The Wimbledon Foundation has awarded grants of more than £65,000 to help improve the health of residents through access to community sports.

The Get Set, Get Active Fund, launched in 2016, aims to help people of all ages and abilities to take part in physical or sports activities.

Grants are awarded to projects designed to not only improve people’s physical wellbeing but also to aid their mental wellbeing; by learning a new skill, meeting new people and in turn, making communities stronger.

Grants have recently been awarded to 29 groups and clubs across Merton and Wandsworth, covering a varied range of pursuits from rollerblading sessions for young people to chair-based exercise classes for the over-60s.

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Here is what some of the clubs are using their grants towards:

-Share Community are using their grant to run specialist therapeutic movement and dance activities for adults with learning disabilities.

- Ethnic Minority Centre will run swimming sessions for older people from BAME communities.

-Disability Sports Coach, Wandsworth, will use their grant towards providing a weekly sports club for disabled people in the borough.

Chief Executive of Disability Sports Coach, Peter Ackred said: “Disability Sports Coach is hugely grateful to the Wimbledon Foundation for their ongoing support of our community club.

"Only 17% of disabled people play sport once a week – half as much as non-disabled people.

"The foundation’s support means that, when safe, we can reopen and continue to provide this vital hub."

Head of the Wimbledon Foundation, Helen Parker said: “Sport not only improves people’s physical wellbeing, but it can also help improve people’s mental wellbeing through learning a new skill or making new friends.

"In line with our goal to support healthy and active lives, we want to support the fantastic work being done by local groups and clubs as they start up again and continue helping to improve people’s lives in our local community.”