Council top brass tell staff “We will if you will”

The most senior officers at Bury Council are leading the way in encouraging staff to become more active.

They have been taking in part in Wear Your Trainers at Work week (15-19 Sep) which is in support of the I Will If You Will movement that aims to get Bury women and girls more active. 

The top four officers, who comprise the council’s Strategic Leadership Team (SLT), wore their trainers for a ‘walking meeting’. Staff across the council, whether at the town hall, Whittaker Street, Knowsley Place or Bradley Fold, were urged to follow suit.

The ‘trainers’ idea is part of a month-long campaign at the council to help its staff keep healthy and active.

During September, I Will if You Will is offering keep-fit sessions for council, fire and police service staff during their lunch break.

An I Will If You Will trolley, with healthy snacks and drinks, has been going round workplaces, with female employees, supported by their male colleagues, invited to sign an I Will If You Will pledge to get a bit more active.

The campaign will finish with Around the Clock week, where three times a day staff will be encouraged to do a quick 5-minute low intensity exercise session or posture check.

Mike Kelly, the council’s chief executive, said: “I Will If You Will is a great campaign where Bury is leading the way in encouraging women to become more active. As a senior management team we felt it was important to support this great idea and for us to get our trainers on and get involved too, even if we do need a sit down afterwards!” 

To find out more and get involved with I Will if You Will visit the website at www.iwillifyouwill.co.uk

ENDS

Press release issued: 18 September 2014.

Picture attached: Best foot forward – wearing their trainers to work are the council’s most senior officers (from left) Mike Owen, executive director for resource and regulation; Pat Jones-Greenhalgh,
executive director for communities and well-being; Mike Kelly, chief executive; and Mark Carriline, executive director for children, young people and culture.

Note to editors:

I Will If You Will is a movement designed to help the women and girls of Bury get more active. It aims to overcome the many practical and emotional barriers to being active, while encouraging women to support each other by joining the I Will If You Will community. 

With £2.3 million of National Lottery funding from Sport England, and being delivered by Bury Council, the I Will If You Will programme aims to discover what really drives behaviour change and how it can be applied elsewhere in England. Innovation is at the heart of the pilot, to create a shift in attitude and
behaviour that ultimately can help address the national gender gap in the number of men and women being active and playing sport.  

To find out more about I will if You Will visit the website www.iwillifyouwill.co.uk