Football club joins fight for healthier lifestyles

Goalkeeper Josh Lillis

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In an exciting new approach to healthy lifestyles, Rochdale’s League One football team has teamed up with organisations that help you to look after your health and wellbeing in a new partnership set to take the borough by storm.

Combining the health expertise of NHS professionals with activities from the club and the council, the partnership aims to help local people improve their lives by taking small steps to leading a healthier lifestyle.

The initiative officially launched at the recent Rochdale v Oldham match as roving health and sports specialists spoke to spectators around the football ground about how they could start to “Feel Good with The Dale”.

Dr Julie Higgins, Chief Executive at NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale said: “This is a really exciting initiative and we’re delighted to be able to work so closely with the football club in improving the borough’s health. Such a strong partnership approach is crucial in helping us to reach some of our priority target groups to help them understand how small changes to their lifestyle can help them to live healthier and longer lives.”

Roger Ellis, Rochdale Borough Council Chief Executive added: “We are keen to develop this and support the good work already taking place, helping our local football club and their loyal supporters. We are committed to improving the health of our community and this innovative partnership is a great way to help spread the healthy living message.”

Club Director, Andrew Kelly said: This is an exciting partnership and we are pleased to be involved and feel that we can help in promoting a healthier lifestyle to local people by virtue of the profile we have within the community. By combining the forces of so many key groups we are able to promote the message to a far wider audience and importantly, keep that message fresh in the minds of local people. “

“We are very excited about this new initiative which further develops the work of the Club within the local community. We see this project as an extension of the fantastic work undertaken by the Football in the Community Trust and linking with experts it can only benefit everybody concerned. It once again shows the commitment of the Club to provide a quality service to our local community.”

The partnership builds on the existing Do You Feel Good? initiative between the NHS, council and Link4Life and includes: NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, Pennine Acute Hospital NHS Trust, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust , Rochdale Borough Council, Link4Life and Rochdale AFC Football in the Community Trust.