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ActivLives is a local charity, which relies on grants, trusts, donations, fundraising activities, sponsorship & commissions to enable us to provide & develop our services across Ipswich & Suffolk.
What is ActivLives?
ActivLives is a local independent charity working in Ipswich and across Suffolk to keep people active, connected and involved with their local community through accessible sports and exercise, learning new skills and volunteering opportunities.
ActivLives Latest News
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Place your bedding and plants order with our charity nursery!
If you enjoy working with others in the great outdoors, then join us at ActivGardens. You will learn skills and gain confidence, get active and enhance your mental and physical well-being, meet people, make friends and build contacts. Our gardens and projects are at...
ActivBowls are back outdoors!
ActivLives bowls sessions are about to go back outdoors for the summer season. We start back at the Kesgrave Community Centre, IP5 1JF, on Tuesday 10 May, 10.30-12.30. It’s a lovely green to play on with plenty of space. The session fee is £4.50. We have spare...
Invertebrates at Belle Vue Park
At Belle Vue park we grow lots of different types of plants and shrubs and this creates a range of different habitats for many invertebrates. Our tall grasses have dense tussocky bases where beetles and spiders can survive over winter. We grow lots of flowers with...
Our Services & Projects
ActivHubs
ActivHubs was set up to provide a fun and social way for people to keep fit and healthy, improve strength, balance and co-ordination, and while doing all of that, make some new friends in the process!
ActivGardens
ActivGardens are all about growing! Growing plants. Growing fresh healthy food. Growing yourself… your fitness, your health, your skills, your friends, your community. Get active with ActivGardens!
ActivSport
The ActivSport programme consists of sports & physical activities targeted at people who do not play regular sport. Sessions are inclusive & activities adapted to provide for a variety of people.
ActivSingers
The Keep On Rockin’ members have achieved a sustainable singing group through weekly member support, fundraising and regular performances of classic songs for everyone to enjoy!
“Meeting new friends and socialising with them and being able to help some of the others with their activities while enjoying this myself.”
“Lovely to do some proper exercise again and I feel so much looser!”
“Thoroughly enjoyable session which was very beneficial.”
Upcoming Activities
Click on an event below to find out more details
Better Balance Sessions
Balance exercises to improve your everyday activities.
These sessions are ideal if you would like to:
- Stay steady on your feet
- Improve your balance, strength and mobility
- Reduce your risk of falling
- Improve confidence
- Stay independent
- Get out and meet others in a sociable environment
Schedule
- 10.15am – 11:15am (arrive from 10am)
To book your place please call Clare on 01473 345350.
Do you want to try something new? Are you feeling isolated or lonely, does life feel like a struggle? Would you like to meet some likeminded people and have an informal chat over a cuppa and a bacon bap? Our friendly Breakfast Hub offers a friendly, safe environment for discussion and advice from qualified staff, volunteers and outside agencies.
The Breakfast Hub is a great opportunity to link into many other ActivLives activities. A social, confidential support group for men aged 45 and over.
The Men’s Breakfast Hub
- Day: Open every Wednesday
- Time: 10:30am-12pm
- Cost: £5.00 per session
- Venue: CRESS Pavilion, Halifax Road, Ipswich, IP2 8RE
The Hub is supported by staff and volunteers who are happy to have a chat and provide advice if needed.
WANT TO JOIN US?
Volunteers and new attendees are very welcome. For more information call Alison Pearson on 01473 345350 or email alison@activlives.org.uk
Wednesday 1.15pm-2.15pm
Landseer Road Methodist Church,
382 Landseer Road, Ipswich, IP3 9LR.
Yoga is a form of exercise which is non-competitive, it is designed to develop a feeling of total well-being. If you haven’t tried it before, come and give it a go! This session is for men & women and is aimed particularly at people new to yoga. Please bring your own yoga mat. These classes can be completed sitting in a chair. Led by a fully qualified instructor (British Wheel of Yoga)
Spaces are limited, so please book to reserve your place.
£6.00 per session.
Pre-booking is required for these classes. (Minimum 48 hours notice is required for cancellations). Please bring your own mat.
