Launch of a new partnership
Over the past 12 months we have been working together with the Tony Blair Sports Foundation to find ways to improve our region's health and get more people involved in sport.
This innovative partnership is targeted at school children and, through indoor rowing, will encourage them to see physical activity as fun and interactive. We have invested in 40 Concept2 indoor rowing machines which will be installed in 15 secondary schools across Gateshead as part of our 'Get going, get rowing' initiative.
Pupils in the Gateshead and Whickham Schools Sport Partnership will be able to compete against each other in online competitions on the rowing machines.
Some schools have also formed partnerships with local rowing clubs, ensuring the sustainability of the project and enabling children, from all backgrounds, access to competitive rowing in a way that they would never have had in the past.
The NHS in the north east wants to help people make good lifestyle choices and research has shown that indoor rowing attracts those that will be less likely to run on a track or play team games. Obesity levels in the north east tend to be higher that the rest of England. If children have a poor diet and don't exercise enough, they are at higher risk of developing all sorts of diseases in later life, including heart problems, various cancers and diabetes.
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