Active Communities resources

• A wide variety of activity packs featuring games, challenges, quizzes and physical activities to have a go at across a range of different activities - see the Activity Pack section at the bottom of the page.
• Active Health - there will be a virtual 1-2-1 exercise session for customers to motivate them through the restrictions, virtual classes for specialist classes and circuits. Customers will be kept in touch via email and phone. Find out more about Active Health here.
• Get Wiltshire Walking - Get Wiltshire Walking will be staying connected via their weekly newsletter and vulnerable walkers and walk leaders will be phone

• Healthy Us is a free 12-week group weight management course open to anyone living in Wiltshire, aged 18 or over, with a BMI of 28 or above. 

• You can use your library card to borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines and access online resources, including Naxos Spoken Word Library, for free. To find out more, visit the library online resources page.
• Discover rhyme times, guides for using online resources, bedtime stories, author talks and craft activities on the Wiltshire Libraries YouTube channel
• If you enjoy chatting about books, join one of the relaxed and friendly library book chat groups. Simply search Facebook Groups for: Calne Library Bookchat, Chippenham Library Bookchat, Melksham Library Bookchat, Salisbury & Wilton Library Bookchat, Warminster & Mere Library Bookchat or Westbury Library Book Chat.
• If you're a member of a reading group, you may be interested in our eBook collection. Online library reading groups are also being hosted by Calne, Chippenham, Salisbury and Trowbridge libraries. Email libraryenquiries@wiltshire.gov.uk for more information.
• Reading Well promotes the benefits of reading for health and wellbeing, covering long term health conditions, mental health, dementia and books for young people and children. You can borrow many titles from the expert endorsed Reading Well collections. Many of the titles can be found in our eBook collection. These titles have been recommended by health professionals.

• Visit the Arts in Wiltshireblog for a wide array of ideas and resources to draw, write, sing, music, watch theatre, shows, films, documentaries as well as ideas to get involved in dance, photography, crafts and much, much more. This blog has a large number of links to other resources for you to try.

There is a huge amount of information and resources available to help you stay active at home.

For children

• Sustrans has created four weeks of fun and educational resources and activity ideas for families. Get weekly inspiration and resources for kids' activities, games and challenges . Sustrans Outside In activities include videos, games, weekly challenges, themed activities and more. The four-week activity pack is full of cycling, walking and scooting themed fun.
• The Youth Sport Trust has a number of free resources to help parents and children have fun and stay active at home. They have teamed up with DC and have some fantastic free to access resources inspired by Wonder Woman and her eight characteristics, which include strength, optimism and courage. Designed to be inclusive, the resources take the form of activities and quests at different difficulty levels for individuals or groups, ensuring that all your young people can join in and have fun. 

• Links to the The Youth Sport Trust after school sport club which runs live on YouTube at 5pm every Tuesday and Thursday and the 60 second challenges.

• The FA's free Superkicks App is available with hundreds of challenges with various levels built in for young people to try

• Gymnastics HQ have developed a series of activity plans to keep active and practicing your gymnastics
• Early Movers has practical ideas to help with babies and young children's physical development.
• support for parents helping children get more active from UK Coaching
• UK Active Kids have released #NikeMoveCrew which sets weekly and daily missions for children to take part in that helps towards their 60 minutes of daily recommended activity

For adults

• Sport England's #StayInWorkOut campaign has a dedicated page with a variety of activities to follow for all ages. This includes home workouts, activities to do with your children, accessible activities and mindfulness programmes
• A wide variety of fitness workouts - available from The Body Coach TV on his YouTube channel
• There are free workouts available at the Fitness Blender website that also provides healthy recipe ideas and healthy living guidance
• The NHS also have a variety of beginner and intermediate workouts available on their website all of which are easy to follow

For women and girls 

• MoJoManuals are an inspiring, educational resource that have been voluntarily written by top sport scientists, leading coaches and educational tutors. MoJoManuals empower girls and women with information on how to be the best athlete/player they can be whilst gently building confidence to tackle specific challenges that girls often face in sport and life. The workbook format has embedded video links which add info or demonstrate routines/exercises and can be downloaded to your PC or smart device. Free download of these manuals available until end of May 2020. Follow WSNet on Twitterto get access

For older people

• The NHS have a range of tips, advice and guidance on staying active in your later years including specific workouts for strength, flexibility and easy 10 minute whole body workouts
• The '10 Today' audio exercise routines have been designed to help older people stay active at home are available on demand from BBC Sounds and broadcast live on BB Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
• Free support pack for older people during COVID-19 with a variety of activities available to keep moving at home.
• People with long term health conditions are even more impacted by Covid-19. #WeAreUndefeatable has lots of information to people keep active safely during this time.

