The recommended guidelines for physical activity is 150 minutes a week

41.7% of 55-64 year olds and 57.8% of 65+ year olds do less than 150 minutes

24.9% of 55-64 year olds and 42% of 65+ year olds are completely inactive

Hertfordshire County Council is working with organisations across the county to launch a new campaign to help older adults become more active

Being physically active for 30 minutes at least five days a week is known to provide

important physical and mental health benefits for older adults.

‘It’s Never Too Late to be Active’ is a social marketing behaviour change campaign

which aims to inspire inactive and low activity older people to become more active.

It’s part of Hertfordshire’s Year of Physical Activity (#HertsYOPA18) and runs for 12

weeks from 23 April 2018.

www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/nevertoolate

A communications toolkit to help publicise the campaign is available at:

www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/nevertoolatetoolkit

For further information please contact joanne.necchi@hertfordshire.gov.uk

We want to create a sense that our audience is part of something bigger by

promoting the campaign as widely as possible and welcome support to do this.

• Please present the campaign at team meetings, events, health-related network meetings etc

• Tell your colleagues about the campaign and ask them to promote it to their wider networks.

• Ask staff to sign up to the campaign and share it with their clients, family and friends

• Use the comms toolkit to promote the campaign to residents through your own channels:

• Feature the campaign on your website and staff intranet

• Include an article in community newsletters

• Put up posters at local community venues

• Post and share social media messages

• Use face-to-face contact with older people in the community to encourage sign up

• Encourage your local schools to host a Daily Mile for all ages launch event

• Contact the comms team for resources & advice joanne.necchi@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Publicity

What is Never Too Late?

Never Too Late uses insight and behaviour-change techniques to help

older people become more active:

Family bonds Grandchildren are a strong motivator so the campaign will launch through primary schools.

Participating schools will invite their older community to a ‘Daily Mile for all ages’ event and

encourage them to sign up. These schools will be entered into a £1000 prize draw.

Incentives Those registered for the campaign receive a free local activity pass for themselves and a

friend. They will also have the chance to win an iPad, Fitbit or £100 voucher and help a local

school win prizes.

Personalised support Those who have signed up will receive regular motivational texts or emails and have access to

personalised support from HertsHelp to help address concerns and nudge behaviour.

Action planning Action planning is a proven behaviour change technique so a campaign activity planner is

available to help people identify their activity aims and plan how to achieve them.

Case studies Relatable case studies can inspire others to change their behaviour so the campaign materials

are based on real Hertfordshire people who are telling their own stories to motivate others.

Motivational messaging will highlight how physical activity can:

• keep the body strong and promote long-term independence and enjoyment of life

• boost energy, confidence and mood

• keep the mind sharp

• bring social benefits and be fun

• be broken down into chunks of 10 minutes to meet the 150 minute target

Toolkit

Engagement through the community

Please use the communications toolkit to raise awareness of the campaign and encourage

local populations to take part and sign up: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/nevertoolatetoolkit

Engagement through schools

Please encourage local schools to sign up to the Daily Mile and run a ‘Daily Mile for all ages’

event to launch the Never Too Late campaign. By taking part they could win £1000 for health

and wellbeing activities.

A suite of case-study based posters is available

Engagement through social media

Toolkit

The over 55s are the fastest growing group on Facebook so the campaign will be

advertised heavily on social media (‘digital-first’).

Please also use the social media content to promote the campaign on your own digital

channels and use the hashtag #NeverTooLateHerts to like and share other people’s content.

Call to action: visit the website

Evaluation

Short survey questionnaires will be completed at the start and end of the campaign to

measure any changes in activity levels and the wider benefits of being active and evaluate the

impact of the campaign.

A suite of social media images, video content and suggested posts is available

All traffic will be driven to the main website www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/nevertoolate

Participants will be encouraged to complete a short registration survey in order to receive

their voucher for free local activities. The website includes information, advice and tips to

help people get active and links to local activities in their area. It also hosts an activity

planner to help people action plan.