Around Ealing February 2018 | Page 7

UP FRONT Southall picked for pilot Southall is just one of 12 areas nationally to be selected by Sport England to pilot a trail-blazing new approach to targeting inactivity and encouraging people to take more exercise. Ealing Council worked with the NHS, Southall Community Alliance, charities, voluntary groups and a variety of other service providers to bid for a share of £100million worth of National Lottery funding. Sport England will work closely with the 12 pilot areas to devise a specific approach for each one, based on the needs of their local communities. There is a strong link between physical activity and health – and there is also known to be a strong link between poverty and inactivity. In Southall there are higher levels of unemployment and lower incomes than surrounding areas, plus bigger households and more homes with dependent children. A sixth of the town’s residents also has a disability, and many more people act as unpaid carers, which also has an impact on how much time people have to exercise. Council leader Julian Bell said: “We were delighted to have been selected. Helping residents to be physically active is a huge priority for us because it makes such an enormous difference to people’s health, independence and quality of life. Empowering communities and supporting people to change their own lifestyles is at the very heart of this project.” Read more at ealingnewsextra.co.uk/getmoving DID YOU MISS THESE? SEASONS OF EALING PHOTO COMPETITION PICTURES Resurfacing planned £3.5million is to be spent on improving roads and footpaths across the borough in the next year. Each year, independent, accredited surveyors walk the entire length of all of the borough’s roads checking them for defects such as potholes, cracking, and other signs of deterioration and damage. Each road is then given a condition rating on a scale of 1-100 and those with a high rating, which are in the poorest condition, are targeted for resurfacing. Councillor Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for transport, environment and leisure, said: “Year after year we continue to invest significantly to ensure that local people benefit, whether they are pedestrians, cyclists or motorists.” FEATURES FROM WASTELAND TO FOREST SCHOOL FEATURES TRY YOUR PHARMACIST FIRST THIS WINTER FEATURES ealingnewsextra.co.uk Sign up online to receive free updates by email around ealing    February 2018 7