Steel City Fit Club is a hit with footy fans

Fans took part in a celebratory ‘RED v BLUE’ event at the English Institute of Sport to mark the success of the Steel City Fit Club programme.

Three more 12-week courses of low-impact, football-related fitness sessions, organised by SIV and funded by a £40,000 Sport England grant, will now follow.

SIV is part of the not-for-profit organisation Sheffield City Trust, which has the primary objective of improving the health and wellbeing of Sheffield people through sport and leisure activities. Courses will run throughout 2016 at Bramall Lane and Hillsborough in partnership with Sheffield United Community Foundation and Sheffield Wednesday Community Trust.

Participants will also take part in education sessions, which will offer tips and advice on how to lead a healthy lifestyle and maintain fitness after completing the course.

Sheffield United fan Nicky Nunn, 45, of Eckington, said: “Not only has the programme benefitted my physical health and wellbeing, but the classroom sessions were informative and interesting - and it’s a brilliant that the club is being staged at Bramall Lane.”

Sheffield Wednesday fan Ken Hargreaves, 69, of Gleadless, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Steel City Fit Club at Hillsborough. It has helped me lose weight and I feel a lot healthier – I recently quit smoking and I feel 100 per cent better.”

Rob Womack, healthy partnerships manager at SIV, said: “The RED v BLUE brought our participants together to celebrate their achievements.”

Visit www.sivltd.com/scfc for information on future courses.