Tranmere Rovers and Tranmere Rovers in the Community are helping fans to tackle their weight, get healthier and be happier by joining FIT FANS, a free 12 week programme in our Recreation Centre located at Prenton Park.
Due to start last year but postponed due to the pandemic our new session will be running from Mid-May, every Wednesday, 1pm-3pm when current restrictions have lifted.
Launching in 2020 at 30 Clubs in England, the EFL Trust’s FIT FANS programme will be supported by over £2.25 million of National Lottery funding from Sport England and will aim to use the magnetism of football to tackle obesity levels in over 10,000 fans across the UK.
36.4 million people (61.4% of England’s population) live within 10 miles of an EFL ground, with four in 10 residents within this catchment area falling into the most-deprived population groups.
Sport England has identified lower physical activity participation rates among people living on low incomes and that is why they have joined forces with the EFL Trust network to help people create a long-term healthy and active lifestyle. FIT FANS is one of a number of initiatives to tackle lower physical activity participation rates among people living on low incomes, which is one of Sport England’s key priorities.
FIT FANS is the operating name in England and Wales for Football Fans in Training, which was created in a Scotland by the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Professional Football League Trust.
The programme shows individuals how to:
- Improve their eating habits by reducing portion sizes and swapping fatty and sugary foods for fruit, vegetables and high fibre foods
- Achieve at least 45 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week. They receive weekly exercise sessions at their club for 12 weeks and follow a personal pedometer based walking programme that encourages them to fit physical activity into their daily lives
- Use tried-and-tested behaviour change techniques to become more active and improve their diet. These include regular self-monitoring of their weight and pedometer step counts and setting SMART goals to make changes that can be sustained long term.
The 12 week programme gives fans unprecedented access to their Club and a look behind the scenes.
In 2011/12, a large scale randomised, controlled trial study showed that 12 months after the programme, men had lost an average of 5% of their starting weight by making gradual practical changes to their physical activity and diet, that they could keep up in their everyday lives.
Steve Williams, Tranmere Rovers Head of Community, had this to say about the upcoming programme:
“FIT FANS is a fantastic programme by EFL and TRIC to engage further with our fan base who want to improve their physical, mental and social wellbeing in the welcoming environment of the Club. We want to provide fun, real opportunities for our fans so they can start living a healthier lifestyle through TRIC’s support.”
Mike Evans, Director of Operations, EFL Trust said:
“FIT FANS is an example of our potential to make a really significant contribution to the health of our communities. We are excited by the prospect of rolling the programme out across our network and reaching many thousands of men and women.”
Patrick Brosnan, Sport England’s Football Lead said:
“We are delighted to see the success FIT FANS has had in its pilot phase at 5 EFL clubs in England and hope that the National Lottery funding to EFL Trust will go a long way in harnessing football fans’ love for the game to support more people to lead healthy and active lives.”
Nicky Reid, Chief Executive, SPFL Trust comments:
“We are delighted to have reached an agreement with the EFL Trust to bring Football Fans in Training to clubs right across the EFL. The programme - which was developed in Scotland - has been life changing for thousands of men and women, in both the short and long-term. I am sure that thousands of football fans are going to love being part of the programme, and are going to reap enormous rewards by being healthier and happier.”
Our session will be held in the Recreation Centre, Prenton Park and will be running from April every Wednesday, 1pm-3pm.
If you require more information, please email AdamR@tranmererovers.co.uk or call 0151 608 2354
To join FIT FANS CLICK HERE