Thousands of runners who took to the streets for the Leeds Abbey Dash have helped the city’s golden oldies stay fit as a fiddle.
And this year, participants will get the chance to help more older people make friends and keep warm when they pound the pavements for the annual charity showpiece.
Funds raised by last year’s event helped scores of older men and women take part in the Age UK Leeds Fit as a Fiddle scheme.
They include Anne Veitch, 70, from Leeds, who has been given a new lease of life since signing up for the project, which has included Wii match days and cooking classes.
Solo, chief executive, Age UK Leeds, said: “Anne first came to Age UK Leeds Wii club and since she joined I have watched her grow in confidence and she oozes enthusiasm to support and encourage other members. “She has completed a range of training sessions and volunteers for Age UK’s Fit as a Fiddle programme but her involvement doesn’t stop there, she is taking on yet more new challenges and will be volunteering for a new Age UK Leeds project on dementia and memory loss called Wild about Plants.”
Fit As A Fiddle is a nationwide programme run by Age UK which supports people aged over 50 with physical activity‚ healthy eating and mental well-being.
And participants who sign up to the Leeds Abbey Dash this year will be helping even more – by raising funds for Age UK’s annual Spread the Warmth campaign, which helps hundreds of thousands of older people keep warm and well during the colder months as well as its befriending service, which provides home visits from volunteers and prevents isolation.
The race takes place on November 18, starting and finishing at the Headrow.
To sign-up or find out more, visit: www.ageuk.org.uk/dash
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