“Participants aged over 50 years were invited to take part in physiotherapy-led one hour physical activity sessions, twice weekly in two pilot rounds during 2024,” according to Sinead Gavin, Physiotherapy Manager, HSE Community Services Carlow Kilkenny, speaking about the Urban Action Against Cancer (UcanACT) programme in Kilkenny. “Each pilot consisted of at least 11 sessions of physical activity, with the activity programme devised based on current research. The results of Pilot One showed improvements across a number of outcome measures. So, the qualitative evaluation was also very positive.”

The emphasis of the programme is on physical activity in public – using urban green spaces and ultimately supporting healthier lifestyles.

Sinead continues:

“The aim following this second pilot is to collect and evaluate results and data and then present the data and results to stakeholders. We look forward to opportunities into the future to support this pathway, which exemplifies a collaborative community-based physical activity initiative for people at risk and also living with or surviving cancer.”

Staged throughout 2024 and funded by the European Commission, UcanACT has brought together physiotherapists, local authorities, non-profit organisations and higher education and research institutions from Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy and Ireland. The overall objective is to engage adult and senior citizens in open-air exercise to benefit their health.

The field of cancer prevention was chosen by the UcanACT project partners due to the high urgency and importance of this topic for European public health. Cancer prevention, treatment and care were recognised by the Von der Leyen EU Commission as a main priority in the area of health.

Over the duration of the project, which was led out by Janette Boran, Healthy Kilkenny Co-ordinator with Kilkenny County Council, there have been stages of needs analysis, questionnaires and focus groups, an engagement strategy, physical activity sessions supported by physiotherapists and an associated App trialed by participants.

As an inter-sectoral initiative and with the UcanACT’s Irish presence based in the Kilkenny area, the project was a collaboration between physiotherapists from both HSE and private practice, the Irish Society of Charted Physiotherapists, Kilkenny County Council, students from the University of Limerick, research members from Trinity College Dublin and local, non-profit organisations such as Cois Nore Cancer Support Centre in Kilkenny. All came together in recognition of health promotion as a multi-agency interest.