Over 60s Sports Event Planned For Penrith Leisure Centre
Penrith Leisure Centre will host a new one day sporting event bringing together people aged 60 and over from across northern England.
The Northern England Better Club Games are planned for Wednesday, October 21, with more than 100 participants expected to attend. The event will bring together older competitors from Carlisle, Westmorland and Furness, Preston, Gateshead, Newcastle and York for a day of sport, recreation and social activity.
Informally known as the Older Persons’ Olympics, the games are intended to encourage older people to stay active while enjoying a friendly competitive environment. Participants will have the opportunity to try several different activities, with the programme designed to welcome people with varying abilities and levels of sporting experience.
The sporting programme will include pickleball, badminton, table tennis and a timed cycling event. Participants will also be able to take part in new age kurling, giving competitors a broad choice of activities throughout the day and opportunities to try sports they may not normally participate in.
Other activities planned for the event include walking netball, short mat bowls and boccia, alongside more traditional recreational games. Scrabble and dominoes will also form part of the programme, ensuring that the event offers activities beyond conventional physical sports and provides different ways for participants to get involved.
The games are being organised for both Better Leisure Centre members and non members, with participation open to people of all abilities. Organisers are encouraging anyone aged 60 or over who is willing to join in and have a go to consider taking part.
A key aim of the event is to make participation accessible rather than restricting the games to experienced athletes. The range of activities means competitors can choose from physical sports and recreational challenges, creating an event where people can take part according to their interests and abilities.
The event will conclude with a closing ceremony where successful participants will receive trophies and medals. This will provide an opportunity to recognise achievements from across the different activities while bringing the day to a formal conclusion for competitors and organisers.
Entry to the Northern England Better Club Games will cost £4.50 per person. The organisers have included several additional elements within that fee, making the event a wider day out rather than simply providing access to the sporting activities.
The entry fee includes coach travel to Penrith Leisure Centre, as well as lunch for participants during the event. Competitors will also receive a team T shirt and participation medals, adding to the organised and community focused nature of the games.
The event is being delivered through a partnership involving GLL, City of York Council, Cumberland Council, Gateshead Council, Newcastle City Council, Preston City Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. The collaboration brings together participants and organisations from several areas for the first Northern England event of this kind.
Danielle Vipond Shields, better health and communities manager for Westmorland and Furness, highlighted the importance of supporting wellbeing within an ageing population. She said the initiative builds on previous locally held club games while expanding participation by bringing competitors together from a number of different regions.
She described the Better Club Games as a celebration of active ageing and encouraged people over 60 to attend if they enjoy having fun and are prepared to give the activities a try. She also said organisers expected participants to bring a competitive spirit to the event.
The organiser also expects regional rivalry to form part of the atmosphere as competitors representing different areas meet at Penrith Leisure Centre. Alongside the sporting competition, the event is intended to provide an opportunity for people from different communities to come together through shared activities.
With activities ranging from cycling and badminton to bowls, boccia, walking netball and table tennis, the programme has been designed to provide considerable variety. The inclusion of Scrabble and dominoes also means participants can take part in competitive games without every activity requiring the same level of physical exertion.
The Northern England Better Club Games will therefore bring together older participants from several parts of northern England for a day combining sport, recreation and social interaction. With entry open to members and non members of all abilities, organisers are inviting people aged 60 and over to take part and enjoy the event.
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