Sport England - Movement Fund has provided £3,992 of match funding
Men's meet & move: reducing isolation & inactivity
Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom
Aim
To break the barrier of isolation and give the opportunity of activity for local men who just need a helping hand.
How did it start.
At our tennis club we have carried out successful community projects over the past few years involving exercise and social time. This year we wanted to make use of the clubhouse for something a bit different. A group of members got together and shaped the project around where we were informed there is a need - men who are isolated (for whatever reason) and/or those who are inactive with all the physical and mental issues that brings.
What is going to happen
We have some basic games equipment - a pool table that has seen better days, a table tennis table, dart board and some small games. If we can improve our diet of activities we can have a thriving social club, for those a bit older than usual! A brisk walk around the area will get the heart pumping, followed by tea and biscuits back at the club. Then enjoy ourselves in the company of new friends whilst engaging in different games. Across the year, we could try other activities outside and maybe go on some trips to extend our range. The group will meet fortnightly, with club members present to act as hosts and make sure people are involved.
The good, the bad, and yes , the very ugly
The club environment is beautiful :)
But some internal areas let us down :(
So, the monies raised will be used to:
- create a much pleasanter and welcoming environment - replacing the toilet flooring and basins
- provide insulation for our large windows to keep the rooms warm and reduce our carbon footprint
- purchase newer and varied games equipment - foldable pool table, skittles, pickleball set, petanque, etc
- purchase refreshments to always provide these free for our guests
- allow for the group to go to different local experiences for enrichment
- provide some training for the club member hosts, so we can be more empathetic for the issues our guests could bring and allow us to try to signpost support if necessary. Also to bring in expert knowledge if situations arise beyond our capabilities
Sport England have been most generous to support us with a pledge (half of the target) but that landing in here is conditional on us raising the same amount to reach the target.
Our vision
With these improvements we hope that the men who attend will want to return and help create a "family" where we support each other and they continue friendships beyond the year long project. One key aim is for us to try to ensure that everyone who attends, has either a better support network or joins a club, group etc to continue the good habits formed.
This project successfully funded on 8th February 2026