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Posted: Tue 30th Dec 2025
People aged over 60 in Wales can now take part in 125 free or discounted fitness sessions at leisure centres, outdoor spaces and community venues under a new national initiative.
The 60-plus Active Leisure Scheme is jointly funded by the Welsh Government and Sport Wales and is being delivered across all 22 local authorities.
Since its launch in 2021, the programme has offered more than 10,750 sessions, recording around 154,500 attendances.
More than 5,500 people took part last year alone, with activities ranging from pickleball, swimming and climbing to yoga, tai chi, walking groups and strength training classes.
The scheme aims to support physical health, social wellbeing and mental health among older adults, helping to reduce loneliness and isolation through group activity.
Kath Knowles, 73, from Ynys Môn, first joined the scheme in 2018 and now helps run pickleball sessions with around 200 players on the island.
“The best thing about attending for me, and for all our players I think, is that it’s brought sport back into our lives at the grand age of 60 plus,” she said.
“It’s a brilliant, social life. You meet people you’ve never met before. It’s integrated me when I moved on to the island and that’s how I made friends.
“Like most people, I’ve had a lot of personal battles in my life. I’ve had breast cancer, and two heart attacks. This is a distraction from the battles that we all face in life. I’ve had mental health issues myself and this game has helped me enormously to get out of myself and stop worrying about things that might not happen and just get on with it.”
Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Professor Isabel Oliver, said: “The 60-plus Active Leisure Scheme demonstrates the transformative power of physical activity in later life.
“As well as improving people’s physical activity levels, schemes like this help enormously with mental wellbeing, loneliness and social isolation. This programme is a vital part of our commitment to supporting healthy, active ageing and ensuring that people across Wales can enjoy the best possible quality of life in their later years.”
The initiative forms part of the Welsh Government’s Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy, which seeks to tackle high levels of overweight and obesity across the country.
Victoria Woods, Education and Health Lead at Sport Wales, said: “The 60-plus Active Leisure Scheme shows how sport and physical activity can enrich lives at any age.
“By working with partners across Wales, we’re helping older people stay active, connected and confident, while supporting both physical health and mental wellbeing in their local communities.”
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