Free ‘Shape Up’ and ‘Active Watford’ course for adults with high Body Mass Index

The Watford Football Club’s Community Sports and Education Trust is offering programs that can help improve your health and fitness, even during the current cost of living crisis.

Thanks to various partners and funders, two programs are available completely free of charge.

One of these programs is called Shape Up, which is a 12-week weight management course provided by the Trust across Hertfordshire.

The upcoming courses will be held in Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, South Oxhey, Watford, and Welwyn, and are funded by the Premier League and PFA Community Fund, as well as Hertfordshire County Council.

Shape Up is designed for adults between the ages of 18 to 65 years old with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or over, or for those from ethnic minority backgrounds with a BMI of 28 or over. Participants will meet weekly for 90 minutes, with a 45-minute educational segment and a 45-minute physical activity session.

The program aims to improve participants’ knowledge of healthy lifestyles to achieve sustainable weight loss, rather than relying on the short-term benefits of a diet-based program. Shape Up is backed by local General Practitioners (GPs), and those interested in participating can sign up through their local surgery or by visiting the Trust’s website and emailing them.

Speaking about the programme, previous participant 46-year-old Rob said: “I can’t recommend this course highly enough, do it! Take 90 minutes out of your weekly routine, change your life; take small steps but you will reap the benefits. I have!”

You can register for this programme HERE or contact Shaun Murphy on 07938 486378 or shaun.murphy@watfordfc.com.

Active Watford and Three Rivers – face-to-face consultations

Next up is Active Watford and Three Rivers, funded by the Premier League and PFA Community Fund, Watford Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council, Herts Valley CCG, and Watford Community Housing.

Active Watford and Three Rivers is a programme that works with inactive people in Watford and Three Rivers, who are at risk from cardiovascular disease and/or mild to moderate mental health issues, helping them become active.

The programme does this by providing face-to-face consultations, delivered by the Trust’s Health and Wellbeing Manager, lasting for up to a year. Individuals will look at why they would like to become active, and what barriers they might face, establish their goals and confidence levels as well as create action plans.

As part of this process, a consultation will look at what activities or sports the client will enjoy so that they can be signposted to local sports clubs, exercise classes, leisure centres, gyms or community exercise programmes based on their needs.

You can self-refer into the scheme if you are aged over 16 years old, live in Watford and Three Rivers, and do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week. To self-refer click HERE or contact Alison Goodchild on 07710 096398 or alison.goodchild@watfordfc.com

The Trust’s community hub in North Watford, the Meriden Community Centre, also has a fully equipped gym, available at a lower cost than mainstream gyms. To enquire about this, why not pop in to see the team at WD18 9ET or contact them at MeridenReception@watfordfc.com

Watford Football Club’s Community Sports and Education Trust