Overview of sports and physical activity opportunities

As part of the improvement of the health and wellbeing of the local community InspireAll offers a Physical Activity Referral Service across Hertsmere.

A Physical Activity Referral Scheme is a referral by a professional to a service where there is a process of assessment of that person’s need. A physical activity programme is then tailored to meet the need of the individual’s progress.

In Hertsmere the scheme is delivered at Bushey Grove Leisure Centre, The Furzefield Centre in Potters Bar, and The Venue Leisure Centre in Borehamwood. It is run with the guidelines set out by the National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE).

You may be eligible for this service if you are over 16 and have a long-term health condition such as poor mental health, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, or COPD. 

Getting referred to The Exercise Referral Scheme could be the first step to increasing your activity levels and improving your long-term health and wellbeing. For more information speak to your GP or contact your local InspireAll Exercise Referral team to discuss your eligibility.

The Venue Leisure Centre in Borehamwood – tvexercisereferral@inpsireall.com

Furzefield Leisure Centre in Potters Bar – ffexercisereferral@inspireall.com

Bushey Grove Leisure Centre in Bushey – bgexercisereferral@inspireall.com

parkruns are FREE, timed, five kilometre runs that take place every Saturday morning in more than 600 locations around the world. They are coordinated by local volunteers and are open to people of all ages and abilities, with the emphasis on fun and fitness in a relaxed and welcoming environment. parkrun is not a race - it's a timed run with friends and families.

To participate,

Aldenham parkrun happens every Saturday at 9am in Aldenham Country Park.

King George Junior parkrun takes places every Sunday at 9am in King George Recreation Ground, Bushey. 

Furzefield Leisure Centre Junior parkrun takes place every Sunday at 9am in Furzefield Leisure Centre, Potters Bar.

The Back2Bowls sessions take place at Aberford Community Centre, WD6 1PN every Wednesday from 1-3pm.

Back2Bowls is a fun and welcoming activity, providing free bowls sessions and refreshments to participants. Our sessions are extremely popular, and offer both indoor and outdoor bowls depending on the weather.

No need to book, simply turn up and one of the organisers will take you through and get you moving!

Free drop-in Badminton sessions take place at Aberford Community Centre, WD6 1PN every Thursday 12-1:30pm.

All abilities are welcome and all equipment and refreshments are provided. No need to book, simply turn up and one of the organisers will take you through and get you moving! 

Come and join in new free walking football sessions for adults 50+ and get back into football.

Sessions take place Tuesdays 6:30pm to 7:30pm at Borehamwood Boxing Club, Borehamwood, WD6 4HN.

There is no need to book please just drop in! For more information please email Hertsmere Borough Council or call 0208 207 7801.

Punch your way back to fitness with our Bring Your Baby Boxercise sessions. Mums of Steel is offering these fun classes that will help you get fit and meet other mums. We provide a chance to do different boxing drills and babies get the best seat in the house watching you get fit.

All you need to do is turn up with a mat and a drink, all other equipment is provided. You must be 6 weeks post vaginal birth or 10 weeks post C-section to join us.

These sessions are £2 and take place every Thursday 2-3pm Aberford Community Centre, WD6 1PN. Book on here. 

Free community Tai Chi sessions are now taking place at St Michael's Church, Borehamwood, WD6 5RG, every Wednesday and Friday 11:30am to 12:30pm.

Immerse yourself in the ancient art of gentle movements and find your inner peace amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, this session offers a tranquil escape for all.

Sessions are free to all but you must book your space as spaces are limited, please book here. 

Coming soon to Borehamwood in March 2025, please keep an eye out for further updates. If you would like more information or to get involved please email Hertsmere Borough Council.

For more information and to register for ParkPlay, visit the ParkPlay website.

InspireAll run the GenerationPlus programme (formerly known as fifty plus) to provide activities for the older adults, however, this is not exclusive, so anyone can join in! 

The programme contains a host of weekly activities ranging from Indoor Bowls to Bridge, Tap Dancing to Yoga. Some sessions are drop in and some are pre booked courses, there is plenty of flexibility. In the majority of cases, equipment is provided to get you started, so you don’t need to go to any great expense to get involved. 

In addition to the weekly programme they also offer a range of special events, day trips, short courses and Quiz evenings. 

If you would like more information, please contact the

GenerationPlus Team by email sports.development@inspireall.com 

The Hertfordshire Health Walks scheme is a countywide programme of free, fun and social walks.  It is aimed to support more people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to get outdoors more often and enjoy the benefits of gentle physical activity.

About Hertfordshire Health Walks

The walks are graded so you can choose the one most suitable for you, from a gentle 20-minute First Steps walk to a brisk 90-minute walk. The walks run from the same place and time every week, with meeting points in Bushey, Potters Bar and Aldenham. These popular walks, led by friendly volunteers, offer many different routes through towns, parks and countryside and the opportunity for a coffee afterwards. Best of all it's free!

