A multi-million-pound funding boost could help to further reduce physical inactivity in Calderdale.
Sport England is investing £3.4 million into the borough to help make it easier, more accessible and more attractive for people to move more and be active as part of day-to-day life.
Cabinet Members will be asked to accept this funding at Calderdale Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday 14 April 2025.
The investment is thanks to the success of Active Calderdale’s partnership with Sport England since 2018, which has led to a 6% increase in the number of adults who are physically active (doing 150+ minutes of exercise a week) and a 7% rise in children and young people moving more. There has been a 4% decrease in the percentage of adults who are physically inactive (doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week) and a 13% reduction for children and young people.
Active Calderdale is an approach that works with communities and brings multiple sectors together, including voluntary and community organisations, health and social care, sport clubs and physical activity providers, education, leisure, transport and planning. The aim is to help develop better conditions that make it easier for people to move more in their everyday lives.
The community-led partnership approach has taken strides towards this, including:
- Creating over 40 active primary schools, which have policies and practices to make physical activity a positive and regular experience for children.
- Introducing active environment policies into the planning system so that developments provide opportunities for people to be active.
- Training over 300 health and social care staff to support people to move more, and work on promoting physical activity in health and social care services.
- Improving parks and green spaces to make them more accessible, safe and attractive places to be active for free.
- Creating more accessible and inclusive opportunities for people to be active in their community, such as walking groups, squash at the Mosque and women’s boxing sessions in the park.
Good progress has been made, but there are still inequalities in physical activity levels, with around a quarter of adults in Calderdale being physically inactive. This rises to nearly 40% in certain areas of the borough. Some people face more barriers to being active, which can mean they are more likely to be physically inactive and experience health issues.
Now a Place Partner with Sport England, Active Calderdale will be able to use the investment to deepen its work on three main themes, based on what communities and organisations across the borough have said are most important:
- Active health and social care: promoting physical activity and supporting people to be physically active through the health and social care sectors.
- Active travel: making it easier, safer and more accessible for people to walk, cycle and wheel in Calderdale.
- Active communities: involving residents in shaping and creating conditions that can help them to be physically active in their community.
Work will continue in 10 Calderdale communities where levels of inactivity and the opportunity for impact are highest. The focus is to make positive changes in communities that last well beyond the three-year investment period.
Cllr Scott Patient, Calderdale Council’s Deputy Leader, said:
“This great investment from Sport England recognises Calderdale as leading the way in tackling inequalities in physical activity levels between areas and groups of people.
“Working as a whole place, through a collective effort, Active Calderdale is now ready to step its existing work up a gear to benefit people’s health and wellbeing, focusing on the idea that ‘We Are All Active Calderdale’.
“Being active creates hope and opportunities for people, and helps us connect with nature, culture and each other. It can also help prevent, reduce or delay people’s need for health and social care.”
We Are All Active Calderdale and the Sport England funding will be discussed at Calderdale Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday 14 April 2025 at Halifax Town Hall from 4pm. The meeting will also be live-streamed online at https://calderdale.public-i.tv/core/portal/home(external link)
For more information about Active Calderdale, head to https://active.calderdale.gov.uk(external link)