everton

Fit Fans

The project is aimed at men aged 55+ from the local area who want to come in and make realistic changes to their health (nutrition, fitness and physical activity levels).

The programme involves one-to-one personal and health practitioner advice, where goals are set over a six week period which can be extended if needed. Each person has a health evaluation (BMI, blood pressure, resting heart rate) and is issued with an individualised training programme that is catered to help achieve personal health goals anything from:

•  Weight loss     

• Getting more active

• Improve fitness

•  Improve eating habit’s 

• New eating ideas  

Fit Fans takes place every Tuesday at the Everton Active Family Centre (EAFC) based in the car park of Goodinson Park. EAFC houses state of the art gym equipment and is the outcome of an unique partnership between the School of Sport and Exercise Science, Liverpool John Moores University and the charity arm of Everton Football club, Everton in the Community.

 “I love coming here. It’s at my club (Everton), its free and its just my time and its all about what I want to do, its brilliant!” (Norman, local fan, aged 64)

“This is really made a difference to me, I am a man over the age of fifty out of work and coming here getting in a routine, looking to help and improve my health has given me the confidence to go out there a find work again.” (Mike, aged 56)

Everton intergenerational

Everton Intergenerational is a programme aimed at integrating older people (aged 55+ years) residing in local Liverpool care homes with children (aged 7-11 years) from a local primary school. All participants come together to take part in a 20 week health programme.

The first 10 weeks is based at the EAFC at Goodinson Park, and the second 10 weeks is based at Crompton Court Care Home which is within the local area of Goodinson Park. The weekly sessions consist of:

• Stadium Tours

• Exer-gaming

• Active Gaming

• Gardening

• Cooking/Baking

• Chair Exercise

• “Healthy” Poster Design  

• Wimbledon Week

• Potting

The project has run since 2008, and is aimed at promoting physical activity and health while bringing together and breaking down social and cultural differences between two different generations. 

“It’s brilliant, it really brightens their faces (older residents) knowing there not going to be stuck in today but going out to Everton and seeing the kids as well really makes there week.” (Jackie, Care Support Worker).

Both projects are supported by a range of practitioners and volunteers from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences (LJMU), who are managed and supported by Dan Parnell (EAFC Manager), Dan Bingham (EAFC Practitioner) and Dr Dave Richardson (Lead Investigator). This unique collaboration allows for greater data collection and dissemination. To date this includes a poster presentation at LJMU's Institute for Health Research Conference and a peer reviewed publication, which is in preparation for the Journal of Men’s Health.

For more information please contact:

Dan Parnell: D.S.Parnell@ljmu.ac.uk or eafc@ljmu.ac.uk

Dr Dave Richardson: D.J.Richardson@ljmu.ac.uk

Chris Clarke: Chris.Clarke@evertonfc.com

Watch the video player below to hear about Cameron's experience of the Extra Time project.