fanActiv, the men’s health programme that converts existing rivalries between football fans into healthy competition to get men moving more, has received international recognition as winner of the Beyond Sport ‘Best New Innovation’ Award.
Brentford FC CST delivered the programme in partnership with the Fulham FC Foundation and Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
On Wednesday 19th October, following a programme showcase, Fulham FC Foundation and London United – the charitable arms of London’s professional football clubs – received the award before an audience of global sport industry delegates.
fanActiv, enables football fans to represent their club (versus other clubs) in physical activity challenges and, through use of a bespoke app, track their progress, win points for their team, and challenge their rivals to keep up. At the heart of the programme is the competition between fans to score more points than their rivals by being more active in their everyday lives. It is literally “healthy competition”.
Backed by wearable’s giant Fitbit UK, the pilot activated life-changing behaviours and results for participants. Among them were 244kg total weight loss, an average of 16 hours per week reduction in sedentary behaviours, and a total BMI loss of 72.5 points.
Boasting a long list of partners in sport, tech, and health, fanActiv steps up in digitising physical activity for football fans, challenging them to ‘walk, run, cycle their way to the top of the league table.
Brentford FC CST ran a 12-week programme for 25 male Bees fans. Each participant received a Fitbit fitness tracker and attended a healthy eating and fitness workshop at St Pauls Church in Brentford. Each participant also received a membership to Fit4Less in Brentford for the duration of the course.
Brentford FC CST’s fanActiv programme will be returning soon. If you would like to get involved please contact Neil Young at Brentford FC Community Sports Trust.