A rallying cry for people to remain active during the latest national restrictions has been issued by Cllr Graham Newman, the new Chairman of Suffolk County Council, in his first public statement as civic head for the organisation.

Cllr Graham Newman, Chairman of Suffolk County Council, said:

"I know people are, understandably, concerned and anxious at the prospect of more national restrictions and with the onset of colder weather and darker nights the idea of being active can be daunting.

"However, I would encourage everyone, if they can, to be as active as possible over the autumn and winter months. Being active is good for both your physical and mental health and can be a great antidote to the way we're all feeling, at the moment."

Cllr Newman was particularly keen to highlight the resources available through the Keep Moving Suffolk campaign as an important source of information and advice. He said:

"The Keep Moving Suffolk campaign website was a valued and trusted support for many people during the first set of national restrictions and will continue to be so for the weeks and months ahead. It has links to many great free tools to help people work out at home or outside in a safe way. If anybody is looking for ideas, or inspiration, then it's a great place to start.

"As a keen cyclist I would also recommend the Love to Ride campaign. Cycling is a great way to exercise in a safe, socially distanced way. Traffic levels are likely to be much lower than usual this month, so if you haven't ridden in winter before, now is a great opportunity to give it a go."

Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive of Sport England, who are concerned about recent drop-offs in activity levels across the country, said:

"Being active is a vital tool to help us cope mentally with the challenges the months ahead will bring and physically to be fitter and healthier, to boost our immunity and to ward off illness.

"We know that people face real challenges right now in their daily lives, whether that's anxiety about the virus itself, financial concerns or uncertainty about what is or isn't allowed. Our message is that there has never been a more important time to take some time to be physically active."

The Keep Moving Suffolk campaign can be found at www.keepmovingsuffolk.com and includes details and links to the Love to Ride initiative.