Become an Active Practice − Get Berkshire Active

The Royal College of GPs and Sport England have teamed up to create the Active Practices Charter to inspire and celebrate GP practices that are taking steps to increase activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in patients and staff.

Tim Hollingworth. (Sport England's CEO) said:

"Physical activity has a key role to play in helping people manage and improve their health and wellbeing. As trusted sources of information, GPs and practice teams have a real opportunity to start discussions that help it become the new normal in their community – for prevention as well as treatment. We're delighted to be celebrating those GP practices who are promoting active lifestyles to patients and staff through the Active Practice Charter."

To become an 'Active Practice' and receive a certificate recognising your status, GP practices will need to demonstrate that they have taken a number of steps, including:

Increasing physical activity in patients and staff
Reducing sedentary behaviour in patients and staff
Partnering with a local physical activity provider to support the practice to get more people active such as Parkrun.

At Get Berkshire Active we can support you to become an Active Practice through identifying and providing any training required, work together with staff to create a healthier workplace, and help you identify local activity providers.

Contact a member of the team below to find out how we can support you.

Find out more about RCGP Active Practices

Cathy Carr

Strategic Lead for Living Life Well

Cathy is the Strategic Lead for Living Well at Get Berkshire Active. She takes a strategic lead on our work supporting adults to lead independent and fulfilled lives, develops new and existing partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, as well as leading on various projects, including Mums' Zone and Active Medicine in Practice and more. Having undertaken a Degree in Business and Sport at University, she was keen to work in sports development and has taken om many roles across a wide variety of organisations, including Reading University, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and London Sport. She also joined the National Body of Swimming for 2 years and spent time in Singapore teaching. Having seen the huge benefits being active has brought to her family's life, especially mental wellbeing, she is passionate about helping others to reap the benefits. In her spare time she enjoys yoga, walking and running, as well as spending time outdoors with her children.

Telephone: 07912 178652
Email: Cathy.carr@getberkshireactive.org

Kirsty Heath

Strategic Lead for Ageing Well

Kirsty is the Strategic Lead for Ageing Well at Get Berkshire Active. She leads on the development of GBA's Ageing Well theme, aiming to create the conditions for a healthy and independent later life. She is also lead liaison for Berkshire West Local Authorities. With over 15 years' experience within the sports sector, she holds a BA (Hons) in Sport, Health and Exercise, as well as an MSc in Sports Injury. Her previous roles were in local authority and the NHS, before joining GBA at its inception is 2011. Her sense of purpose has come from personally discovering the benefits of physical activity and she enjoys helping others to access them. In her spare time, she takes part in netball, fitness classes and loves being outdoors.

Telephone: 07394 564540
Email: kirsty.heath@getberkshireactive.org

Marlize De Vivo

Active Medicine Programme Manager

Marlize is the Active Medicine Programme Manager at Get Berkshire Active. She is a qualified Biokineticist (HPCSA registered), Sports Rehabilitator and Trainer (BASRaT registered), and professional member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). Outside of this role, she is an academic, co-director of the Perinatal Physical Activity Research Group (PPARG) at Canterbury Christ Church University and CEO of The Active Pregnancy Foundation. Marlize has also been appointed to the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines Expert Committee as a Specialist Member. She is a keen advocate of women's health and is passionate about highlighting the benefits of strength training for the female population.