Health walks

To find details of the walks near you:

• visit Hertfordshire Health Walks 
• call 01992 588 433 (9.00 to 11.30am and 2 to 3pm Mon to Fri, excluding bank holidays)
• email healthwalks.cms@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Complete beginners welcome

Are you interested in setting up a walking group in your community?

Walking is an easy way to add more activity to your day. Regular and purposeful walking helps you get fitter, boosts your mood and keeps your bones and muscles strong. The Herts Health Walks Team already offers 75 free walks across Hertfordshire and would like to be able to offer more. We are keen to work with people – who currently don’t do any activity but would like to or are returning from illness –  to set up short, sociable walk for beginners. You would be joining a friendly team of volunteers, giving back to your community and meeting new people. If you would like to discuss how to set up a group, please contact Claire on 01992588126 or claire.pullen@hertfordshire.gov.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.

Take a walk or go for a run through beautiful surroundings, use the outdoor gym or just sit back to relax in one of our parks.

Find out more about the facilities at your local park.

Shape Up is a free 12 week weight management course for men funded by Public Health Hertfordshire and delivered by Watford FC’s Community Sports and Education Trust. The course is aimed at men aged 18 to 50 with a BMI of 30 or over.  

Participants meet up weekly for a 90-minute session comprising a 45 minute educational segment and a 45 minute physical activity session. These two segments are delivered with the aim of improving participant’s healthy lifestyle knowledge to ensure a sustainable weight loss rather than the typically short term benefit of a diet based programme. This course is open and accessible to all, delivering at a number of different venues across Hertsmere including Bushey, Borehamwood and Potters Bar. 

For more information please visit Shape Up

Participants can sign up through their GP surgery or by contacting Watford FC CSE Trust 01923 496 391 

We have a community partnership with Arsenal Football Club which began in 2008. The partnership offers a range of sporting, social inclusion and educational opportunities for Hertsmere residents. Arsenal in the Community deliver a range of initiatives, including curriculum football, holiday activities, girls football and a Double Club; where schoolchildren in years five and six spend 45 minutes playing football and 45 minutes on literacy.

Active Hertsmere (Community Sports Network)

 What is a Community Sport Network (CSN)?

Sport England defines a CSN as a collection of people who have a desire to develop and promote sport and physical activity in their area. Representatives from local authorities, schools, sports clubs, sports centres, volunteer networks and wider community groups make up a Community Sports Network.

The core aims of all Community Sports Networks are to:

• increase the number of people taking part in sport and active recreation by one per cent year on year
• widen access to opportunities for sport and active recreation
• bring together and align partners' existing priorities and targets within one joined up local action plan for sport and active recreation within the CSN area, based upon the needs of the local communities and ensuring clarity in roles and responsibility.

Active Hertsmere meets four times a year. If you would like to attend a meeting or have an agenda item, please contact Helen Hopkins or Abi Stevens on 020 8207 7801 or email community.services@hertsmere.gov.uk

We Move, She Moves is a movement to get women and girls in Hertsmere more active, more often and having fun in the process. There are lots of activities happening each week such as Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Aqua Zumba, Golden Dance, Tai Chi, Pound for you to join in with. We have something to suit all ages, abilities and fitness level.

Would you like to try a new sport or activity? Have you not taken part in anything for a while? Have you recently had a baby? There is a class for you, please visit the We Move She Moves website for more information or call 020 8207 2277.

We have received funding from Sport England to deliver a physical activity programme for women in the Oakmere ward, Potters Bar.  The sessions will be low cost, local and accessible.  For more information visit the We Move She Moves website or call 020 8207 2277.

Box Cleva is a community safety partnership initiative which helps to promote safer neighbourhoods and wellbeing in young people. Teaching 7 to 13 year-olds the discipline behind boxing including fitness training, nutritional advice, and alcohol and smoking awareness sessions, the scheme also promotes a healthy, active lifestyle, ensuring they get the best possible start in life. This is a no contact boxing session.

This scheme runs during school term-time and trainers are fully qualified by the Amateur Boxing Association of England. Box Cleva offers bronze, silver and gold assessments to give young people a sense of achievement and to raise their self-esteem and confidence.

For more information visit BoxCleva

Coaching courses and experience

The Herts Sports Partnership website has a coaching section that's packed full of information on coaching at any level. Here you'll find information on:

• Developing your coaching techniques
• Mentoring
• Coaching job vacancies in Hertfordshire
• Education and courses
• Coach management standards
• Coaching strategies
• Long term athlete development

Join In is a registered charity that helps UK grassroots sports clubs attract more supporters and volunteers from their local communities. We do this by matching people to fun, interesting and rewarding volunteering opportunities at clubs in their area. The Herts Sports Partnership is responsible for the Join In programme in Hertfordshire.

and find opportunities to volunteer locally.