Town promotes fitness scheme (From Barry And District News)

Town promotes fitness scheme

BARRY became the focal point for an exciting new Wales-wide sports launch last week.

Court Road's YMCA was chosen to promote the Welsh Government's Sport, Physical Activity and Active Recreation Summit, which has been called to encourage participation in physical pursuits.

This is an additional project to 'Climbing Higher' - the draft sport strategy launched by sports minister Alun Pugh last year. This aims to bring Wales into line with other countries such as New Zealand who have high participation rates in sport.

Mr Pugh told the News: "An active lifestyle can have a positive effect on your health and wellbeing. "

A huge 72 percent of the adult population in Wales do not undertake enough physical activity to meet health-benefit recommendations.

This in turn leads to the early death of thousands of people in Wales and a £100 million bill for treatment and economic failure.

Mr Pugh was joined at the launch by a number of local celebrities.

Vale of Glamorgan World Champion cyclist Nicole Cook has agreed to speak at the conference.

Megain Compain, a New Zealand international basketball player with the Rhondda Rebels and Welsh Rugby Union chief executive David Moffett are also involved.

Mr Moffett said: "It is our job to encourage people to play sport. It can only benefit Welsh Rugby if more people get involved."

With a waiting list of 700 at the YMCA to join some of the clubs activities the centre was the ideal place to show commitment to sport.

Chairman Linda Owens said: "Here we could not survive without volunteers. They are essential to us."

l The two-day sport summit will be held on January 29, and January 30, at the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel.