In Lidköping, a new way of lowering the barriers to spontaneous exercise has been trialed. A pop-up cabinet from Fritidsbanken, filled with skates and helmets available to borrow free of charge, has been placed at the bandy arena. The idea is to make it easy for both children and adults to get out onto the ice.
"We wanted to make it easier to get out there and lower the barrier to skating during public skating sessions on our ice rinks," says Jenny Liwell, assistant head of the leisure department at Lidköping Municipality.
The POP-up cabinet allows both adults and children to try skating spontaneously. It creates greater accessibility and encourages play and physical activity in an easily accessible and enjoyable way.
"We see that it is used extensively. Partly by preschool children and school classes who come to the arena during the day, people who are free during the day, and others in the evenings and on weekends," says Jenny.
The Leisure Bank is run by Lidköping Municipality and has been in operation for over ten years. During this time, the business has grown, moved to larger premises, and established pop-up solutions in several locations in the municipality. Lending is steadily increasing, and the goal is to reach all target groups. An investment in para equipment has made it possible for more people with functional variations to borrow equipment—an investment that has been greatly appreciated and well used.
Lidköping Municipality was previously a pilot municipality in Make a Move and has adopted the initiative's approach to promoting physical activity among residents. Jenny shares her best tip for promoting more physical activity through Fritidsbanken:
– Trying to think outside the box and use "extended arms" where possible, based on resources and conditions. With limited means, you can create simple solutions that lower the threshold and spread the joy of movement to more people.
