Gold Coast City Council’s Active and Healthy Gold Coast Program (AHGCP) has grown from a small three month program with 25 activities offered weekly, to 150 activities across 44 weeks of the year.
Senior Active Parks Officer Samantha Hughes said the program engages with the community through individual residents, local organisations and schools as well as government and non government agencies.
AHGCP provides activities in Council parks and community buildings and assists in reducing barriers that prevent people from participating in physical activity. More than 150 free or low cost activities are offered on a weekly basis throughout the city.
To achieve this success, Samantha Hughes used her background in Health Science, with a double major in Exercise Science and Sports Management and Marketing.
Having spent 10 years working in the health and fitness industry prior to working in Local Government, Samantha was employed as Council’s Active and Healthy Officer in 2004. From the outset, she has been solely responsible for the development and implementation of the Active and Healthy Program over the past seven years.
Skilled in project management, she has undertaken various project and frontline management courses while working at Council.
Samantha Hughes said that Local Government had recognised that it plays a role in the overall well being and health of the city through this program.She said Council aimed to increase the physical activity levels of Gold Coast residents by five percent through its active and healthy program.
The Active Park Team is positioned within the Gold Coast City Council’s Community Services Parks and Recreational Services Branch.
