Active Eastbourne and Lewes

10/10/2026

World Mental Health Day

Did you know that moving your body can help your mind too?

When we move, our bodies release a chemical that can help improve our mood. Being active can also help with:
😧 Stress
😴 Sleep
😬 Confidence

But here's the important bit:
Movement doesn't have to mean 'exercise'

It could be:
🚶 Going for a walk
🚴‍♀️ Riding your bike
👨‍🌾 Doing some gardening
🏊‍♀️ Going swimming
🐕‍🦺 Walking the dog
🫂 Meeting a friend for a walk
🚸 Playing with the kids
💃 Dancing to your favourite song

And you don't have to do lots:

A little movement is better than none.

If you are having a difficult day, try and get outside for a few minutes. Walk around the block. Put a song on and move. Do something you enjoy.

Move your body. Help your mind.

Find local activities and ways to get moving across Eastbourne and Lewes through the Active Eastbourne and Lewes activity finder.

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➡️https://active-el.org.uk/
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Home LET'S GET ACTIVE We’re here to help anyone living in Eastbourne & Lewes to increase their movement, become more active and feel confident.In partnership with: HOW WE HELP There’s tons of ways to start moving more in your area. Use the ‘find an activity’ tool below to see everything that...

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

05/10/2026

National Cholesterol Month: Move more for your heart.

You might not know that what you eat can affect your cholesterol.

But did you know that being active can help too?

Research and guidance from Heart UK shows that physical activity can:
⬆️ Raise HDL ('good') cholesterol
⬇️ Lower LDL cholesterol
💖 Help keep your heart healthy
🩸 Help lower blood pressure
⚖️ Help maintain a healthy weight

And you don't have to spend hours in the gym.

🚶‍➡️ Walk
🚴 Cycle
🩰 Dance
🏊‍♀️ Swim
🎾 Play
👟 Just Move

The NHS recommends adults for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week. The latest guidelines from the Chief Medical Officer show that just getting started and doing more, has a positive impact on our health, even if you cant manage the 150 minutes target.

Swap the Scroll for a Stroll
This October, HEART UK is encouraging people to swap some screen time for step time as part of the Swap the Scroll for a Stroll.

You could walk at lunchtime, take an evening stroll, walk and talk with a friend or simply swap a short journey in the car for a walk.

And if you're taking part in Stoptober, why not use the same idea?

Smoke Break ➡️ Walk Break

Replace one habit with another that gets you moving.

Small swaps can add up.

Find out more about HEART UK's Swap the Scroll for a Stroll challenge here:
https://www.heartuk.org.uk/get-involved/SwaptheScrollforaStroll

02/10/2026

Looking for a way to get more active?

You might be surprised by just how many different ways there are to get moving across Eastbourne and Lewes.

Our Active Eastbourne and Lewes partners are delivering activities for different ages, abilities, interests and experience levels.
💃 Fitness and Dance
♿ Inclusive and Disability
🧘 Mind and Body
💪 Strength, Balance and Mobility
🚶 Walking and Getting Outdoors..and plenty more!

You do not have to be sport, fit or experience to get started.

The Active Eastbourne and Lewes activity finder brings together activities delivered by our local partners, so you can search something that works for you.

Find an activity near you:
https://active-el.org.uk/activities/

What would like to try?

28/09/2026

This STOPTOBER: Replace the habit

Quitting smoking isn't just about giving something up, it's about finding something to replace the habit.

When you would normally have a cigarette, try:
🚶‍➡️ Going for a walk
🚴‍♀️ Getting on your bike
💪 Doing a short workout
🪜 Walk up and down the stairs in the office
🌲 Get outside
🪑 Do some chair based physical activity

Cravings can be difficult, particularly in the early stages, but they don't last forever. The NHS suggests having a distraction ready - even going for a walk or doing some simple exercises can help take your mind off the craving.

An there's another potential benefit...

Think about the money you are no longer spending on ci******es.

Why not put some of it towards your new habit:
💵 A gym membership
💵 A bike
💵 Some weights for home
💵 A pair of new walking shoes

Most importantly, stopping smoking gives your body the chance to recover. Your circulation and lung function can improve after quitting, which can make being physically active easier.

🚭 Need some help to quit:
One You East Sussex provides free stop smoking support for eligible East Sussex residents, including 1-to-1 support, quit aids, telephone and digital support. There's also access to an online gym - Gloji Gym which has pre-recorded workouts.

Find out more and get started at One You East Sussex

This Stoptober, don't just stop smoking. Replace the habit with something that helps you move more.

25/09/2026

Imagine what we could achieve if every organisation across Eastbourne and Lewes worked together to help just one person be become more active.

Together we can:
💙 Improve health
😊 Boost wellbeing
🤝 Reduce loneliness
🌳 Create more opportunities
🏃 Help more people move more every day

That's exactly what the Active Eastbourne and Lewes partnership is all about.

Whether you are a charity, community group, sports club, health service, local business or voluntary organisation, we want to hear form you.

📩 Join the partnership today
https://active-el.org.uk/partners/

23/09/2026

🫵 We want your suggestions to be heard 👂

Next Tuesday, September 29th, Managing Director Loretta, Admin Manager Freya, Coach Bobbie and Director Catherine are all attending the 2026 Active Sussex Conference and will be hosting a talk about the importance of being community led.

We will be speaking to all kinds of sports providers from all over Sussex and we want to share with them about what can be done to improve community sport.

Comment below your ideas so we can ensure your needs are met. They can be things like: What's good, bad or missing? Does your local community need sports? What would you like to see in your community? As well as any other queries you may have.

Make sure to comment below and we'll make sure to speak about your ideas ⬇️

Image Description: A picture of the outside of the Sussex Innovation Centre.

23/09/2026

21/09/2026

Annoyingly, our new(ish) whiteboard kept blowing over in the wind this morning, but stayed upright at least long enough for a host of parkrun tourists to write up their names and home addresses - it was lovely to see you all!
Of the total 131 runners, we actually had 41 first-time visitors to Malling Rec, plus three bold souls - Kim Tuddenham, Brendan Purcell and Nicola Main - doing their very first parkruns anywhere at all. Hopefully we'll see you back again very soon!
Amongst the 7 PBs was one for Llewelyn Sion, who's already shaved 1:26 off his finishing time since making his parkrun debut with us last week - so well done to you!
And huge congrats too to regular volunteer (and part-time Easter Bunny) Nigey Watts on his 25th volunteer!
NEXT WEEK we'll be hosting a virtual Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support - so do please come along, and come prepared - we'll have QR codes all over the place so that you can donate the cost of a cup of coffee to this very worthwhile cause - and then we'd love you to join us for a real cup of coffee at our friendly new Malling Community Cafe. Even better if you come dressed in something green!