An initiative designed to improve the health of hard to reach groups in the Black Country has won two regeneration awards.

Increasing Opportunities won the RegenWM Chair's Prize and the Good Practice in Equality and Diversity title at the West Midlands' RegenWM Awards.

The scheme is a partnership between Sandwell Primary Care Trust, Harborne Parish Lands Charity, Sandwell Leisure Trust, Agewell and the Health Development Network, offers a programme of of leisure activities that appeal to under-represented groups, including older Muslim women, African Caribbean/Pakistani elders and elderly people.

Gerard Coyne, Chair of RegenWM, said: "With the current economic climate firmly in mind, I am delighted that we are able to once again recognise the success of a wide variety of regeneration projects that provide long-lasting physical, social and economic benefits to the region.

"Now more than ever we need to focus on how we work together to ensure regeneration plays a key role in bringing the West Midlands out of recession. The entries and subsequent winners have displayed the innovation and best practice that we need to learn from and adopt going forward."

"Increasing Opportunities is a great example of a cross cutting initiative with a partnership approach and has great potential to be rolled out even further."

Sandwell Leisure Trust's Jasmine Heir said of Increasing Opportunities: "This was a very ambitious project and one that required a real community approach - securing the two prizes is testament to the hard work and invention of everyone involved.

"Attendance at all of the classes remains consistently high, we even had 100 people at a special ladies day and a 'learn to swim' course has just been launched. The potential is huge!"

Other winners on the night included Hereford Council's Economic and Community Services Team (Best Regeneration Team award), Fazeley Studios, Wolverhampton Youth Space and Blue Planet at Chatterley Valley (Creating Outstanding Places award), 'Our Low Carbon Journey' led by Whittington and Fisherwick Environment Group (Environment and People award), 'Connection to Opportunities' run by East Birmingham and North Solihull Regeneration Zone (Most Transferable Good Practice award), 'Goodbye to Summer' Lantern Parade in North Lichfield Successful (Community Engagement award).

Adrian Passmore, Chief Executive of RegenWM, concluded: "The West Midlands is brimming with regeneration excellence and I'm delighted that our winners demonstrate the diversity we have in the region, ranging from community centric projects and major economic strategies to the UK's first BREEAM 'outstanding' rated logistics building."

Established six years ago, RegenWM promotes and develops regeneration excellence in the West Midlands by improving the skills of those involved in the sector and providing information and intelligence.