The Lord Lieutenant asked his Deputies for recommendations of organisations in Surrey who deserved a ‘thank you’ for some of the extraordinary work completed since spring 2020.

Deputy Lieutenant Peter Lee visited Active Surrey at the County Council offices in Woking to present a certificate acknowledging the part the organisation played in keeping people of all ages moving during the time of coronavirus.

Peter said of the award “Since last spring organisations across the county have done some fantastic work helping people get through the pandemic. Very often this work has happened quietly in the background against a backdrop of evolving rules and advice.

“We hope this award demonstrates that the work of such organisations does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Active Surrey plays a vital role in helping improve the health and well-being of the county’s residents by reminding us of the importance of moving more for physical and mental wellbeing.”

Active Surrey’s aim is to enable people to realise the benefits that come from being more active, both for themselves and their communities.  With huge disruption to formal sport and exercise caused by lockdowns and ongoing restrictions over the last 16 months, the organisation found new and inventive way to help keep people moving:

• £140,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England has so far been coordinated and distributed to over 40 community organisations across the county to help tackle inequalities around health and activity.
• The Surrey School Games programme - which offers opportunities for all pupils to move more - went virtual to support home-schooling. Over 5,000 submissions were made by pupils of all abilities and ages, across a range of activities.
• A new virtual course to boost understanding of pupil wellbeing was designed and launched, with separate learning modules for pupils, parents and school support staff
• 25,000+ leaflets with exercises for older residents were created and distributed through vaccination centres and other partners to help counter the increased risk of falls for those having to isolate.

A webpage with links to free at-home exercises was launched in time for the start of the first lockdown. At the same time a social media campaign launched on keeping active within COVID guidelines, reaching over half a million people by the end of the winter.

The organisation’s work in addressing the fallout of the pandemic is ongoing. It is currently coordinating Surrey County Council’s response to the government’s expansion of the Holiday Activity & Food scheme for school holidays. ‘Club4’ camps go live next Monday (26 July), offering young people who normally receive benefit-related free school meals in Surrey access to organised activities, with local providers running camps at 130+ locations - all for free.

Lil Duggan. MD of Active Surrey said: “Over the last year we’ve adapted to try and keep people moving, as research cites the importance of physical activity for positive mental health as well as physical wellbeing. But we couldn’t have done this alone: much of our work is delivered with local partners - from councils and health providers, to clubs and charities - so it’s only right that we use this award to say thank you for the part they play in helping Surrey residents stay active.”