The Active Wellbeing Society

🎆 Happy New Year and best wishes for 2025 to all our followers! #HappyNewYear #TheActiveWellbeingSociety #2025

🎄 The Active Wellbeing Society will be closed from 25th December 2024 to 1st Jan 2025 inclusive, for our staff to rest and recharge at the end of the year. We’ll be reopening on 2nd January 2025. 🔗 If you need any help or support during this time, please visit: https://bit.ly/4026gg6 We look forward to seeing everyone in 2025! #TheActiveWellbeingSociety #ChristmasClosure

📝 The recently published Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2024 highlights the critical role of active travel in addressing deep-rooted health inequalities across urban areas. 🚴 At The Active Wellbeing Society, we have seen first-hand the transformative potential of active travel through the National Free Bikes Network. Developed with partners like Active Essex and the Ealing Council (London Borough of Ealing), the network provides free bikes to individuals and communities who wouldn’t otherwise have access—removing affordability as a barrier and opening up opportunities for healthier, more connected lives. 🤝 As we reflect on the findings of the Chief Medical Officer’s report, the need for scalable, systemic solutions is clear. Active travel must be at the centre of strategies to build healthier, fairer cities—and initiatives like the National Free Bikes Network show what’s possible when we tackle these barriers together. 🔗 If you’re interested in developing a scheme for your locality or learning more about the National Free Bikes Network, visit: https://lnkd.in/edhKeR8e #TheActiveWellbeingSociety #TAWS #ActiveTravel #TacklingInequalities #PublicHealth #UK Active Travel England

🤶 We’re pleased to share that the Essex Pedal Power team down in Harwich and Dovercourt has launched their first-ever Christmas Share Shack. ✨ Supported by inspiring volunteers like Glynis and the EPP team, this initiative builds on the positive impact of the Share Shack work by TAWS in Birmingham. These community spaces bring people together through borrowing, repairing and reusing, while aiming to reduce isolation during what can be a challenging time of year. ❤️ Already, the Christmas Share Shack has become a community hub of support, allowing individuals to donate, swap, and borrow festive items like trees, stockings, baubles, and tinsel, all completely free of charge. 😊 The response from the Harwich and Dovercourt community has been overwhelmingly positive, with generous donations continuing to be shared throughout the festive period. 🔗 To learn more about Share Shacks, visit: https://bit.ly/3nIHFc4 #TheActiveWellbeingSociety #TAWS #EssexPedalPower #ActiveEssex #ShareShack #TacklingInequalities #SharingEconomy Essex County Council Active Essex

🎁 Today, our team paid a visit to Edgbaston Cricket Ground to collect donated toys as part of our Christmas Treat Box initiative. ❤️ These donations, shared through the incredible efforts of #Toys4Birmingham, will soon be making their way to families and children living in temporary accommodation. 🧸 Next week, our team will be stepping into the role of Santa’s helpers, hand-delivering these treat boxes as part of our commitment to building resilient communities—creating moments of joy and connection during what can be a challenging time for many. 🤝 A huge thank you to #Toys4Birmingham and everyone who has supported this initiative. #TheActiveWellbeingSociety #TAWS #CommunityWellbeing #Christmas #Birmingham #UK THRIVE TOGETHER BIRMINGHAM

🎄 In the countdown to Christmas, we’re pleased to share how the Essex Pedal Power (EPP) team in Harwich and Dovercourt has partnered with the North Essex Support Team (NEST) to help their community stay warm this winter. 🧥 Outside the EPP Harwich and Dovercourt office, a free coat rail has been stocked with winter coats of all sizes, ensuring anyone who needs one can access it—no questions asked. The local community has also been encouraged to donate coats in good condition to further extend support to others during the colder months. 🤝 Addressing the immediate challenges of staying warm, initiatives like this show what’s possible when we come together to create happier, healthier, and more connected communities. #TheActiveWellbeingSociety #TAWS #EssexPedalPower #ActiveEssex #Essex #Harwich #Dovercourt #CommunityWellbeing Active Essex Essex County Council

Christmas is a time for connection—and at TAWS, we’re committed to creating spaces where people can come together and feel supported in every community we serve and work alongside. This year, the Bistro at Sunspot in Jaywick is hosting its first free Christmas Day meal, welcoming those who might otherwise spend the day alone, feel isolated or need some support. It’s part of our ongoing mission to strengthen resilience, tackle inequalities, and foster connected communities across the UK. Since taking on the Bistro at Sunspot earlier this year, we’ve been working with the Jaywick community to transform the cafe into a hub for connection and wellbeing. If you work in the area, please share this with your networks—we’d love to reach as many people as possible. #TheActiveWellbeingSociety #TAWS #Essex #Jaywick #UK #CommunityEngagement #CommunityWellbeing #TacklingInequalities

🏙️ It was great to see so many young leaders come together last weekend to take part in collective action to reduce air pollution in their city. 🤝 The Brum For Clean Air Student Event brought together young people from across Birmingham and the West Midlands to discuss the impact of toxic air pollution and how organised action can make a difference in their communities. 💚 🌫️ Air pollution can have long-term effects on our health, especially those with existing conditions or vulnerabilities. It's essential that communities have the tools to address these risks and campaign for cleaner, healthier air. Thanks to Birmingham Healthy Air Coalition, Clean Air Justice Network and Asthma + Lung UK for their support and expertise! #CleanAirJustice #AirPollution #YouthAction #Brum #Birmingham #PublicHealth #CommunityHealth #CommunityAction #CleanAir #YouthActivism #CommunityLeadership #CommunityWellbeing #Sustainability #SustainableFuture #WestMids #WestMidlands

The latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey from Sport England is a powerful reminder of the inequalities that continue to shape access to sport and physical activity. While it’s encouraging to see overall activity levels remain stable post-Covid, the report highlights the urgent need for targeted action to address the deep disparities affecting young people from Black and Asian communities, girls, and children from less affluent backgrounds. At TAWS, we understand that systemic inequalities profoundly impact the ability of young people to lead active, healthy lives. That’s why we’re committed to tackling these barriers—creating inclusive spaces and opportunities that enable every child, regardless of their background, to thrive through sport and physical activity. We work nationally with communities and partners using a whole-systems approach to address the root causes of inequality. By co-creating initiatives and embedding social connection and resilience into everything we do, we aim to make activity accessible and sustainable for everyone. This report is a call to action for all of us.

📢 We’re hiring! We have exciting opportunities to join our growing team at TAWS and make a difference in communities across the UK. 🔍 We’re looking for: 🚴♀️ Cycle Mechanic in #Colchester – As the cycle mechanic, you will be responsible for building a range of adult and children’s bikes, carrying out pre-delivery inspections and general maintenance repairs, the servicing of our fleet of adult and children’s bikes and deliver a range of bike repair sessions including Dr Bike and maintenance workshops. 💻 Community and Business Development Manager for Essex - In this strategic post as the Community and Business Development Manager for Essex, you will play a key role in overseeing our existing work and also contributing to the development of future work within the region. 🤝 Community Connector Essex - As the Community Connector Essex, your role will focus on building trusted relationships with communities and local organisations to develop and deliver ideas and activities to support people who are representative of the projects’ target audience in the area and help to create opportunities that empower citizens and foster community wellbeing. ⏰ Applications for the Community Connector Essex and Community and Business Development Manager for Essex close Thursday 12th December. Applications for the Cycle Mechanic role close on Saturday 14th December. 🔗 For more information and to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/3vULNrb