From Couch to Community – 250 residents take 5X steps to health
More than 250 people in Amber Valley have become more active after the NHS and local voluntary sector groups came together to create the Couch to 5X scheme.
Born out of the Move More Amber Valley strategy and the Get Out Get Active programme, Couch to 5X takes a fresh approach: instead of exercise plans, participants set their own small, achievable movement goals with a mentor’s support.
The “X” stands for five weekly actions – which could be anything from leg stretches while the kettle boils, to walking to the bus stop or playing with grandchildren.
Health partners across Amber Valley actively refer people into the programme, including social prescribers, Derbyshire Community Health Services, Community Therapy Teams, Primary Care Networks, Futures Housing Group, Spectrum Housing, the Acute Home Visiting Service and Community Pharmacists. These links have strengthened the referral pathway and ensured Couch to 5X is embedded within the wider health system.
Chris Frost, Community Physical Activity & Wellbeing Lead who delivers the scheme, said: “Couch to 5X is important because it gives people the confidence to take that first step. By focusing on everyday movement, it helps residents build independence and reconnect with their communities in ways that really matter to them.
“It’s so fantastic to see the way it improves people’s lives. One resident regained confidence to walk after a fall, another finally caught the bus to visit old friends. A grandparent discovered the joy of crawling on the floor with their grandchild – something unimaginable just weeks earlier.”
Dr Penny Blackwell, GP Partner at Hannage Brook Medical Centre and Chair and Clinical Director for Neighbourhood Health and Care at Derby and Derbyshire ICB, said: “Neighbourhood working is vital in bringing schemes like Couch to 5X directly into our communities. By connecting health services with local partners, we make sure support is practical, accessible and rooted in everyday life.
“Using our local connections to spread fantastic schemes like Couch to 5X through neighbourhoods we will achieve a lot more than working in silo, and that’s the benefit of the neighbourhood health model.”
Five years in, Couch to 5X is firmly part of local health and wellbeing services, offering practical, person‑centred support that complements medical treatment and helps residents build confidence through movement.
A simple referral email is all is required – contact Chris Frost at chrisfrost@avcvs.org