Covid-19 measures (Hands-Face-Space-Fresh Air) will be in place at these sessions. We always welcome new participants – If you would like more information about this, or any of our other ActivSport groups, please call us on 01473 345350 or email mike@activlives.org.uk
We would love to hear from you!
ActivSteps – A mixture of dance steps with some seated exercise.
These sessions are ideal if you would like to:
- Stay steady on your feet
- Improve your balance, strength and mobility
- Reduce your risk of falling
- Improve confidence
- Stay independent
- Get out and meet others in a sociable environment
Schedule
- 10.00am – 11.00am
To book your place please call us on 01473 345350.
Chantry Walled Garden is a heritage walled garden in a public park, with flower borders and vegetable-growing areas, as well as extensive glasshouses as part of our plant nursery. Our base is cosy Nursery Cottage, where there is an accessible courtyard garden with raised beds for wheelchair users. The adjacent workshop has facilities for woodwork and basic construction. In this garden you can learn skills relevant to the horticultural industry as well as enjoy maintaining a garden full of history.
Every Tuesday and Thursday we hold a plant sale, where we sell plants we’ve grown in the garden to help fund the project.
ActivBoccia
Thursday 10.30am-12.30pm
Whitton Sports Centre, Ipswich, IP1 6LW
Come and play this very accessible sport and have fun with a great group of people.
Boccia is a truly inclusive sport, very skilful and very tactical. Played seated, it has been a Paralympic sport since 1984. The game is usually played in two teams, who compete to try to send/throw/kick their balls closer to the target (the jack), than their opponents. It is relatively easy to play, but devilishly tricky to play well!
This session usually consists of a variety of fun warm up activities and skills practices, followed by plenty of games. It is led by one of our experienced Boccia Leaders. Occasionally we play a friendly tournament amongst the group, but no pressure! This facility is fully wheelchair accessible.
No previous boccia or sports experience is required. This session is ideal for anyone with limited physical mobility and/or stability.
£4.00 per session
Local bus route and off-road parking available. Accessible (Disabled) toilet facilities are available.
Covid-19 measures (Hands-Face-Space-Fresh Air) will be in place at these sessions. We always welcome new participants – If you would like more information about this, or any of our other ActivSport groups, please call us on 01473 345350 or email mike@activlives.org.uk
We would love to hear from you!
Thursday 10.30am-12.00pm
Gainsborough Sports and Community Centre,
5 Brazier’s Wood Road, Ipswich, IP3 0SP
Walking Football is an adapted version of the game which provides a great way for older independent adults to keep playing a team sport. This session is played outdoors on the all-weather surface. We play rules similar to small-sided football, but without the running. Players are not permitted to run at any time, with or without the ball. We play the game without any ‘intentional’ physical contact, so there is limited potential to ‘tackle’. Despite all of this, the games are certainly not slow! It provides a challenging and fun work out for most of us (Players are covering between 2-2.5 miles in a session!).
Suitable for both female and male participants.
This session is targeted particularly at participants who are 55 years and over, and who do not feel able (for whatever reason), to play regular small-sided football. This age restriction does not apply to female players. The session consists of a group warm up, refereed game and a stretch cool down. It is led by one of our experienced Activity Leaders.
Changing facilities are not currently available for use, so please come changed ready to play. Toilet facilities are available adjacent to the playing area.
£5.00 per session
Local bus route and off-road parking available.
Covid-19 measures (Hands-Face-Space-Fresh Air) are in place at these sessions. We always welcome new participants – If you would like more information about this, or any of our other ActivSport groups, please call us on 01473 345350 or email mike@activlives.org.uk
We would love to hear from you!
What are the benefits of Balance Classes?
These sessions are ideal if you would like to:
- Stay steady on your feet
- Improve your balance, strength and mobility
- Reduce your risk of falling
- Improve confidence
- Stay independent
- Get out and meet others in a sociable environment
Schedule
- 10:30am-12:00pm
To book your place please call us on 01473 345350.
Click on an category below to see a list of all related upcoming activities:
Download our Up-to-date Activities Programme
We have put together a list of all our activities and events for your convenience. Download it to your computer, or print it out by pressing the button below.