Everyone Active Helps Residents to Stay Healthy

Everyone Active are leading on an inspiring Community Outreach Programme that has taken storm in East Hertfordshire. Their programme, which began in January 2025, has reached over 300 unique individuals, predominantly patients and residents in need of support for their health and wellbeing. 

This is a free of charge service to patients and healthcare staff. Typically, this is a closed group of patients from the medical centre who are invited to the class by the health professional. Sessions include Pilates, chair yoga, meditation, buggy walks and falls prevention classes. 

212 sessions have been delivered at Lea Wharf Medical Centre, Central Surgery, Bishops Park Health Centre (part of south Street Surgery), Holy Trinity Night Shelter, and both Elliott Court and Bircheley Court Assisted Living.  

Lea Wharf Medical Centre, Central Surgery, and South Street Surgery are all Royal College of General Practitioner (RCGP) certified Active Practices and the collaboration with Everyone Active demonstrates exactly why they are recognised for successfully embedding movement into the heart of their surgeries and championing movement as medicine for both patient and staff benefit. 

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Pilot with Lea Wharf Medical Centre

The pilot surgery for this community outreach programme was Lea Wharf Medical Centre, who have worked closely since January 2025 with Rachael Hunt (Practice Business Manager) to set up the programme and ensure it was the right fit and delivery for their patients and staff. They began with two seated Pilates classes per week for patients suffering from social isolation and/or mental health conditions. They also delivered a meditation class for staff and then expanded the delivery to offer a buggy walk in collaboration with the centre’s new Midwifery Clinic. Overall, Lea Wharf held an impressive 136 sessions (and counting) with 238 different unique users attending.  

Users of the Pilates session at Lea Wharf Medical Centre commented: 

“A helpful and fun Pilates session that will definitely help my mobility”  

“It is a lovely exercise class, friendship and laughter with every session. This will make me do a lot more” 

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Growing Local Patient Use of Leisure Facilities 

Everyone Active see the highest number of their Exercise Referrals coming from places where community outreach takes place, reaching more unique users who would otherwise have not visited leisure centre facilities.  

Sessions are focused on priority areas e.g., mental health, mobility, diabetes, falls prevention, and new parents or caregivers - ultimately, benefitting long-term health conditions and preventing the need for further GP appointments. 

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Get Involved 

Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership (HSP) are keen to see more partnerships between the physical activity sector and healthcare, whether that is supporting patients and/or staff with their health and wellbeing. Partnering with local providers is a great way to support the Active Practice Charter and embed movement into healthcare setting. To find out more, please contact hsphealth@herts.ac.uk