TWO FAT LADIES: DITCH THE BINGO AND PLAY SPORTS!
Forget OAPs Bingo-ing mad, they’re Boogie-ing mad, with a quarter of all dance club requests on the UK’s clubs and hobbies website coming from the elderly in a bid to prolong their health and make new friends.
Clubbz.com, the UK’s clubs and hobbies website, has received an influx of enquiries from OAP’s wanting to join dance classes in their local area, as a result of popular television programmes like Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice. The site, which launched last month, has already received hundreds of requests from OAP’s wanting to find their local dance school.
Research of 941 over 60’s commissioned by www.Clubbz.com found that more than 1 in 3 now partake in physical activities on a weekly basis and 18% are members of some form of dancing group.
In addition, 76% confessed that their main concern about joining local clubs is walking into the room and not knowing anyone and for 59% of respondents, the concept that Clubbz.com has to offer would encourage them to meet people from various clubs online before arranging to meet face to face.
Clubbz.com is a comprehensive online sports and hobbies community, which offers a platform for all clubs and teams in the UK. Clubs can promote themselves to potential members and appear on the interest search listings. The site allows individuals to use a simple postcode based interest search, which will return a number of local clubs in their area.
Individuals are then able to learn a bit more about the club and liaise with other members before committing themselves to attending.
The elderly are now the fastest growing age group on the site and other popular clubs and groups include computer skills, aqua-aerobics and classic vehicle club; showing that along with wanting to stay fit and healthy, OAP’s are also looking to develop new skills and hobbies.
Rob Yorke, co-founder of Clubbz.com had the following to say;
"The fact that the elderly online community is growing so quickly reflects how important this site is and how much demand there has been for Clubbz. We know from our own research that the over 60’s, in particular, were very nervous about joining a club on their own. This site however allows people to get to know other members before they commit themselves to that daunting task of walking into a room full of strangers.
"These results also reiterate the important role that the internet is now playing in the elderly community; people are taking advantage of the potential that the internet and more specifically, the website, has to offer to their own social lives and well being."