Oxford United’s army of faithful supporters are always in good voice, but are they in good shape?
That’s what Oxfordshire County Council’s Public Health team intend to find out by offering free mini health checks for fans this Saturday.
And the U’s new Managing Director Niall McWilliams is leading by example ahead of the big home game against Oldham.
Niall will undergo a free mini health check on Thursday 5 April to help promote the initiative and encourage as many supporters as possible to take advantage of the council’s offer on match day.
The full NHS Health Check is available to everyone aged from 40 to 74 without pre-existing conditions.
Niall said: “It’s really important to keep an eye on your health as you get a little bit older. This is a fantastic opportunity to get yourself checked out, and it’s free. Sometimes it’s easy to assume that everything’s okay and you take your health for granted – and that’s perhaps especially the case with men. But there’s really no good reason for ducking the chance for a bit of an MOT, especially when we’re talking about the next 10 years of your life.”
Full NHS checks (provided at your GP practice) are aimed at identifying a person’s risk from heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke and dementia over the next 10 years. They are free and last just 20-30 minutes.
Oxfordshire County Council’s Public Health team will be setting up at locations in and around the Kassam Stadium to offer the checks for fans before and after the game this Saturday. All participants up to half time will be entered into a prize draw and the winner will receive a signed, framed OUFC football shirt presented by Cabinet Member for Education and Public Health Hilary Hibbert-Biles.
She said:
“A free mini health check is a brilliant way for people to get an overview of their general health. It’s an easy way of finding out if there are some simple things you could be doing to improve your long-term health and fitness. Our friendly staff will be on hand to chat to Oxford United fans and encourage them to take up the offer on Saturday 7 April. We look forward to meeting local supporters and, of course, to the game itself.”