Big Health Day: Friday 14th June 2024
Time: 9.30am to 2.30pm
Place: Oxstalls Sports Park, Plock Court, Tewkesbury Road, Gloucester, GL2 9DW
As part of Carers Week 2024, the Big Health Day is hosting various Carer support organisations as part of the event.
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid Carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as Carers and access much-needed support.
If you are providing support for someone. This could be due to a disability, ill health, frailty, mental health or due to an addiction. Come along and see what support is available for you.
This annual event features accessible activities designed to help people with a disability, a mental health condition, hearing or sensory loss to stay active and healthy.
Big Health Day celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2023 with a repeat of the gorgeous sunshine of 2022. The day was as busy as ever, with 1,571 people attending, along with 101 indoor stallholders, 10 static vehicles, five activities on Plock Court Field, 10 inclusive sports activities, three interactive workshops and 152 volunteers from Hartpury College, University of Gloucestershire, Dene Magna School and Inclusion Gloucestershire, giving up their time to make the day happen.
With our links to Inclusive sports organisations, Active Gloucestershire co-ordinated 14 Inclusive and interactive sporting activities which included:
- Adapted Short tennis
- Spike Ball
- Boccia
- Powerchair Football
- Golf
- Adapted bikes and trikes
- Trampolining
- Longlevens Mixed Ability Rugby
- Inclusive football
- Cricket
Visitors were also able to visit the private and voluntary organisations creating awareness of activities and voluntary work including:
- Therapy Dogs Nationwide
- The Music Works
- Gig Buddies
- Artshape
- Digibus
- Veterans Outreach Bus
- Kingfisher Treasure Seekers
- Inclusion Gloucestershire Scrubditch Farm Animals
- Girlguiding
- Circus skills
- Sailing for the Disabled
- Assistive Technology
- Wiggly (cooking workshops)
- Drama Sessions
- Active Impact Marquee
- Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service
- GDR Solutions First Aid Service
- Mounted Police Horses`
- RevoLOOtion (mobile loos)
- and not forgetting Mr Whippy and his highly valued Ice Cream Van
Among the many health and social care stalls was information on:
- Annual health checks
- Easy read information and resources
- Learning Disability teams
- Children and Young People Services
- Post Covid Syndrome Service
- Community Dental Services
- Podiatry
- Community Diabetic Services
- Community and Social Inclusion Team
- Gloucester City Social Prescribing Teams
- County Council Employment teams
- and many more amazing local organisations in Gloucestershire
Our Trust’s Charity Funds assisted to provide funding for 400 Health Goodie bags.
Accessibility Information
From the A38 Tewkesbury Road, Longford – follow the signs to the Tennis Centre’
The nearest bus stop is on A38 Tewkesbury Road (near Fairmile Gardens junction in Longford).
During the event, you will be able to park for free on the field next to Oxstalls Sports Park – stewards in high visibility vests will direct traffic.
From the main car park walk towards the field exit point via a non-slip mat between the grass and tarmac.
Blue Badge holders can part on the tarmac in the main Oxstalls Car Park. Parking in this area will be limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
The tarmac car park leads to a paved area – this is where the Registration and Information Desks are.
On the day of the event, there will be 130+ volunteers in our Big Health Day T-shirts.
The volunteers are there to help you.
The main door to the sports hall opens automatically.
Next to the reception area there are a few steps down to the main hall.
To the right of the reception area is a slope to allow access to the main hall for wheelchair users.
Blue Badge holders can part on the tarmac in the main Oxstalls Car Park. Parking in this area will be limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
There will be a lot of information stalls in the main hall.
Oxstalls has public and accessible toilet facilities inside.
There will be portable and mobile accessible toilets outside in the tarmac car park.
The tarmac car park will also have a number of static displays.
We will have some outdoor sports activities on the astroturf courts and other inclusive activities on the grass.
Oxstalls Sports Park has a café.
You can buy hot and cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches with cards or cash.
Please speak to the café staff about allergies or special dietary requirements.
Alternatively – why not bring a healthy packed lunch!?
There is a dedicated quiet area outside.
The mini marquee will be on the tarmac surface away from passing visitors.
There may be other people using it who are also seeking a quiet space.
There are medical first aiders at the event to help if needed.
There will be animals outside in the field, and you may also meet Police horses which visit each year.
There will be therapy dogs in the main hall.
We respectfully request that no other dogs are allowed in the main building, except dogs used for assistance.
Gloucestershire Deaf Association (GDA) provides a range of services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
There will be a British Sign Language interpreter at the event to assist if required.
GDA will have a stall in the main hall.
Video – Big Health Day 2023
Video – Big Health Day 2023 snapshot
Video – Big Health Day 2022
Aim of the Big Health Days
The aim of each Big Health Day is to:
- To deliver an inclusive event with the theme of staying healthy and active, meeting friends and having fun.
- To reduce health inequalities for people living with a learning disability, a physical disability and/or mental health problems and help people to help themselves, through activities outlined in our programme
For more information, please contact Simon Shorrick, Strategic Health Facilitator and Lead Organiser or Karin Parker, Health Facilitation Team Administrator on 0300 421 3864 or 07766 733421.
