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As a Public Health Officer for Middlesbrough Council, Imran Naeem reveals how the 2007 Sports Mela is helping people to improve their fitness.

"I work with the majority of the black, minority and ethnic community in Middlesbrough trying to get them involved in sport and physical activity.

"Sport in the BME community is very limited, so we try to get people who wouldn't normally engage in physical activity and try and find something for them that can enjoy on a weekly basis.

The BME volleyball team

"The response has been excellent and we're getting more and more people involved in physical activity, from just walking and using a gym to playing sports such as cricket, badminton, volleyball and football.

"It's open for all men from the BME community and spans from the very young to the very old, in fact the oldest man we have is 85 years old and he is walking and going to the gym more than ever.

"When we first started we promised to get people involved, and we have kept that promise as rather than us seeking people, people are coming to us.

"The Sports Mela was a product of this initiative because other Mela's across the country are all two day events, so we wanted to make our other day a little bit more pro-active and about more than just eating great food and listening to great music.

"We really wanted to push the idea of physical activity and having a healthier lifestyle and show people that you can have a great time and be healthy.

"Our motto is small changes make a big difference, you don't have to change your whole lifestyle. You can walk to the shops instead of driving, you can use the local gym - there's many many local activities and there is always something for everyone.

"We're hoping that next year the event will become even more mainstream and that the Middlesbrough community will become more aware of the services on offer."