Disabled persons activity 

Activity Alliance have a range of inclusive activities to keep individuals with a disability or long term health condition, active whilst at home.

Active Health

Active Health is the council's physical activity referral scheme that enables people to be referred by their GP to support their activity needs. 

• There's now two 20 minute Active Health videos available here, led by Rich, one of our instructors
  • Video 1 
  • Video 2  
• To view a variety of exercise videos delivered by an Active Health instructor, click on the link for the YouTube: Exercise for health channel.
• The NHS has a number of exercise programmes available for a variety of different themes:  
• Sitting Exercise
• Strength exercises 
• Balance exercises
• Flexibility exercises
• There is a growing video library of activities suitable for older, and less physically stable, people provided by Later Life Training for falls clients. You can access all the videos on their YouTube channel also.  
• British Heart Foundation video providing activities for cardiac clients.

• 12 top tips from the NHS for keeping on top of your mental wellbeing whilst staying at home
• Visit the NHS mental health and wellbeing advice website for self-assessment, audio guides and practical tools, if you are experiencing stress, feelings of anxiety or low mood
• Living Life provide free resources including audiobooks and worksheets to help manage mental health problems
• Turn2me is an online resource providing information, support and guidance to promote positive mental health
• Action for Happiness have a variety of resources available including a coping calendar, 10 keys to happier living as well as a number of things you can practically do to help with positive mental health in their 'actions' section
• The NHS provides sources of information for those living with a variety of mental health problems. If you already have a mental health problem, you can also access comprehensive guidance provided by Mind.

• Book Trust have lots of interactive books to read online or watch with signing, plus other fun resources to keep children enjoying books, reading and learning.
• The National Literacy Trust's 'Words for Life' offers a range of resources for parents of 0-12 years old supporting learning and play. Fun activities involving themed books, reading and crafts plus support for parents.
• A number of children's author and illustrators do story reading or drawing sessions. These include:
  • @RobBiddulph - free Saturday Art Club at 10am
  • @CressidaCowell - book readings
  • @chrisriddell - drawing demonstrations
  • @_JimField - drawing sessions
• Many children's publisher's offer fun activities on their websites linked to popular book characters or series (some offer teacher's resources too), including:
  • Anderson Press
  • Egmont Books
  • HarperCollins Children's Books
  • Nosy Crow
  • Puffin Schools
  • Penguin
  • Scholastic's kids club
  • Walker Books

• While museums are closed you can still support them by visiting their websites. 
• Go to the Wessex Museums website for online exhibitions and spotlights on collections from The Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire Museum, Poole Museum and Dorset Museum.
• For music and poetry check out the wonderful Celebrating Age Wiltshire project including its series of monthly recorded concerts available on YouTube. For more online performances and events visit Pound Arts Centre.
• Family history research includes having conversations with family members about their lives and times. Take the Conversation Challenge with History Begins at Home and download the themed question sheets to get you started.
• Get creative with three great resources from the Wiltshire & Swindon Cultural Education Partnership (W&SCEP) which will get you making your own sketchbooks, making your own prints and collages.
• For your online fix of art and artists in the Wiltshire landscape go to the Roche Court,  New Art Centre website where you can discover more about the artists featured, their work and a "Work of the Week".
• Take a virtual tour around Salisbury Cathedral interactive art tour, Spirit and Endeavour which celebrates the cathedral's 800 year history.
• National Archives has a collection of boredom busters from online events to blogs and podcasts.
• Art UK is the online home for every public art collection in the UK. And you can now create your own exhibitions with Curations.
• Explore the world of cartoons and comics on the Cartoon Museum website and learn how to create your own caricatures and cartoons.

• Digital Unite have brought together some of their most relevant digital guides to help staff and customers during these challenging times - e.g. Finding reliable COVID-19 news & information, social media, online shopping
• Learn My Way from the Good Things Foundation have easy to follow courses covering many areas including the basics of using a mouse and keyboard, staying safe online, using office programs, managing money, health appts online, shopping etc.
• Future Learn - free membership with a lot of different online courses on a wide range of topics, including CPD courses like how to teach online.

• Find out about local fire service provision with a range of educational and fun activities on their webpage. 
• Microsoft Digital Literacy course - this free course is available for anyone with basic reading skills who wants to learn the fundamentals of using digital technologies. The course is available in multiple languages. Learners who complete the course will understand basic computing concepts and skills.
• Microsoft Learn provides interactive, hands-on, browser-based, free training for everyone from students, to Business Leaders, IT Professionals and Developers. It allows participants to explore a topic in-depth through guided paths or learn how to accomplish a specific task through individual modules. Some pathways provide the potential to become Microsoft certified.
• Linkedin's community and resources aim to help you discover new career paths, learn skills and find jobs, including free courses to help you prepare for online interviews.