On 29th and 30th March, EuropeActive participated in the final partner meeting of the HEPA project in Limassol, Cyprus. The meeting was hosted by Frederick University and the programme also included a health enhancing physical activity (HEPA) focused conference.
HEPA - A whole school approach promoting Health Enhancing Physical Activity, is a project funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. The goal of the project is to create educational materials for schools that support the four objectives of the WHO’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) and increase physical activity and health among young people.
The final project partner meeting was an opportunity to share the main achievements and outcomes of the project, which include training material for teachers and school staff to help them understand and apply the GAPPA objectives in the school context. These resources subsequently allow staff to implement a holistic approach to address physical inactivity and health promotion. Partners also exchanged views on the best ways to disseminate the project results and recommendations.
The conference component of the event featured keynote speeches from important national stakeholders in the field of physical activity, as well as presentations from project partners and testimonials from fitness professionals and end-users. Lukas Declercq, EuropeActive’s EU & Public Affairs Director, delivered a presentation on the importance of a cross-sectoral approach to HEPA, highlighting the ambitions of the European Physical Activity Alliance (EPAA). The multiplier sport event then included an interactive session which showcased some of the exercises and activities included in the HEPA recommendations.
For EuropeActive the promotion of active, healthy lifestyles with children and in schools is a crucial part of making more people more active and to tackle the huge societal and economic burden associated with physical inactivity and non-communicable diseases in Europe. With the HEPA project this focus in turned into concrete, tangible action.
You can visit the official project website here