THE Love to Move campaign has been launched to help the Ross-on-Wye community live well in spring.

As part of a new partnership between Parkinson’s UK and the British Gymnastics Foundation is looking to train more instructors to deliver their innovative Love to Move programme.

The programme is the UK’s largest seated exercise programme designed specifically for participants living with Parkinson’s, dementia or lower mobility levels and offers an opportunity to enjoy movement in a safe, relaxed and social way.

The British Gymnastics Foundation are aiming for 46,000 people to be supported by the programme.

Based on the basic principles of gymnastics, sessions are designed to improve flexibility, coordination and balance, as well emotional well-being and social connection.

Love to Move was developed and tested in care homes and with community groups and now British Gymnastics Foundation are training instructors across the country to give access to more people living with long term health conditions.

Love to Move training sessions will be available in Herefordshire with the aim of training more instructors to deliver the Love to Move classes and in turn to help more people live well with long term health conditions, such as Parkinson’s or Dementia.

No previous experience of being an exercise coach or instructor is needed and anyone interested in becoming a Love to Move instructor should complete an expression of interest form via the website britishgymnasticsfoundation.org/LovetoMove.Love to Move is shown to have some of the following benefits for people living with Parkinson’s: Improved balance and coordination, better strength, flexibility and mobility Improved sense of wellbeing and mindfulness, better memory and cognitive skills, greater social interaction Improved speech and communications skills.

Anna Castiaux from Parkinson's UK, said: "Love to Move has been shown to have many benefits for a person's physical and mental wellbeing and it can be a very accessible way to live well with a long term health condition.”