This year's This Girl Can in Herts week takes place from 17th - 23rd June, and we want to help local clubs make this year bigger and better than ever before. We are providing local clubs and organisations the opportunity to apply for up to £150 from Active St Albans to help them put on taster sessions during this week! It's easy and simple - just click below to view the Application Form. 

We will also be helping to promote all local sessions that are predominantly aimed at women and girls. If you run any sessions - get in touch and tell us about them! We'd love to feature them on our website and social media accounts in the lead up to and throughout TGCinHerts week! 

Tip Off at 3 is back this February half term, following on from the success of the Kick Off at 3 Football competition held in the summer. This time round, it's a Basketball tournament, running at Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre on Saturday 23rd February. They'll be live music on the day, with free t-shirts - and spectators go free as well! Click for more information and to register a team.

The Annual Herts Service to Sports Awards were held at the University of Hertfordshire tonight, celebrating the work of coaches, athletes and volunteers across the entire county. Organised by the Herts Sports Partnership, the evening was hosted by Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft and included a number of performances by local groups, as well as a session with 3 local female elite athletes – Scarlett Cooper-Wall (Saracens Rugby), Alison Waters (England Squash) and Hannah Johnson (England Taekwon-Do).

​

Winners from our Annual St Albans City & District Sport Awards were nominated for the county awards and we were very pleased to see so many of them winning on the county stage too! 11 Awards were picked up by local sports people, across 7 categories, including both the Male & Female Community Coach of the Year Award Winners (Chris Samways, St Albans City Youth and Frances Nicholls, Athena Running Club), the David Wray Service to Sport Winner (Paul Sands, St Albans Cricket Club), as well as three of the Lifetime Achievements Award Winners (Angela Beattie, Jim Crawley and Ray Duffy) to name just a few!

​

Congratulations to all Awards Winners!

Entries for next year's St Albans Half Marathon are now open! The event will take place on Sunday 9th June and will include all the usual activities - the Half Marathon, Walking Half Marathon, 5k Race and the 1.5 mile Family Fun Run. There's something for everyone! Click for more information and to enter.

1st-17th September marked the Cycle Around the Globe campaign, championed in Hertfordshire by Spot the Signs, to raise awareness of World Suicide Prevention Day. People could dedicate any miles cycled to WSPD, with Hertfordshire contributing 6,971 miles to the international campaign! Click the link for more information on suicide awareness and support.

We are very pleased to announce that the launch date for the new junior parkrun at Verulamium Park has been confirmed! The first event will run at 9am on Sunday 28th April 2019! The route is just 2k long, is suitable for children aged 4-14yrs (and their families!), and will take place at 9am every Sunday thereafter. It works exactly as its adult parkrun counterparts at Verulamium Park and Jersey Farm do – it’s free to participate, just register online here, bring your barcode, run the course and make sure you scan in at the end! Times and results can then be viewed online later that day. 

RED January is a campaign encouraging people to be active for every day throughout the month by getting out for a run, to help beat the January blues. This year’s campaign is being supported by Mind in Mid Herts and is aiming to help people kick start their new year by focusing on using activity as a way to improve their well-being and mental health. For more information, or to get involved, click the link below

Sport England have launched their latest video for the This Girl Can campaign. The next phase aims to target women who are statistically less likely to exercise by showing and encouraging unconventional forms - it's not just about going to the gym but rather trying to find all the little ways of fitting activity into your day. Click the link to visit the TGC website and view the video. 

This week has seen the launch of two additional sessions for over 50's within the area as part of our ReFit project. The Fitness session and Love to Dance class are both based in London Colney and have proved popular during their first week! For more information on these sessions, contact Rowell.Gordon@1Life.co.uk

The Hertsmere & St Albans Club Forum has been confirmed for Monday 18th February. The event will take place at Arsenal's Training Ground from 6-9pm, and will provide local clubs and coaches the opportunity to meet members of their Sport Development Team as well as members of the County Sports Partnership. Information on national and local funding opportunities will be shared, along with advice on recruiting volunteers and safeguarding. Prizes will be awarded on the night. Places are limited so book today!

Herts Sports Partnership’s annual Coach Education Week is taking place between 16th-24th February 2019. The week is aimed at those wanting to get involved in delivering sport and physical activity, as well as those wanting to continue their professional development. A wide range of courses and talks have been organised – for more information and to book a place on one of the courses, click the link below.

A new tool to help healthcare professionals talk to patients about the benefits of physical activity has been launched. Inactivity is one of the top causes of ill health in the country, but research has shown that 1 in 4 people would be more active if advised by their GP. Click for more information.

Sport England have published their latest Active Lives Adults Survey. The report shows that 300,000 more people across the country are active, with 6 in 10 adults achieving 150+ mins of activity each week. However, the report also shows that 400,000 fewer people had volunteered within the last 12 months. Click the link for the full report and analysis.