Where: Huddersfield Town Foundation Ltd, Leeds Road Sports Complex/Playing Fields, Leeds Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 1YY
When: Sessions start on Monday 28 April
Organised by the Charitable Foundation of Huddersfield Town, the sessions are designed to be fun and social with trained instructors delivering a mix of relaxed training activities and drills, followed by short walking football matches.
Supported by grant funding from Parkinson’s UK, the Foundation now has an investment to deliver 12 weeks of walking football classes for the local Parkinson’s community, relatives and carers.
Parkinson’s UK has been delivering funding for a wide range of physical activity projects across the UK, including walking football, since 2021.
Parkinson’s UK is also developing specific training and support for physical activity providers, personal trainers and exercise coaches to help them better understand the needs and requirements of those living with Parkinson’s.
No previous experience of walking football is required, and carers and relatives are also welcome to watch or join in. It is recommended to wear comfortable active wear and footwear for playing football and to bring a bottle of water.
Roma Hashim, Physical Activity Grants Manager at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We are delighted to be working with Huddersfield Town Foundation on their new 12-week walking football programme. We have seen a number of successful walking football projects open for people with Parkinson’s across the UK since our Physical Activity Grants first opened in 2021 and it’s really exciting to see another session open for the people of West Yorkshire.
“Walking football is shown to be fun, social and adaptable for people with Parkinson’s. As a charity we continue to work with football clubs and walking football teams across the UK to deliver more Parkinson’s friendly sessions and we are thrilled to welcome Huddersfield Town to our list of accredited providers for people with Parkinson’s.”
Matt Crookes, Health and Wellbeing Coordinator at Huddersfield Town Foundation, said: “We are excited to offer a session tailor made for the Parkinson’s community, further diversifying our offer to adults within Kirklees Communities.
“As a Foundation, we strive to make our sessions as inclusive as possible to as many as possible. We have already taken learnings from our current walking footballers living with Parkinson’s in how to adapt our sessions and are looking forward to welcoming more people to join us.”
For more information about the new walking football sessions, contact Matt Crookes on help@htafcfoundation.com