Last updated at 16:45, Tuesday, 29 January 2013

A POLE dancing demonstration was one of the highlights of an event aimed at supporting people’s new year keep fit resolutions.

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The second New Year New You event, run by Barrow Borough Council in partnership with the Evening Mail, saw around 30 different agencies come together to offer help and advice.

The event took place at The Forum in Duke Street on Saturday, and despite the icy weather, attendance was good.

Organiser Mike Otto, health and improvement officer at the council, said: “People make new year’s resolutions but coming towards the end of January they start to falter a little bit. We just hope that this event can help them get back on track to living a healthier life.”

Cumbria Pole Art was also in attendance, showing off the benefits of using pole dancing as a form of exercise.

Pole dance instructor Sarah Ritch, 29, from Walney, said: “Pole dancing can tone you up, it’s a great challenge and it can give you confidence.”

One of the aims of the day was to get families and children involved in exercise, and Cheryl Park, sales and retention advisor at The Park leisure centre, offered an insight into what the centre has to offer.

She said: “I think it’s a lot harder to get children into sport than it used to be, there’s new technology to compete with. That’s why its important to have facilities like the football pitches we are about to open.”

As well as advice on physical health, agencies such as Mind in Furness were on hand to offer mental health advice.

Chief officer Karen Dobson described the agency’s “positive thoughts tree”.

“It was an idea based on the art of Gustav Klimt, and we have been asking people to write their positive thoughts on a sticky note and stick them to the tree. It helps people focus on what makes them happy,” she said.

Other groups represented at the event included the Thousand Voices campaign, aiming to gather 1,000 video clips protesting against the closure of maternity units at Furness General Hospital.

The Chain of Survival Partnership also demonstrated cardiopulmonary resuscitation on their stall, with the aim of giving volunteers a new potentially lifesaving skill.

First published at 16:36, Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk