National and regional policies influence local sport and active recreation and play a part in shaping this strategy.

'How this strategy then complements and contributes to wider regional objectives is essential to help attract funding from a broader range of sources than those normally associated with sport and active recreation.'

2.1 National context

In 2002 the publication of ‘Game Plan’, a landmark government report for sport, redefined the sporting landscape, and initiated the drive to achieve increased participation in sport and physical activity. The current target for this is to achieve a one per cent increase each year between now and 2012.

A number of other key policy developments have emerged. These also raise the profile and importance of sport and active recreation as a contributor towards improving the health of the nation. The Wanless Report (2004) refers directly to the importance of promoting lifestyle change and the Chief Medical Officer Report of the same year highlights the importance of establishing a lifetime activity habit. Furthermore, the Government’s PHWP ‘Choosing Health’ profiled the role of sport and physical activity as an important function in promoting healthier lifestyles. This helps reduce the burden of the increasing costs of ill health on an already stretched National Health Service.

Research shows a clear link between participation in sport and active recreation and the improved health of individuals and communities. It is estimated that inactivity costs England £2bn per year and that increasing activity levels by 10 per cent would save 6,000 lives and £500m every year.

Health policy developments have taken place alongside increasing concern by the medical profession, media and politicians of the impending ‘obesity time bomb’ and its implications for public health. There is a strong evidence base showing that improvements in diet and taking more exercise are the two most significant factors impacting on levels of overweight and obesity in the population. With estimated obesity levels at 27.1 per cent in North Lincolnshire, significantly higher than the England average (22.2 per cent) and the highest level in the Yorkshire and Humber region, there is an opportunity for us to make a real difference to the health of individuals and communities across the area.

As well as seeing sport and active recreation as contributing to improved health, ‘Game Plan’ is significant because it documents a role for sport in delivering effective and sustainable solutions.

These then tackle other social policy issues such as community safety, raising educational standards, social inclusion and economic development. This evidence is usefully brought together in the Framework for Sport in England. This framework is intended to set out priorities to increase participation. The framework (figure 2) presents the sporting and public policy outcomes that could be achieved.

It also identifies:

• the key social and economic areas that will influence sports participation;
• the settings where participation takes place; and
• the policy action areas available to influence participation rates.

This framework is supported locally by the Yorkshire and Humber plan for sport. It contains priorities for 2004 to 2008 and is structured around the six policy areas. Success is measured against the desired increase in participation by one per cent per year. It is notable that the framework outlines ways in which the ‘supply’ of sporting opportunities and the ‘demand’ for them should be addressed through the available resources.

The Carter Report (2005) examined the current coordination of these resources and effort in sport. Of the key areas outlined in the report, three have particular relevance for this strategy:

• to introduce robust measurement and monitoring systems that inform government investment at local level and ensure clear lines of accountability;
• to promote the personal benefits of sport and physical activity and to help people identify their local delivery points; and
• to improve the local delivery of sport and suggest the government considers how it can support the coordination of public, private and voluntary sector investment – as well as local councils and regional bodies – in order to improve local sporting facilities.

The third key area highlights the need for a clear delivery structure for community sport that maximises the potential to increase and widen participation. It is anticipated this will be achieved via the emerging delivery system for sport in England, which will need each council area to establish a Community Sports Network. This is a collection of people who have a desire to develop and promote sport and physical activity in their locality. A typical Community Sports Network may include representatives from a local authority, schools, sport clubs, sports centres, volunteer networks and wider community groups such as disability groups.

The national PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy (PESSCL) follows the public service agreement target shared by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills. The long-term ambition, by 2010, is to offer all children at least four hours of sport every week. This is to be made up of at least two hours of high quality PE and sport at school delivered within the curriculum and an additional two to three hours beyond the school day delivered by a range of school, community and club providers.

Enhance the take-up of sporting opportunities by 5 to 16 year olds so that the percentage of school children in England who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum increases from 25% in 2002 to 75% by 2006 and to 85% by2008, and to at least 75% in each School Sport Partnership by 2008.

Joint Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Education and Skills Public Service Agreement

Volunteering in sport is likely to play a major role in meeting this challenge. Over 5.8 million people volunteer in sport and the sport sector makes the single biggest contribution (26 per cent) to total volunteering in England. The Russell Commission report of 2005 sets out plans to engage one million new young people in volunteering and community action over the next five years. Responding to the desire of young people to become involved in their communities, the proposals aim to transform volunteering for young people by delivering major changes to the diversity, quality and quantity of opportunities.

