The team looked at opportunities to be physically active as a resident within Birch Hall residential care home. They considered the need for a diverse programme of activity to meet the needs of the individual. To meet these needs it was necessary to look at in-house activity as well as providing the opportunity for residents to join in external programmes.

The team:

• Set up in-house seated exercise sessions. Sessions were run by qualified staff provided by the local leisure services (Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council). They were funded through Neighbourhood Renewal Funding.
• Funded the purchase of a Balance Master exercise machine and provided support and training for staff and residents.
• Provided transport for residents to attend local T’ai Chi and postural stability classes.

The programme was then extended to more care homes and residents.