20th Anniversary Of The UK's 'Festival Of Active Ageing' Is Biggest Ever - Walking Football Hub

The National Finals of the Better Club Games – also known as ‘The Older Person’s Olympics’ – have taken place at Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 21 October 2026.

The community sporting competition is the brainchild of worker owned charitable social enterprise GLL, which operates leisure facilities in partnership with local authorities under the ‘Better’ brand.

This year – the 20th anniversary edition of the event – the UK’s ‘Festival of Active Ageing’ expanded into a truly national programme, with Regional Games attracting hundreds of people and being staged across Cambridge, Lincolnshire, Cornwall, Belfast, Reading, Oxfordshire, Cardiff and Manchester.

With an aspiration to further expand GLL’s senior programmes across its Northern partnerships, a ‘North Club Games’ event took place at Penrith Leisure Centre in Cumbria – also on 21 October – attracting teams from seven partnerships, involving 187 competitors and covered by broadcast media.

Spectators, including local authority clients and partners, cheered on active seniors playing Badminton, Short Tennis, Table Tennis, Bowls, Timed Cycle, Dominoes, Scrabble, Boccia, New Age Kurling, Walking Football, Walking Netball, Pickleball and Timed Swim.

Team Carlisle prevailed, with Team Westmorland & Furness taking the runner-up spot and Team York coming third.

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Across GLL’s regions, over 1,800 people experienced the Better Club Games 2026.

First launched in 2006, The Better Club Games brings together senior customers from across London and beyond to celebrate staying active and connected for the myriad benefits that sporting participation and movement brings.

Contestants are recruited through weekly leisure centre programmes and proudly represent their local teams across a wide range of sports.

In the National Finals at Copper Box Arena, a record 23 teams from across London, the South East and Midlands competed in seven disciplines for the coveted winner’s title. A total of 700 people attended.

After the day’s competitions, Team Croydon took the spoils. It was ‘back-to-back’ wins for the south London seniors, who also claimed the winner’s trophy in 2025.

Team Waltham Forest came second and Team Greenwich placed third.

The teams were roared on by The Better Club Games’ ‘Older People’s Ambassador’, Cheryl Baker, formerly of 80s pop combo ‘Bucks Fizz’, who opened the event, tried her hand at the sports and presided over the medal ceremony.

Held at London's Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the Games feature activities including pickleball, walking football, walking netball, badminton, swimming, table tennis, short mat bowls, cycling, darts and dominoes. What makes the event special is not simply the competition. It is the pride participants take in representing their communities, the friendships formed through preparation and training, and the powerful challenge it presents to outdated assumptions about ageing.

Cheryl, who was born in east London’s Bethnal Green, close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, has enjoyed an active lifestyle and lists running, playing tennis and table tennis among her favourite activities. She commented: “The Better Club Games are so inspiring – there are so many people here defying their age! I didn’t expect to see so many people from all over taking part. It sends a message to those who think it’s too late to take up sport – it’s never too late to get out, meet people and be active.”

Philip Donnay, GLL’s CEO said: “Congratulations to this year’s winners, Team Croydon, and all those across our centres nationally who took part. The Better Club Games is a friendly competition with a simple but important purpose at its heart: helping older people remain active, connected and involved in their communities.

“As a charitable social enterprise, GLL believes in supporting physical health and mental wellbeing while helping to tackle social isolation. Coming at a time when there is growing national momentum for senior participation in sport, we and our Council partners are committed to supporting active ageing.”

Also attending was TV doctor and health coach Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, Age UK’s Ambassador, who introduced the charity’s national campaign ‘Act Now, Age Better’.

He reflected on The Better Club Games providing a different side of the physical activity, fitness and health sector, making movement engaging and inclusive. “It was brilliant to see so many people enjoying such a wide range of sports, and to see an initiative that has been running for 20 years continue to bring people together through physical activity.”

Source: https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-press-releases/over-1-800-people-experience-this-year-s-better-club-games/363836

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