Family-friendly weekend of sporting fun and fitness activities for all abilities Port Macquarie, an idyllic coastal city in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales four-hours north of Sydney welcomes the inaugural AFT International Sports Fitness Festival on November 4 and 5 at Panthers Port Macquarie, headlined by the Kyokushin Karate Port Macquarie Dojo’s Karate Kids on the Spectrum, gold medal winning swimmer and sport inclusion advocate Matt Levy OAM (NSW) and specialist pharmacist, health coach and podcaster, Theresa Loo (QLD) and more! Sport Inclusion Presented in collaboration with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, the festival promotes diversity, equity and inclusion in sports and fitness. A focus of this festival is its Sport Inclusion programmes for persons with disabilities and youth who are neurodiverse. Local Port Karate’s “Karate Kids on the Spectrum” programme which is inclusive of children who are neurodiverse will be showcasing a karate demonstration, meanwhile, the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf will have participants join in “walk virtually” along Port Macquarie’s famed coastal walk. Badminton Australia will facilitate a free demonstration, surfing enthusiasts are invited to Town Beach on Sunday morning to give it a go while swimming enthusiasts can hit the pool! Thank you for reading The Art & Science of Wellness – Sports Fitness Festival Newsletter. This post is public so feel free to share it. Share All are invited to join in for the fun and games scheduled over two days: In a virtual launch webinar held on 24 August 2023 at the Sydney Community Hub in Haymarket, Mayor Peta Pinson shared, “We’re known for our beautiful coastline, our wonderful hinterland and the mountains, rivers, creeks, streams, and ocean which exist in every corner of our region. These are the reasons why people choose to come and live here. “Many of our residents live fit, healthy and active lifestyles – irrespective of age – so the AFT International Sports Fitness Festival will be an important event on our community calendar, and I look forward to it,”. Town Green promenade at twilight by Matt Gilligan Festival producer, Jasmine Low said, “Australia is known as a sporting nation with its beautiful outdoors, its choiciest food produce and multicultural mix. Through my own lived experiences, I have found many sporting events were intimidating and not inclusive of vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children with autism or persons with disabilities. As a result, we sought out to partner with partners like Port Macquarie to enhance access to their destination whether you’re an armchair traveller or there in-person,”. Jasmine is also a carer and together with her Malaysian counterpart and fitness coach Nikki Yeo, the best friends are worlds apart and yet have come together remotely to curate a hybrid festival to connect people remotely and in-person just as they have themselves. “Science has proven that walking even for just 30mins a day can raise your heart rate. We hope to entice those who are already fit, to use their fitness and strength for good. Neighbour, colleague or friend, walk with someone and it will change you and them,” urged Yeo, a founding board member of Exercise is Medicine Society Malaysia. We invite all people including those from non-English speaking backgrounds to come along with their families and try out sports and fitness activities. Sport can bring everyone together, making us stronger as a cohesive community. Fit for Good All activities are free aside from the AFT Health Workshop (A$30 per person) and Secret Supper (A$66 per person). Companies are invited to take up the Corporate Pledge sponsorship package which aims bring co-workers together to have fun, keep fit and work together as a team to do good plus lunch together, in support of local businesses. The festival’s ‘Fit for Good’ and ‘Eat for Good’ call benefits charity partners like All Together Now, The Koala Hospital, Port Karate Dojo and other local businesses. In a bid to make the festival environmentally friendly, organisers invite the general public to bring their recyclables to drop into a Return and Earn bin at Panthers Port Macquarie. All proceeds from the recycling will be pooled and distributed to support karate classes for children and support the community’s favourite endangered animal, injured koalas at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. Details: Event title: AFT International Sports Fitness Festival @ Port MacquarieDate: November 4 & 5, 2023Time: 7:00am – 4:00pmVenue: Panthers Port Macquarie, 1 Bay Street, Port Macquarie NSW 2444Cost: Free upon registration at www.sportsfitnessfestival.com/rsvpEmail: info@sportsfitnessfestival.com RSVP See you at Port Macquarie! #iloveportmacquarie #sportsfitnessfestival #sportsequity #diversitybyinclusion About us and our partners: Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (https://www.pmhc.nsw.gov.au/) oversees the one of the fastest growing urban centres in Australia. The Local Government Area covers 34 communities spread across the coast and hinterland, in urban, suburban and rural environments. With pristine coastal and hinterland environments, world class restaurants and a vibrant community, the Port Macquarie-Hastings region is incredibly diverse, with huge opportunities for growth and development. All Together Now (www.alltogethernow.org.au) is a Harm Prevention charity acknowledging that racism is a form of abuse, with a mission to “Educate Australians About Racism”. Port Karate’s Karate Kids on the Spectrum (www.portkarate.com), Kyokushin Karate classes that help children and adults with Autism or ADHD to break down boundaries. Port Macquarie Koala Hospital (https://koalahospital.org.au/), a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility, that has been helping rescue and rehabilitate koalas since 1973.The facility is run by Koala Conservation Australia Limited, a not-for-profit organisation that includes approximately 200 volunteers dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating koalas and conserving and restoring their natural habitats. A Fitness Today (AFT) was founded in 2015 by two friends, a carer and her fitness coach. It has presence in Australia and Malaysia and produces digital content like