Foreword More People, More Active, More Often A new era for Sport and Physical Activity in Swansea Sport and physical activity is at the heart of what makes Swansea a modern and culturally rich City. The City and County of Swansea has a unique range of resources and the opportunities for sport and physical activities are wide reaching. From family walks at one of our many world-renowned beaches to hosting training camps and high profile events for professional, regional and international sport.
In short, we are aiming to get More People, More Active, More Often.
We should never underestimate the value of sport and physical activity and the important contribution it can make to all of our lives. It can tap into many positive emotions both for competitors and spectators; it can be used as a powerful social tool to engage the hardest to reach and can aid us all in maintaining our health and quality of life. It is increasingly becoming an important wealth generator.
The City and County of Swansea will continue to work with the key national leaders; the Welsh Assembly and the Sports Council for Wales. We are committed to embracing the National Strategies and Frameworks at the heart of our local planning. We have listened and engaged with our partners working in health, education, community and economic development to ensure that we maximise all resources and opportunities. However, to ensure that we have a clear vision for sport and physical activity in Swansea we will continue to listen to our citizens. Together we must continually develop a balanced strategy, to meet the needs of local people whilst playing our part in national and professional sporting success.
2008 sees the start of a new era for sport and physical activity in the City and County of Swansea. The start of a journey to increase and widen the base of participation in sport and physical activity, and to achieve unprecedented levels of success in supporting our citizens to lead active and healthy lives. This journey will also ensure that our most talented citizens have the opportunity to succeed at the very highest levels.
It is with great pleasure that we present to you the City and County of Swansea Climbing Higher Strategy for Sport and Physical Activity. This document incorporates our vision and our aims for sport and physical activity within the Local Authority. It sets out our key objectives, which in turn will benefit all communities and ensure that Swansea continues to grow as one of Europe’s leading cultural and sporting destinations.
Councillor Gerald Clement, Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and Phil Roberts, Strategic Director of Regeneration and Housing and Chair of Climbing Higher Strategic Board.
Introduction
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There is a need for the Swansea Climbing Higher partners to acknowledge and link into key national and local strategies including the Swansea Community Plan, the Health, Social Care & Well-Being Strategy, Children & Young People Strategy and Environment and UDP plans – the priorities below provide a broad summary of these documents’ requirements & outcomes. Swansea needs: • • • • • •
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Active Recreation
To be more physically active in order to contribute to a healthier nation Healthy citizens to deliver long-term prosperity To maximise the synergy between sport, physical activity & the natural environment Its citizens to be more ‘physically literate’ More physically active communities To promote and develop a sustainable sports and physical activity infrastructure for the future More successful individuals To contribute to increased systematic and sustainable success in priority sports
These priorities provide the rationale for the allocation of resources and form the framework for appropriate Assembly support and partnerships. They will require radical and innovative actions that emphasise the role sport and physical activity plays in contributing to the well-being of Welsh citizens and a new approach to working together with all stakeholders.
is defined as:
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The Welsh Assembly Government’s long-term strategy for sport and physical activityClimbing Higher, sets out its strategic direction for Wales for the next twenty years. The purpose of Climbing Higher, which complements other Welsh Assembly Government actions and policies, is that within 20 years sport and physical activity will be at the heart of Welsh life and at the heart of Government policy. The Swansea Climbing Higher Strategy signifies Swansea’s commitment in supporting the National Climbing Higher Strategy and subsequent action plans, maximising the contribution that sport and physical activity can make to well being and national success in Wales.
any moderate intensity, physical activity carried out in leisure time, including activities such as dancing, aerobics or brisk walking.
(Welsh Assembly Government, 2005)
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is defined as:
(The World Health Organisation)
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Physical
Activity
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Health
A state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not simply absence of disease.
is defined as:
all movements in everyday life, including work, recreation, exercise and sporting activities.
(The World Health Organisation)
At the heart of the national and local agendas is the need to improve the health and the social, environmental and economic well-being of all communities, and the Welsh Assembly Government has recognised that there is a growing body of evidence that sport & physical activity is a key facilitator in all these areas.
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Delivering Change & Challenging Current Practice
Sport
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A Vision for Swansea
is defined as:
all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and well-being, forming social relationships, or obtaining results in competition at all levels. (The Council of Europe)
There is a good foundation of local positive action for tackling these issues. However despite some excellent examples of good practice, we need to do more. Maintaining what works well is vital but to achieve the challenging targets set by the Climbing Higher document, all local partners must unite to challenge and improve sport and physical activity levels.
