Campaign launches to keep Greater Manchester moving

By GreaterSport | 24 September 2021 | TAGS: Campaign, KeepMoving

A new campaign is launching across Greater Manchester to help people think differently about being active, and help to demonstrate the little ways that we can all find opportunities to build movement into our everyday routines.  

Starring people from six of the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs, the Keep Moving campaign kicks-off as the region returns to routine after the summer break and the lifting of lockdown restrictions that will see many office-based workers return to pre-pandemic working patterns.  

Keep Moving shows people how simple it can be to find a few minutes here and there, every day, to build movement into regular daily activities. Whether it’s when you’re making your morning brew or cooking up a storm in the kitchen with your family, walking or running with your partner to chew over the day, it’s easy to find just 30 minutes throughout the day to move more.  

The campaign’s central message is that moving more doesn’t have to be chore and can be slotted into everyday activities. Thirty minutes a day can be fun, social and bring loads of benefits, like feeling happier, more confident and sleeping well, as well as helping towards long-term health.  

The pandemic has significantly impacted on people’s daily lives and the cancellation of events and closure of leisure facilities and community activities have all limited the ways that residents can be active. Launching now, Keep Moving aims to re-build people’s confidence and highlight their ability to get active, demonstrating that slight changes really can have an enormous impact on short- and long-term health and happiness. And by drawing on people and families from a variety of communities, ages and lifestyles, we’re showing that no matter when, where or the weather, there is always something you can do. 

Keep Moving forms part of the ambitious GM Moving in Action plan to overcome long-term environmental barriers to physical activity. This collective work to design moving into life across Greater Manchester is supported by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership and Sport England and the campaign is being co-ordinated by the team at GreaterSport. Hundreds of organisations have also pledged their support, including leisure facilities, sports clubs, community groups, businesses, and charities.  

The aim is that 75% of the Greater Manchester population are active for 30 minutes or more a week by 2025. 

Levels of activity in Greater Manchester have trailed behind the national average. Latest official statistics show Greater Manchester has higher inactivity levels than both the England averages, with more than one-in-four (31.1%) adults active for less than 30 minutes a week, despite about 30 minutes a day recommended. 

Bolton couple Robert and Angela star in the campaign alongside residents from Tameside, Manchester, Trafford, Salford and Wigan.

Speaking about the campaign Robert said: "The GM Moving campaign is a great idea and I hope other people are inspired seeing the shape and size of us to become more active and get “GM Moving” even if it is a little a day. Our motivation to get involved was for us both to lose weight, so we knew we had to become more active and we've learnt any movement helps not just the dreaded word ‘exercise’. We now go an hour's walk twice a day and we eat more healthily as well”. 

Keep Moving is launching across the city and in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, including a brand new 30-second film on the ITV Hub, a partnership with Hits radio that will see people encouraged to move in the movement, and adverts across Manchester Evening News, local neighbourhoods, shopping centres and transport networks. The campaign is taking to social media too @KeepMovingGM so the community can share ways to get more active in everyday life to encourage one another.