 

‘Young volunteers get involved in a range of settings, but sport is the most popular amongst 16-24 year olds, the most common field of interest wassport/exercise, with 47% engaging in this.’

Russell Commission 2005

In addition to the critical input of volunteers to make our sporting clubs and communities function, volunteering in sport also contributes to the maintenance of healthy and well-functioning communities. High levels of social participation in activities like volunteering are considered good indicators of strong and active communities.

In the previous section we identified the importance of Every Child Matters: Change for Children (2004) and the potential for sport and active recreation to help achieve the key outcomes. Youth Matters: Next Steps (2006) followed extensive national consultation with young people themselves and sets out the vision of making sure that young people have "somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to." In addition to the commitment to involve young people in volunteering Youth Matters underlines the importance of greater choice, the need to involve young people in the design of services and to ensure they have access to high quality information, advice and guidance.

2.2 Regional context

In the region, sport and active recreation works within a wider regional framework (figure 3 overleaf). The plan of the Regional Assembly, Advancing Together (2004), outlines a shared vision for the region and provides the framework that joins all strategies. Local councils are at the forefront of delivering on the regional priorities set out through Advancing Together. In particular sport and active recreation contributes to the targets for "good governance" and "civic participation" through professionals and volunteering in sport and for first class quality of life through access to good quality sport environments. Sport and active recreation is also recognised as contributing to a number of objectives in the Regional Economic Strategy. These include improving the quality of life, promoting healthy workplaces and enabling more walking and cycling to cut reliance on cars. Active Living (2006) is the region's strategic framework for physical activity. It has the principal aim of increasing and improving the co-ordination, capacity and commitment between organizations and agencies in the region. These are responsible for creating the conditions that will encourage more people to be physically active, more often and to help achieve the 1 per cent increase every year. Overleaf are the key objectives relevant to the development of this strategy. They provide a reference point for organisations developing local strategies to increase physical activity levels.

Fig 3 - Diagram of the inter-relationships and influences of national and regional strategies on North Lincolnshire.

* Including for example: Advancing Together; Regional Economic Strategy;

Regional Spatial Strategy; Regional Cultural Strategy

Sport and active recreation is also recognised as contributing to a number of objectives in the Regional Economic Strategy. These include improving the quality of life, promoting healthy workplaces and enabling more walking and cycling to cut reliance on cars.

Active Living (2006) is the region's strategic framework for physical activity. It has the principal aim of increasing and improving the coordination, capacity and commitment between organizations and agencies in the region. These are responsible for creating the conditions that will encourage more people to be physically active, more often and to help achieve the one per cent increase every year. Overleaf are the key objectives relevant to the development of this strategy. They provide a reference point for organisations developing local strategies to increase physical activity levels.

Active Living - A physical activity framework for Yorkshire and the Humber objectives

1. Develop cross-sector local physical activity systems, to plan, develop and invest in and deliver physical activity interventions.

2. Increase the capacity and skills of individuals and groups involved in the delivery of physical activity interventions across the region.

3. Develop ‘active transport’ systems across the region, increasing the uptake and impact of physical activity, in particular walking and cycling as part of everyday life.

4. Work in key settings such as the workplace, education and the natural environment to increase the uptake of physical activity and to ensure that specific disadvantaged groups are encouraged to take part.

5. Coordinate, support and sustain the marketing message of physical activity across the region, with clear, simple and common messages for consumers delivered through a multi-media marketing campaign.

6. Work with key partners and funding bodies to create support for physical activity opportunities.

‘An active lifestyle is key to improving and maintaining health. It contributes to the prevention and management of over 20 conditions and diseases. We need to work together to offer more options for people to be more active in their daily lives. No single organisation can make this happen but we all have a responsibility to try which is why we have developed this framework and why we are committed to supporting it.’

Paul Johnstone, Regional Director of Public Health (taken from Active Living)

Getting more people in Yorkshire physically active can make a real difference to health and quality of life in the region. Sport England is determined that sport will make a significant contribution to this objective and is committed to working with other organisations through the Physical Activity Framework to create the conditions to allow this to happen.’

