Sep 9, 2024 | ActivGardens
Where: ActivLives Chantry Walled Garden, Chantry Park, Ipswich IP2 0BS
When: Tuesday 24th September 2024 from 10am to 2pm
Access: Nearest parking is in Chantry Park car park, which is near the mansion off Hadleigh Road – location details at the bottom of this webpage: https://activlives.org.uk/activgardens/chantry-walled-garden/
Join us for our end of season sale at ActivLives’ charity plant nursery in the beautiful walled garden in Chantry Park.
Volunteers will be on hand to show you round and help you pick out perennials to fill the gaps in your garden or community green space – most at reduced prices.
Tea, coffee and cakes will be available at Nursery Cottage – so join us for a cuppa and a chat to find out more about what we do.
If you can’t make it, don’t worry – we are open EVERY Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 2pm.
Every penny you spend with us goes to supporting our charity to reach out to people in Ipswich and Suffolk, bringing them together to learn skills, improve their health and well-being, and connect into their community.
We offer volunteering opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, and run courses to support positive wellbeing, and build skills and confidence. To find out more, please visit www.activlives.org.uk/activgardens or contact Development Manager Susannah Robirosa 07530 407302 or email susannah@activlives.org.uk. Or call ActivLives on 01473 345350.
We do our bit for the environment too – growing varieties which are bee and butterfly-friendly to attract pollinators to your garden, and using environmentally friendly methods and peat-free compost. Customers can return pots, trays and labels to us to use again to cut down plastic wastage – please note, we only accept our pots, as other returns can become a waste issue for us.
Notes to editor ActivLives delivers innovative and impactful health and well-being programmes to communities in Suffolk. We work in collaboration with the NHS, Public Health Suffolk, local authorities, voluntary services, schools and other agencies, feeding into local, regional and national strategies, ensuring our services address the needs of the community and partner groups. ActivLives encourages everyone, of any age or capability, to lead an active, healthy lifestyle, through our projects and activities, including – gardening, nature conservation, woodworking, flower-arranging, health walks, adapted exercise and lunch clubs.
Sep 4, 2024 | ActivSports
ActivLives held 12 weeks of Lawn Bowls throughout the summer at Kesgrave Community Centre.
We had a total of 286 attendances in this 12 week period, with an average attendance of 24 joining in each week.
Special thanks to Kevin the caretaker- who will be retiring later this year. Thank you for all your efforts looking after the lawn and for all the kindness and support you have shown our members. Happy retirement!
Sep 3, 2024 | ActivSports
ActivLives is kickstarting this month with the re-opening of its ActivSport sessions after a short hiatus from the summer break. Several sports activities that the charity offers are now open in the first week of September. Those are interested to join can contact ActivLives at 01473 345350.
The charity organisation offers variety of accessible sports including boccia, new age kurling & bowls. It also delivers sport sessions specifically targeted at participants with a learning (intellectual) disability in partnership with Special Olympics Suffolk. These inclusive sessions currently focus on the sports of badminton and boccia. TO learn more about these sports activities, please visit https://activlives.org.uk/activsports/.
The ActivSport programme of ActivLives also offers other activities that help you keep fit and active such as the health walks at the Christchurch Park every other Monday from 11.00am to 12.00pm. It also has a yoga session every Wednesday from 1.15pm to 2.15pm at the Landseer Road Methodist Church. New participants are always welcome to the ActivLives sports sessions.
Sep 2, 2024 | ActivSports
ActivLives is organising its next inclusive event – the ActivLives ‘Big Boccia Bash’ on Wednesday 25th September, 10.30-2.30 at Gainsborough Sports Centre, Ipswich, IP3 0SP.
The event will be a celebration of National Boccia Day, being held that week, and will consist of a variety of boccia skills and fun team challenges followed by a mini-tournament – We would love you to join us.
There is no need to pre-enter for this one, although it is really helpful if we know who is likely to be coming along, in advance. The ‘Big Boccia Bash’ is open to anyone (16 years+), who would like to have a go at the great sport of boccia.
If you would like to be involved, as a player(s), or as a volunteer, please do let us know by the 18th September, it really helps us with planning for the day.
Boccia England is one of the supporters of this upcoming event.
“We are delighted that ActivLives are organising a ‘Big Boccia Bash’ in Ipswich. We firmly believe that boccia is the most inclusive sport in the world and this event is a great way to show that off. We would urge anyone interested to give it a try – we know you will love it,” Will Evans, Head of Sport at Boccia England said.
ActivLives thanks Boccia England for their kind support with this event, and to Special Olympics Suffolk and Suffolk Community Foundation, for their continuing partnership work with us.
If you would like to take part in the ‘Big Boccia Bash’, and/or you would like to bring a group, we would love to hear from you! -END-
Jul 29, 2024 | ActivSports, Uncategorized
The second ActivLives Inclusive Boccia Tournament was held in Stowmarket on the 28th of July. The event attracted 42 competitors, who played a total of 70 ends of boccia, over 26 matches, scoring 123 points. There were over 75 people who attended the event, during the course of the day.
Julie Stokes CEO said, “It was fantastic to see so many people of all abilities taking part in the Boccia Tournament, it’s a great sport for younger and older people to participate in, it’s fun, helps people engage with others and can be very competitive. A big thank you to Mike McCarthy for promoting Boccia in Suffolk and enabling people with disabilities to participate in a Paralympic sport.”
The sport of Boccia, which is played whilst sitting down, is particularly suitable for players with a disability, and will be part of the Paralympic programme being held next month in Paris.
The ActivLives tournament in Stowmarket, consisted of three divisions, where players competed in teams of three, in a round-robin format. The day concluded with a ‘spider decider’ mass team event, with all of the players involved.
“The atmosphere was brilliant throughout the event, with some very tight matches being played throughout the day”, said Mike McCarthy, from ActivLives.
“Many thanks to all of the athletes, to our brilliant team of volunteers and also to our supporting partners Special Olympics Suffolk, Special Olympics GB, the Suffolk Community Foundation, and our hosts for the day at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre”.
If you would like to find out more about how to get involved with boccia in the Stowmarket, Ipswich or Felixstowe areas, please call ActivLives on 01473 345350 or email mike@activlives.org.uk. END
