Kendal Leisure Centre is inviting the local community to celebrate Grandparents’ Day with a free Age-Friendly Festival on Sunday 4 October, from 11am to 2.30pm.

Organised by GLL, the charitable social enterprise that operates Better leisure centres in Westmorland and Furness, the multi-generational festival will bring people of all ages together for a day of activities, entertainment, advice and community support. Visitors can enjoy exercise sessions and games, access health and wellbeing advice, and connect with local organisations to discover what is happening in their local area.

The festival will feature a Volunteering Fair with Cumbria CVS, giving visitors the chance to learn about local volunteering opportunities and find out how they can get involved in their communities. As part of Macmillan’s Big Coffee Morning campaign, the charity will serve refreshments so people can enjoy a coffee while supporting a great cause.

Thanks to the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Covid, flu and RSV vaccines will be available for those eligible on a first come first served basis while the broadband provider, Fibrus, will provide internet safety and scam awareness advice.

A series of stallholders will offer a range of activities including quizzes, hook a duck, health and wellbeing advice and there will be a smoothie bike and vision aid gadgets to try.

The Better health team will run a series of exercise taster sessions including table tennis, Boccia and Kurling as well as games such as cornhole and ring toss and South Lakes Mobility with stage mobility ‘try it’ sessions giving people the opportunity to test equipment.

The event forms part of the Age Friendly South Lakeland initiative, which is a collaboration between GLL, Cumbria Community Foundation, Westmorland and Furness Council, National Trust, South Lakes Dementia Community, Morecambe Bay Health Trust, Active Cumbria, Age UK South Cumbria, Cumbria CVS and Carer Support South Lakes who work together to support community health and wellbeing.

An Age Friendly Festival will also be staged at Penrith Leisure Centre on Thursday 1 October, from 10am to 2pm, featuring many of the same activities. In addition, at Penrith visitors will be able to take part in dance taster sessions with Swing Dance Cumbria and Boccia with the Women’s Institute. There will also be information about becoming a Dementia Friend, while the Dementia Bus will give visitors the chance to experience a virtual reality simulation designed to provide an insight into what it may be like to live with dementia.

Danielle Vipond Shields, Better Health and Communities Manager for Westmorland and Furness, said: “We’re really looking forward to bringing our Age Friendly Festivals back for the fourth consecutive year. In 2025, more than 150 people took advantage of what was on offer.

“These events are about much more than encouraging people to get active – they’re about bringing people together, discovering what’s happening in our local communities and making sure everyone has the opportunity to access the support and activities that are available to them.

“Over the years, it’s been great to see generations of families spend quality time together and celebrate everything our older communities have to offer. We’d looking forward to welcoming even more people this year.”

The event will also provide a platform to showcase the range of activities and sessions available for seniors at Kendal and Penrith leisure centres including:

Dedicate Swim for 50+ sessions
Chatter Matters – a social group that supports friendships, communication as well as health, exercise and wellbeing
Movement Matters – social sessions with seating and standing exercises to gently elevate heart rate and improve mobility
Instructor-led Pickleball Senior Club sessions to improve balance, co-ordination and cardiovascular health
Boccia, Walking Football and Walking Netball with Age UK
Healthwise - a physical activity referral programme designed to support individuals with long-term medical conditions or those at risk of chronic illnesses who are currently inactive
Escape Pain - a rehabilitation course to help people manage chronic joint or back pain.