David Gent - Regional Director of Sport England Yorkshire

Perhaps the greatest influence on sport in the coming years will be the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This has already signaled a big change in focus on sport; a renewed and revitalised public awareness of what sport has to offer; and an appetite for a legacy of increased opportunities and greater sporting activity. Increasingly, Yorkshire Forward recognises the advantages of London 2012 in terms of the ever-growing value of sport to the region. The role of sport and active recreation combined with increased activity levels are seen as a valued contributor to the development objectives for the region.

North Lincolnshire will be in a position to capitalise on the opportunities offered by London 2012 through co-ordinated regional work plans. This will help a new generation to be inspired to do more sporting activity in North Lincolnshire.

To maximise opportunity, services should be built around the modern-day needs of people. However, providing more choice and influence over services and facilities may challenge mainstream sport. There has been an increase of more spontaneous and informal activities, ‘lifestyle sports’ over the past 20 years that have challenged traditional sports. Lifestyle sports which include activities such as skateboarding, rollerblading, BMX, and mountain biking, may contribute significantly to reaching the Government’s Game Plan activity targets by: engaging young people in these less regulated new sport activities; and attracting sections of the community where traditional organised forms of sports do not appeal.

Specific sports market forecasts

• Health and fitness is expected to grow by 24 per cent.
• Health and fitness will be boosted by possible partnerships with the government and public bodies to provide specialised services for large people.
• The market for participant sports will increase marginally by 0.8% and 0.6% in 2005 and 2006. During this time five-a-side-football will be the most vibrant in terms of growth. Source Sports Market Forecasts 2005 - 2009

Growth of lifestyle sports

Recent research by Mintel suggests that 10 per cent of the population is interested in participating in ‘lifestyle’ sports (skateboarding, BMX, roller blading etc). These are not easily defined apart from the relative lack of regulation found in conventional sport. As a result participation rates are currently difficult to quantify. However these activities have the potential to significantly contribute to the overall activity targets set out in Game Plan. While the data is limited in terms of reliability, the majority of the participating group are young adult males (aged 15 to 24).

Achieving the participation target set by ‘Game Plan’ has been the driving force behind the Yorkshire and Humber plan for sport and the work of the Regional Sports Board. This has set out a regional vision for a stronger delivery system at sub regional and local level through the Humber Sports Partnership and the emerging Community Sports Network to build on existing local delivery systems.

This can only be achieved if this strategy works with the Local Strategic Partnership to ensure the contribution of sport and active recreation is in local plans, strategies and the new Local Area Agreements.

Sports Market Forecasts 2005 to 2009

‘The 2002 General Household Survey revealed a decline in sports participation between 1996 and 2002. Sport England has established a strategy of increasing participation by 1% each year until 2020. It rests on creating multi–sport hubs, modern community facilities and educating people to be more active.’
Sports Industries Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University

Sport England's Investment Strategy for Sport in Yorkshire (2006) outlines the framework for investment in sport and active recreation within the region and will be used to guide investment decisions by Sport England Yorkshire. The strategy recommends that Sport England take a ‘portfolio approach’ to its investments. This encourages looking at projects that are innovative in terms of increasing participation but as a result may be subject to greater risk. Sport England has planned investment of £21 million for 2006 to 2009 which must be matched on a two to one basis. If this is achieved it will provide £65m of investment into sport and active recreation over the next three years. Whilst some of the proposed funding is pre-allocated to projects aimed at building the delivery system, building capacity, talent identification and equity work, there is a substantial amount for projects which meet the regional priorities set out in the Yorkshire Plan for Sport.

The implications of this national and regional policy for North Lincolnshire are clear:

• Sport and active recreation is socially and economically important.
• Regular participation in sport and active recreation is proven to contribute to improved health status, more vibrant communities and enhancing our quality of life.
• Achieving an increase in the numbers of people taking part in sport and active recreation is in the interest of a range of agencies and organisations, not just sport providers.
• We need to close the equity gap.
• We need to be innovative and take a localised ‘portfolio’ approach to projects aimed at increasing participation.
• Sport and active recreation needs clear strong local leadership to unite and involve these interested organisations. The challenge for all involved is to secure a one per cent increase in participation for North Lincolnshire - 1,500 new participants each year. This is the challenge we face together.