In short, the Swansea Climbing Higher Partnership must drive forward a change in culture throughout Swansea, challenging organisations, communities and individuals. Climbing Higher within Swansea will need to engage all public, private and voluntary groups/organisations that have a role to play in delivering this agenda. At the same time it must also engage with local communities, ensuring that we reach the people who will benefit most from increased sport & physical activity opportunities.
Physical
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This must be achieved through ongoing reviews of key local policies, identifying new approaches to delivery and management both in professional and voluntary organisations.
Literacy
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is defined as:
Developing agility, balance, co-ordination and skill across a range of activities.
(Sue Campbell, Youth Sports Trust and UK Sport)
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Fitness
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is defined as:
the ability to perform moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity without undue fatigue and the capability of maintaining such ability throughout life.
(The American College of Sports Medicine)
Impact of Sport & Physical Activity City and County of Swansea Community Plan The Community plan draws together a core set of issues specific to the City and County of Swansea, laying a framework and vision for the future. Issues around safer communities, health, education, environment, children and young people and economic development are all outlined within this plan. Climbing Higher can contribute to all these issues in different ways.
Sport and physical activity also has a key role to play in: • Building stronger and safer communities, reducing crime and strengthening community cohesion • Enriching lives and improving places where people live through enjoyment of leisure, culture, sport and physical activity
• Improving the quality of life for people in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. • Empowering local people to have a greater voice and influence over local decision making and the delivery of services • Creating better opportunities for sports and cultural activities for all sections of the community • Engaging communities by promoting opportunities for volunteering through sport • Improving community cohesion by joining communities together in shared activities and breaking down barriers • Helping to achieve cleaner, greener and safer public spaces by regenerating public spaces for leisure, sport or play facilities • Engaging hard to reach young people
Health Participation in sport and physical activity improves the health and well-being of the population, with unequivocal evidence stating its benefits (‘At least times 5 a week’, Department of Health, 2005). With the increasing public health concerns over obesity and cardiovascular disease, Climbing Higher provides a way forward in addressing these challenges. This relationship has been recognised locally, with physical activity targets included in Swansea’s Health, Social Care and Well-Being (HSCWB) Strategy. The Climbing Higher programme contributes and complements the aims of the HSCWB vision to improve the health and well-being of the population of Swansea. The aims of the HSCWB strategy are to: • Promote healthy lifestyles & personal responsibility • Reduce inequalities • Increase people’s independence • Develop better, more accessible services • Improve the protection of vulnerable people The ‘prevention priorities’ agenda of the strategy identifies ‘joint initiatives to promote physical activity’ as a key local action. Increasing levels of physical activity to the public health recommendations for children and adults* will reduce the burden of ill-health and prevent disease, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Sport and physical activity can contribute to many health-related outcomes by: • • • • •
Increasing life expectancy Reducing health inequalities Helping people to be more active and engaged Helping people to live independent lives Improving the physical & mental health of people • Reducing risk factors linked with obesity Reducing risk factors linked to coronary heart disease • Helping people to live healthy lifestyles
* Public health recommendations
of physical activity to benefit health Children: An accumulation of 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, preferably 5 or more days week - 5x60 Adults: An accumulation of 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, preferably 5 or more days a week - 5x30 What does Moderate Intensity mean for you? For activity to benefit your health, it doesn’t need to be vigorous. You should still be able to talk. If you are out of breath slow down If you can exercise and…. Sing: You should work harder Talk: That’s just right ! Keep going Gasp: Slow down, get your breath back. • • • • •
Don’t overdo it if it is new to you Build up gradually Do your 5 sessions any time in a week Find an activity that suits you Make it fun & enjoyable
Economic Development and Enterprise Sport and physical activity has its part to play in the economic regeneration of Swansea. The Sports Village, the Liberty Stadium and The LC2 are key facilities that are helping to modernise and revitalise Swansea. This investment is providing new job opportunities and creating a visual impact on the valleys and coastal areas. These facilities are providing a stimulus for infrastructure development and are acting as a catalyst for business networks and investment within Swansea. Tourism is a major part of Swansea’s economy and is being boosted by the development of state-of-the-art facilities and the draw of major regional and international competitions. Climbing Higher recognises that a strong and diverse local economy, which provides jobs and generates wealth, is one of the key building blocks of sustainable communities where people want to live and work. The Government’s strategies, including those for neighbourhood renewal, workforce skills and sustainable communities, recognise that employment and enterprise are at the heart of regenerating disadvantaged areas. There is a need to tackle a range of issues including declining industries, changing consumer demand, high unemployment, low skills and under-investment by business. Sport and physical activity can be a powerful tool to enhance the physical fabric of communities, stimulate the local economy, provide jobs, and improve an area’s image to inward investors and visitors.
