Find Your Active HERE signs launch in Harlow and Thurrock to help residents move more in their local spaces.
Residents in Harlow and Thurrock are being encouraged to get active closer to home, thanks to the launch of Find Your Active Here signs. The initiative, launched at the beginning of August, aims to help local people discover simple, free and accessible ways to be active for community connection and belonging.
In partnership with Harlow Town Council, Thurrock Council and local organisations such as Time for Change, the Find Your Active Here signs are being piloted in two of the Sport England Place Partnership areas, Harlow (The Stow and Harlow Town Park) and Thurrock (Daisy Field, Tilbury).
A community hub with wide open space, The Stow Sports Ground is perfect for playful movement, group activities, and family fun. In addition, Harlow Town Park is a huge 164‑acre green space with gardens, play areas, trails, table tennis tables, a paddling pool, a skate park, and of course the outdoor gym. Both locations are an ideal space to encourage activity for every age, ability and confidence level.
Daisy Field is a local green space at the heart of Tilbury, serving as a focal point for the neighbourhood, frequently hosting local youth sports, wellness hubs, and community outreach. Daisy Field makes up a whole host of local, nearby green spaces that also include an outdoor gym, pump track, skate park, playground and walking circuit.
Danielle Warnes, Active Essex Relationship Manager for West Essex said; “We believe that being active doesn’t have to mean joining a gym or signing up for a class. Sometimes, the best place to move more, feel better, and enjoy the outdoors is right on your doorstep. Harlow is bursting with regeneration and this builds on the momentum to enhance local assets and give back to the community.”
The bright and visible signs include a QR code which signposts users to solo activities, or ways to get active with family, friends or neighbours. A host of inclusive options and organised sessions taking place in the green space, or nearby areas, can also be discovered. Since the placement of the signs at the beginning of the month, over 200 residents have already been inspired.
Juliette Raison, Active Essex Relationship Manager for South West Essex added: “Greater Essex is made up of 21% of green infrastructure and so many spaces are underutilised. It is our hope that these signs bring communities to these areas and encourage both informal and formal activity to take place. Being active outdoors brings so many added benefits for our mental health, social connection and wider physical health too.”
The introduction of the signs are part of the wider Find Your Active, Move for your Mind campaign that spans Greater Essex and is powered by Mind in Essex. The campaign highlights the powerful connection between physical activity and mental wellbeing, and acts as a gentle reminder that being active can be simple, uplifting, and part of your everyday life.
Find out more: www.activeessex.org/find-your-active/here/