videos, podcast interviews and feature articles on a wide range of topics related to sports, fitness and wellness. AFT strongly advocates for sports diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Website: www.afitnesstoday.com. GIG: Go International Group Dotcom Pty Ltd. (www.gointernationalgroup.com) is an independent impact media production group is licensed to produce and represent the AFT International Sports Fitness Festival, AustraliaFitnessToday.com, AsiaFitnessToday.com and AFT Podcasts. The group is affiliated to Go International Group Dotcom Sdn Bhd. which was established in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and has been producing youth, sporting, and lifestyle events since 2005. The Move8 Walk-a-Hunt was first initiated in 2018 at the KL Car Free Morning co-organised by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Multigreen Events. Why are we doing this? A Fitness Today creates impact in communities by making sports and fitness more accessible to: Thank you. Thanks for reading The Art & Science of Wellness! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Social and Cause Marketing
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, launched a new report on 21 September 2022 calling on global leaders to take urgent action on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), responsible for 17 million premature deaths every year. Gallup released a new survey commissioned by WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies that found most respondents in five surveyed countries – including Colombia, India, Jordan, the United Republic of Tanzania and the United States of America rank an NCD or NCD risk factor as the biggest health problem in their country. NCDs cause nearly three-quarters of deaths worldwide. Every year, 17 million people under the age of 70 die of NCDs, 86 percent of whom live in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the NCD burden by delaying and disrupting care, and in the early months of the pandemic, 75 percent of countries reported disruption to essential NCD services because of lockdown restrictions and channeling of resources. While every Member State of the United Nations has committed to reducing premature death from NCDs by one-third by 2030 – an effort that could save millions of lives – few countries are currently on track to achieve it. Urgent global efforts are needed to get back on track to reach Sustainable Development Goal targets and reduce premature deaths from NCDs. “Noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and cancer are the world’s biggest silent killers – but they can often be prevented with investment in proven, cost-effective interventions. I look forward to continuing to make life-saving investments in NCD and injury prevention alongside Dr Tedros and the WHO.” — Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. Read the full article here: https://www.asiafitnesstoday.com/heads-of-state-commit-to-noncommunicable-disease-global-compact-to-save-50-million-lives-by-2030/
The Kurang Manis Podcast, Season 1, Episode 7 Type 2 Diabetes could be put into remission, says opthalmologist Dr. James Muecke AM. Almost as soon as he was named Australian of the Year 2020, Dr. Muecke started advocating for the implementation of a tax on sugary drinks in an effort to save more eyes. Dr. Muecke speaks to AsiaFitnessToday.com about his proposed change to Australia’s dietary guidelines, he expresses why there’s a need for government to impose a sugar tax and talks about his work in raising awareness about diabetes – a lifestyle disease that could lead to the loss of sight. Listen to the full podcast above. For more, read the full article here: https://www.asiafitnesstoday.com/dr-james-muecke/ AsiaFitnessToday.com is an independent news/media website owned and managed by GoInternationalGroup.com with its content powered by PRNews.gointernationalgroup.com.
30 November 2020 via AFTNN/PRNewsGIG Up to 5 million deaths a year could be averted if the global population was more active. At a time when many people are home bound due to COVID-19, new WHO Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, launched today, emphasise that everyone, of all ages and abilities, can be physically active and that every type of movement counts. The new guidelines recommend at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week for all adults, including people living with chronic conditions or disability, and an average of 60 minutes per day for children and adolescents. WHO statistics show that one in four adults, and four out of five adolescents, do not get enough physical activity. Globally this is estimated to cost US$54 billion in direct health care and another US$14 billion to lost productivity. The guidelines encourage women to maintain regular physical activity throughout pregnancy and post-delivery. They also highlight the valuable health benefits of physical activity for people living with disabilities. Older adults (aged 65 years or older) are advised to add activities which emphasize balance and coordination, as well as muscle strengthening, to help prevent falls and improve health. Regular physical activity is key to preventing and helping to manage heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and cancer, as well as reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, reducing cognitive decline, improving memory and boosting brain health. “Being physically active is critical for health and well-being – it can help to add years to life and life to years,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Every move counts, especially now as we manage the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must all move every day – safely and creatively.” All physical activity is beneficial and can be done as part of work, sport and leisure or transport (walking, wheeling and cycling), but also through dance, play and everyday household tasks, like gardening and cleaning. “Physical activity of any type, and any duration can improve health and wellbeing, but more is always better,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion, World Health Organization, “and if you must spend a lot of time sitting still, whether at work or school, you should do more physical activity to counter the harmful effects of sedentary behaviour.” “These new guidelines highlight how important being active is for our hearts, bodies and minds, and how the favourable outcomes benefit everyone, of all ages and abilities”, said Dr Fiona Bull, Head of the Physical Activity Unit which led the development of the new WHO guidelines. WHO encourages countries to adopt the global guidelines to develop national health policies in support of the WHO Global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030. The plan was agreed by global health leaders at the 71st World Health Assembly in 2018 to reduce physical inactivity by 15% by 2030. Source: WHO VIA AFTNN/PRNEWSGIG
