A new gardening club will aim to get people at residential homes across Coventry active this autumn.
CV Life is working with homes around the city to get older people active and sociable with the green-fingered initiative which is part of the Coventry Moves project.
Coventry Moves, which is commissioned by Coventry City Council, targets those traditionally more prone to sedentary lifestyles who might have fallen through the cracks, particularly in a post-pandemic world.
Activities such as Walking Netball, Sporting Memories, sit down dance classes and many more, have all proven very popular in the last year.
Not only has the programme improved the health and fitness of participants, it has also tackled loneliness and isolation, creating new friendship groups along the way.
Now it is hoped that by entering the world of gardening new participants will be attracted to take part, meaning even more people involved with Coventry Moves.
Andrei Roman is community project coordinator for CV Life. He said: “Being active is really important for both body and mind. We have so many activities residents can do already, but gardening widens the scope of who might get involved.
“Walking sports or dance classes are great, but they aren’t always for everyone, so the gardening club offers a way to keep active, possibly learn a new hobby or pick up on an existing one.
“But it also gives participants the chance to take part in something which will make a tangible difference to their surroundings which in turn, along with the being active side of things, will improve their mental health.”
The group will undertake a seven week plan which will involve a variety of gardening activities at homes such as Marsh House, Poppy Court and Princethorpe.
The activities will be fun and engaging, while encouraging conversation over cups of tea.
Speaking of Coventry Moves, a spokesman for the council said: “This project is part of the ‘Commonwealth Active Communities’ funding which forms Sport England’s wider investment into the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“The aim of the funding is to tackle inactivity and social isolation in local communities and engage underrepresented groups by delivering activity in parks and green spaces, care homes and with street closures.”
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