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Bringing people and organisations together to build a better Oxford.
The Active Reach logo - a circle with a basketball going through a hoop and different coloured hands reaching towards it, with the word 'community' in the middle and 'Getting active in Oxford' along the bottom

Active Reach

We support people in Cowley and Blackbird Leys to get active, participate in their community and find a sport or activity that works for them!

Sports and physical activity have lots of benefits for people’s mental and physical health. Active Reach tackles barriers to getting active by meeting people where they are – running a wide range of friendly, accessible sports and activity sessions in the heart of the community. From walking netball to roller skating to online pilates, there’s something for everyone!

How does Active Reach work?

Over the past two years we have been working closely with Active Oxfordshire to get more people moving. Our sessions provide opportunities to bring people together, building communities that enable people to support each other to stay active in the long term. We focus on building local leadership and opening up conversations with decision-makers and sports and leisure providers to tackle systemic barriers to getting active.

We run a varied weekly programme of activity sessions as well as running community events, from netball tasters to film screenings. We promote peer-to-peer support and enable people who have first-hand experience of the barriers to exercise to encourage others to get moving. 

Browse and book onto an activity session using the button below, follow us on social media or contact [email protected] to find out more!

 
Women at our football session - women of different ages and ethnicities, one of whom is using a wheelchair, posing with thumbs up and one foot on a football
Three women on roller skates in a sports hall. They are looking at the camera and smiling.

What impact does Active Reach have?

In 2020-21, we ran more than 17 different weekly activities, from Family Fitness to Women’s Boxing, attended by a total of over 120 people a week.

“It's just been brilliant. I’ve found it's benefited my mental health hugely. And I think it is that wonderful combination of having the exercise and then having a chat about mental health afterwards that does it” — session participant

“It’s changed my health, my fitness, both physically and mentally. Just my outlook in life is totally different – I see it in a different way, totally. I’m more positive, more open-minded about stuff. I’ve built a support network up as well” — session coordinator