DELIVERING SOCIAL ROI

Organisation: Borders Sport and Leisure
Project: Vibration therapy for MS sufferers

Borders Sport and Leisure is working with The MS Society Borders on a three-year programme to provide multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferers with access to vibration technology sessions, run by specially trained instructors.

The programme began in January this year following an initial eight-week pilot study, which explored the effectiveness of vibration training in improving fitness and wellbeing in those with the disease, which attacks the central nervous system (CNS) and can cause a range of symptoms, from numbness in the limbs through to paralysis or loss of vision.

The initial study found the vibration therapy improved participants’ muscle power, strength and co-ordination, mobility and functional mobility and functional reach. Now The MS Society has financed vibration technology kit, and Borders Sport and Leisure is providing staff and unrestricted access to the equipment within its leisure centres.

Sarah Calder, aged 46, who has had MS for more than four years, is one of the local residents to benefit from the programme. She says: “The sessions are an essential part of my life. They provide safe exercising, are energising, relieve stiffness and aid my mobility.”

The programme, currently used by around 20 MS sufferers, has been evaluated using sporta’s Impact & Social Value toolkit to measure social return on investment, which showed that for every £1 invested into vibration technology therapy for MS sufferers, there is a social value return of £4.23. The findings will now be used to demonstrate the true value of the organisation to stakeholder groups, particularly when funding decisions are being made.

“MS is statistically more prevalent in the Scottish Borders than other areas of the UK,” says Ewan Jackson, CEO of Borders Sport and Leisure. “Vibration technology is proven to help ease MS symptoms, so we were pleased to be able to offer local residents access to this life-changing programme. We’re also very proud to be the first trust in the UK to have carried out the sporta evaluation on our programmes.”

Vibration is proven to ease symptoms for MS sufferers

BREAKING BARRIERS

Organisation: Inverness Leisure
Project: Helping children with autism

Inverness Leisure has launched a free Swim Access Scheme for families affected by autism, thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

In partnership with the National Autistic Society Scotland, Inverness Leisure developed an illustrated booklet for parents and carers detailing the various experiences and sensations they might come across at a swimming pool.

The scheme was created after CEO James Martin was approached by a customer with an autistic child. “They had experienced difficulty and expense bringing their son to the pool,” he says. “They had to leave almost as soon as they got in the water, as the experience was too stressful for their child.

“Our coaching and instruction staff had been trained by the National Autistic Society (NAS), and by Highland Council’s outreach team on working with children on the autistic spectrum, so we had a good understanding of the needs of children with autism. We decided to do something about the situation our customer described, creating a scheme that would offer families the chance to prepare themselves to come swimming.”

In addition to the booklet, each family is also provided with six free family swim vouchers, allowing them to ‘acclimatise’ themselves with swimming at Inverness Leisure pools.

“Swimming is a life-skill, and it’s important that everyone has access to water in order to build their understanding and confidence,” adds Martin. “The scheme also has the additional benefit of introducing children on the autistic spectrum to a very family-based activity, giving them the opportunity to improve their social development skills as well.”

The project, launched last summer to coincide with the start of the London 2012 Paralympics, was awarded support funding from the Scottish government’s new fund to support autism awareness.

Dr Robert Moffat, national director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, says: “An estimated 50,000 people in Scotland have autism, with nearly 1,000 thought to live in Inverness. From the outside, they can appear to be functioning well, while often experiencing severe challenges in communication and social situations. Most people with autism want the same social and leisure opportunities the rest of us take for granted – they just need the right support at the right time to help them do this.”

Inverness Leisure is about to embark on a reprint of the booklet, having distributed almost 1,000 so far through partner organisations such as the NAS and NHS Highland, as well as through schools, educational psychologists and directly to families.

Inverness Leisure offers autistic children and their families six free swimming vouchers

Swimming is a fun, family activity that can help autistic children with social skills

YOUTH ACTION

Organisation: Live Active Leisure
Project: Active Energy scheme

Live Active Leisure (LAL) launched its new Active Energy membership for 12- to 15-year-olds with a flashmob in Perth City Centre in May.

The flashmob, which saw Perth and Kinross Youth Legacy Ambassadors lead an aerobics session, was the culmination of a two-year research project with local youngsters into how LAL should deliver leisure for its young residents.

Perth and Kinross Youth Council approached LAL early in 2011, having identified a number of key areas where they believed they could make a significant impact on young people’s lives – one being physical activity.

After attending Youth Council meetings, LAL’s marketing team and youth councillors, along with their Youth Council worker, had the idea for a summer of mystery visits around LAL-operated venues to establish young people’s thoughts on how accessible the products, services and venues were. They also carried out mystery phone calls and used the LAL website to find out about activities.

After a summer of mystery visits, the Youth Council members fed back their findings, making key observations on how the services could be improved, as well as identifying the next stage: using a questionnaire to ask young people how they wanted LAL to deliver their leisure.

Over 250 young people aged 12 to 17 years responded to the questionnaire, with the findings showing that:
- Females are less likely to exercise outside of PE lessons: only 41 per cent of females exercised at least four times a week, compared to 61 per cent of males
- Females are more likely to exercise in a school/campus environment and males slightly more likely to use a sports centre
- The fitness gym was equally popular with males and females, but classes and swimming proved more popular for females, and team sports for males
- Younger people are likely to want to exercise with their peers, whereas older respondents were less likely to do this

As a result, LAL launched its Active Energy membership for 12- to 15-year-olds – at 30 per cent cheaper than the previous membership – with unlimited swimming, sports hall activity, access to some adult fitness classes, all Active Energy fitness classes, and access to gyms with an adult or to a supervised Active Energy session.

Marketing manager Karen Taylor says: “The ambassadors have given us an insight we would not otherwise have had, and their drive has ensured everything we commit to doing is always achieved.”

A flashmob marked the launch of the youth membership

FOOT ON THE LADDER

Organisation: Active Stirling
Project: Health and Wellbeing Employability courses

Active Stirling and Raploch Community Enterprise have launched a pioneering programme to help the area’s unemployed to gain careers in sport and leisure.

Each six-week Health and Wellbeing Employability course – funded by the Department For Work and Pensions Flexible Support Fund – recruited 10 unemployed individuals from the Forth Valley area.

The courses, which were held at The Peak at the Stirling Sports Village, were delivered in partnership with the Raploch Urban Regeneration Company and Job Centre Plus. They aimed to equip students for employment opportunities within the leisure sector across the Stirlingshire area, as well as boosting their physical activity levels and encouraging a better overall lifestyle.

Active Stirling’s health and fitness development manager, Matt Bunnell, was encouraged by the reaction to the new programme, which has seen seven people go on to gain employment – two within Active Stirling. “The courses were a superb opportunity for people to kick-start a career in health and fitness,” he says. “Our students were provided with top-level training in a range of activities, including exercise to music, gym instruction and first aid. The programme culminated in an SVQ Level 1 certification, which can propel them into volunteering. We then support them to achieve the SVQ Level 2, which is needed for paid employment.

“We’re committed to supporting the graduates as much as we can and the course was hugely successful, with some participants even securing employment part-way through the programme.”

Funding is now being sought to expand the programmes to include work placement training and an SVQ Level 2 qualification, which will allow candidates to move directly into paid employment in one of the UK’s fastest growing industries.

Raploch community enterprise manager Nicole DeBrincat says: “Working in partnership to deliver this programme has clearly shown what can be achieved.”