. The initiative also offers excellent opportunities for students from the School to engage in an array of applied and work-related experiences. Dr Dave Richardson, Assistant Director of the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, stated that: “Our aim is to target families as complete units so that we can provide the local population with an opportunity to become aware, and engage in, all aspects of health, fitness and nutrition. The Everton Active Family Centre is accessible to local families, in order to support and further encourage positive behavioural and lifestyle changes”.
The Centre’s projects are managed and co-ordinated by PhD student Danny Parnell and supported by the School’s Exercise Science support officer, Colin Robertson and senior academics including Dr Barry Drust, Dr Dave Richardson and Professor Gareth Stratton.
Dan Parnell said: “The amalgamation of all these services under one roof, catering for families within the local area, is a truly unique partnership. By working alongside families to create meaningful ideas and solutions to health related issues, we intend to help people to develop and maintain 'real' lifestyle changes, which will assist in building life-long active families.”
Pictured:
Top: Ste Raynor, Everton in the Community General Manager; Dr Dave Richardson, Assistant Director, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences; Duncan Mackenzie, Everton FC legend; Mark Jones, Head of Liverpool Lifestyles; Danny Parnell, Research Assistant and Project Manager at EAFC.
Bottom: John Murtough, Head of Performance at Everton Football Club, with Dr Dave Richardson and Danny Parnell.