GoInternationalGroup.com is a pioneer cause-marketing agency since 2005. When asked why, co-founder Jasmine Low shared, “I must say I learnt about cause-marketing from my former boss at a PR agency. Shehara Da Silva was a big believer of causes, and worked with children from the 2004 Tsunami using art as therapy. She was also a big supporter of many causes during her time at the agency, taking on at least one non-profit case per year.” It was from there, that GoInternationalGroup.com was established in 2005 to serve and support the under-privileged with cause-related campaign management. We have been doing so since then. Here’s some further information by a veritable organisation – Engage for Good, that was set up in 2002 to pursue “doing well by doing good”. Excerpt from: http://engageforgood.com/stats/ Statistics Every Cause Marketer Should Know If you’re a cause marketer, you undoubtedly need quick access to research to support your daily work. Here are some statistics from 2018 that shed new light on doing well by doing good. Visit their website for more statistics. 2018 Only 42% of employees feel that the values of their employer match their own (and only 14% feel a strong alignment), and only 36% trust business leaders to do what’s right (down from 41% in 2017) World Value Index The following turnover rates were found in a global dataset of more than 2 million employees from 118 companies: Employees that neither donated or volunteered: 28% turnover Employees that only donated money: 18% turnover Employees that only volunteered time: 17% turnover Employees that both donated money and volunteered time: 12% turnover Benevity Engagement Study Expands the consumer base: 88% would buy a product from a Purpose-driven company and 66% would switch from a product they typically buy to a new product from a Purpose-driven company. 2018 Cone/Porter Novelli Purpose Study Builds brand advocates to amplify the brand message: 78% would tell others to buy products from Purpose-driven companies, and 68% are more willing to share content with their social networks over that of traditional companies. 2018 Cone/Porter Novelli Purpose Study Purpose trumps cost and quality: Purpose leads over low-cost or high-quality products in 5 of 8 consumer actions. 2018 Cone/Porter Novelli Purpose Study $1 is the preferred amount of giving when adding on to the bill. The POS Giving: Progressing and Prospering. 96% of consumers feel neutral or more positive about the retailer after donating at point of sale.The POS Giving: Progressing and Prospering. Brands with a high sense of purpose have experienced a brand valuation increase of 175% over the past 12 years, compared to the median growth rate of 86% and the 70% growth rate for brands with a low sense of purpose. Kantar Consulting’s new Purpose 2020 report. Among marketing leaders, 76% think their organization has a defined purpose, but only one in 10 have a corporate purpose statement that’s backed by a meaningful activation plan. Kantar Consulting’s new Purpose 2020 report. Cause sponsorship is predicted to reach $2.14 billion in 2018, a projected increase of 4.4% over 2017. ESP Sponsorship Report 78% of those aged 18-24 are willing to spend more on a product or service that is more ethicalthan a cheaper option. Spotlight on CSR The majority of respondents have never researched the ethical standards of a company before making a purchase. Of the 35% who have, the product categories they were most likely to research were: groceries (48%), personal care/cosmetics (46%), and household goods (41%). Spotlight on CSR Globally, nearly seven in 10 respondents among the general population worry about fake news or false information being used as a weapon. Sixty-three percent agree that the average person does not know how to distinguish good journalism from rumor, and 59% say that it is getting harder to tell if a piece of news was produced by a respected media organization. 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer Sixty-four percent agree that CEOs should take the lead on change rather than waiting for government to impose it. Moreover, the believability of a business’ analysis of an important social issue (46 percent) is nearly on par with that of a major news organization (54 percent). 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer Sixty-six percent of respondents say posts from brands rarely or never influence their opinions on social issues. Rather, respondents believe brands are more effective on social media when they announce donations to specific causes (39%) and encourage followers to take specific steps to support causes (37%), such as participating in events or making their own donations. Spout Social’s ‘Championing Change in the Age of Social Media’ 2018 Consumers say brands are most credible when an issue directly impacts their customers (47%), employees (40%) and business operations (31%). Spout Social’s ‘Championing Change in the Age of Social Media’ 2018 We found this resource very helpful, when designing your own cause-marketing campaign. If you’d like further information about incorporating cause-marketing into your campaigns in Malaysia, email us at KL@gointernationalgroup.com for a chat. Check this out and download the document here: Cause Marketing 101 for Business
Go International Group Dotcom founder and Chief Experience Officer Jasmine Low was invited to share her experiences at a session among Coach & Grow program cohort companies on PR and integrated marketing. She designed a 45-minute talk on “An Insider’s Hack to an Integrated Marketing Communication campaign”. Here’s the deck in slide share, and feel free to reach out to Jasmine with your comments, feedback or questions.