Matthew Wells, Olympic medal winner and part of the Great Britain rowing team, will be the event’s ambassador.

The Get Active Wandsworth festival, which runs until July 28, aims to get the whole borough moving regardless of age or ability. Activities including dance, football, a wide range of different sports, yoga and walking. Highlights include the Get Active Day at Battersea Park Millennium Arena July 24 and a DC Leisure Centres open weekend. 

Putney resident, Matthew Wells, who won bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is passionate about sport in the borough.  He wants to encourage families to enjoy the benefits of doing activities together.

“The Get Active Wandsworth festival is a great way for all the family to get healthy and get active.  It’s these sort of events that bring the community together, and I can’t wait to see some of the activities in action”.

Matthew Wells was first selected for the double sculls in the British Rowing Team at the 1997 World Championships. The double went on to win a junior gold medal  He won bronze in the single scull at the World U23 Championships in 1999, won gold in the single scull at the U23 Championships and gained ninth place in the singles at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Matthew finished in fifth place in the men’s doubles at the 2003 World Championships, won bronze in the men’s doubles at the 2006 World Championships and picked up a bronze medal  in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the men’s double scull.

The Get Active Festival is the brainchild of the Wandsworth Community Sport and Physical Activity Network, also known as Active Wandsworth.

Executive member for environment and culture, Cllr Sarah McDermott, said:
“Within Wandsworth we want to create a local festival in the build up to the 2012 games, and for many more years to come after that. We realise that it will require a lot of hard work to get two million people more active by 2012, but hope that the Get Active Wandsworth Festival will help us, NHS London and Sport England to take a big step towards reaching this target.

June 30, 2010