Being physically active and eating nutritious foods are the keys to healthy ageing. Isn't it simple? However, according to WHO statistics, non-communicable diseases account for 90 percent of all deaths in Europe. And what is the primary cause of NCDs? An unhealthy lifestyle. So maybe being healthy is not such an easy thing to do after all.
Now, imagine if there were communities across Europe that promoted an active and healthy lifestyle and collaborated to innovate in the field of healthy ageing. The good news is that you do not need a lot of creativity because these kinds of communities already exist in Europe thanks to the Knowledge Alliance COP4HL!
COP4HL is a KA project financed by the ERASMUS+ programme of the European Union. The alliance is made up of 17 partners from seven European countries: Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Belgium. Members include Higher Education Institutions and businesses, all interested in achieving long-term socioeconomic innovations in the field of healthy ageing.
To do so, the Alliance decided to adopt an innovative strategy that focuses on creating a change on a local level. The members of COP4HL established six Communities of Practice (CoP) in six different cities around Europe that was aimed at sharing best practices and co-creating new knowledge to advance in the domain of healthy ageing.
Through the different local Communities of Practice around Europe, the COP4HL Knowledge Alliance managed to engage 13 higher education institutes, 30 businesses, and 70 public authorities to create community-based interventions towards a more healthy and active lifestyle of European citizens.
In addition, the alliance was able to reach and raise awareness among more than 650 students related to the project and the different local COP. This resulted in a total outreach of over 520.000 citizens, either via different social media or directly through door-to-door visits, workshops and activities.
COP4HL also developed several resources that can be freely used by everyone who wishes to address this important issue. One example could be the “Healthy lifestyle education module” created to raise awareness among student about healthy ageing.
Because of the impact of its Communities of Practice, the developed resources, and the large number of citizens reached by this project, COP4HL is unquestionably a successful Alliance that can be a leader in the transition to a healthy lifestyle in Europe. Its remarkable results will undoubtedly inspire other communities in Europe to embark on the path of positive social change.
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