Olympics for the over-55s

Cheer on Team Hackney at 'Olympics for the Over-55s'

London
's 'Olympics for the over-55s' will take place next month in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and residents are invited to cheer along Team Hackney. 

The Copper Box Arena will play host to the golden games on 17 October, with competitors from around the country taking part in eight sports. 

The ninth Annual Club Games competition follows International Day of Older Persons on 1 October.
 
Residents aged 50+ in Hackney have plenty going on
 
as the borough marks the day, including free exercise taster sessions between 
10am
 
and
 
2pm
 
at Kings Hall Leisure Centre in Clapton. 

Activities include gym inductions, chair-based exercise, table tennis, badminton, body MOTs and more.

There's no need to register - just turn up. The
 
Centre, run by Better and Hackney Council, has become a friendly hub for the over-50s with a large weekly programme of low-cost healthy activities all year round.  

For just £1.80 per day, older residents can enjoy up to four daily activities including chair-based exercise, pilates, table-tennis, badminton, swimming lessons, water workout, soca aerobics and gym sessions. 

The
 
Lower Clapton Road
 building is also home to a newly-built social area dedicated to those aged 50+ with refreshments, games and information.  

Residents who are 50 and over who join Kings Hall in October can enjoy their first month half price. Simply pop into the centre and speak to a Customer Service Advisor.

For more information on the programme please visit: www.better.org.uk/leisure/king-s-hall-leisure-centre/page/156

Carolyn Myring, organiser of the Annual Club Games for Better, said: “With teams from across the country taking part and representing their home boroughs, the day is sure to be competitive. But we will make sure it’s lots of fun too.”

Entry for the Olympics, taking place between 9am and 4pm, is £2 and booking is required. Please contact Tais Lima on: 079 4740 0264 or email her on: tais.lima@gll.org

The message from Hackney Council is simple: fitness is for everyone. We’re striving to ensure many of our local leisure activities are geared at those of all ages and abilities, including people who may have shied away from sport or fitness before. The social hub at Kings Hall has been designed not only to help older residents get fit but to act as a social space for the over-50s to make new friends.

Cllr Jonathan McShane, Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Culture, Hackney Council