11 September 2007: Individuals and businesses across Tendring were invited to step up to the challenge and take part in a new scheme to get people on the move when it was launched at Tendring District Council offices in Clacton last week (7th September).

Budding walkers and runners gathered for the launch of Walk, Jog, Run! Tendring, a one year programme to encourage more adults in the area, particularly those aged between 45 and 65, to take part in regular exercise. The project is sponsored by Clacton and Colchester based solicitors Thompson Smith & Puxon, and is a pilot scheme for a national initiative called Jog England.

Over the next 12 months, fitness professional and project activator for Colchester and Tendring Athletic Club (CATs), Karen Mayze will be working with local employers, community organisations and running clubs to offer regular walking and running sessions for adults across Tendring. Advice on nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices will also be available and participants will be encouraged to continue the good work they’ve started in the longer term.

At the launch Karen Mayze explained: “Tendring has been identified as an area where there is a particularly low participation rate in regular exercise amongst adults, especially those in midlife. Walk, Jog, Run! Tendring aims to encourage people of all abilities to get active at a pace which suits them and have fun at the same time. We hope that the weekly group sessions will provide additional motivation to help participants keep up their good work and possibly go on to form groups of their own in the future.”

The project is funded and supported by England Athletics East, Essex Athletics Development Group, Colchester and Tendring Athletic Club, Fitter Futures, Sport England East and Tendring Community Sport Network.

Among those joining Karen for the launch of Walk, Jog, Run! Tendring were representatives from the funding bodies, Mary Anne Fedeyko and Richard Porter of event sponsors Thompson Smith & Puxon, and Christine Holmes, Sports Development Manager at Tendring District Council which is also backing the scheme.

Mary Anne Fedeyko, director at Thompson Smith & Puxon, said: “We are all more aware of the benefits of regular exercise and as an employer, we would encourage staff to get active as this makes for a healthier, happier team. Walk, Jog, Run! Tendring is a great way of helping people take steps towards a healthy lifestyle and we are extremely pleased to support the scheme.”

For further information on Thompson Smith & Puxon visit www.tsplegal.com; for Colchester & Tendring Athletics Club visit www.cat-ac.co.uk; for Sport England East visit

www.sportengland.org; for Fitter Futures visit www.fitterfutures.org.uk; and for England Athletics East visit www.englandathletics.org.