Swansea should use sport & physical activity: • To establish the City and County as a national destination for cultural and leisure events • To ensure that more people who work in Swansea also live, shop and socialise there • To establish Swansea as a regional leisure destination • To increase cycling and walking opportunities and promote the attractiveness of these activities for all • To increase the employability of local residents and help create a pathway into learning and employment • To attract inward investment into the area by creating more attractive places to live and work
Environment & UDP The Swansea Climbing Higher Strategy will support the core aims of the Unitary Development Plan and the Swansea Environment Forum in delivering their strategic framework for the use and development of land, the conservation of the natural and built environment and the protection and enhancement of the natural and built environment by: • Encouraging people and organisations to use the resources for sport and physical activity in a positive and responsible way • Ensuring that the impact of our actions does not threaten our environment, thus guaranteeing its use by future generations • Continually exploring the opportunities that our natural resources provide for increasing participation levels
Sport and physical activity can make a positive contribution to the promotion and suitable use of our local environment by: • Promoting awareness, access and enjoyment of the natural environment • Promoting more sustainable forms of travel and transport • Improving access to workplaces and community facilities • Helping to maintain and enhance the quality and diversity of the natural environment including bathing waters • Improving the quality and attractiveness of the City Centre and other settlements through the development of sport and physical activity facilities • Encouraging good environmental practice amongst public, private and voluntary sports and physical activity organisations
Children and Young People The Swansea Climbing Higher Strategy will aim to support the delivery of the Children and Young People Strategy for Swansea. This will include supporting the delivery of sport and physical activity in schools, colleges, and Higher and Further Educational establishments, whilst also contributing to the out-of-school hours learning experience.
Sport and physical activity can make a positive contribution to children & young people, by: • Improving the life chances of children
Sport and physical activity has its part to play in fulfilling the potential of children, young people and adults. The Climbing Higher Partnership will work together to ensure that high quality sport and physical activity opportunities will be available to all across Swansea, contributing to the enrichment of people’s lives.
• Improving the physical and emotional health of children and young people • Reducing inequalities through access to cultural and leisure activities by groups of vulnerable children • Improving emotional well-being and resilience • Encouraging enjoyment and achievement - getting the most out of life and developing the skills for adulthood
Investing to achieve Swansea will need to ensure that it maximises the use of the resources available to deliver this 20 year strategy. This needs to include maximising the potential of existing resources, whilst making the most appropriate and innovative use of any national, local or private investment opportunities to ensure that we create and maintain a strong and healthy sports and physical activity infrastructure for future generations.
Now is the time for action...
Delivering Climbing Higher in Swansea Partnerships The Swansea Climbing Higher Strategy aims to be a leading light in providing and developing sports and physical activity at a local level. To fulfil this aim, local partners delivering the strategy will need to work with the local community and with national partners including the Welsh Assembly and Sports Council for Wales in outlining, designing and delivering programmes, club development opportunities and facilities. This strategy highlights a number of key targets for sport and physical activity to be met in the next 20 years. It is anticipated that action plans will be implemented every 5 years allowing for regular evaluation of the relative success of chosen actions and an opportunity to reflect on the direction that programmes, clubs and facilities are continuing to follow. The action plans will be developed and implemented with a number of partners. These include:
Welsh Assembly / Sports Council for Wales
SCW Regional Boards
CLIMBING HIGHER PARTNERSHIP
National/Regional Offices/ Boards The Welsh Assembly Government and national agencies such as the Sports Council for Wales will provide influence and advocacy at the highest levels. They are there to provide support, guidance and expertise when working with our local decision makers, and are there to provide and scrutinise the use of Lottery and Exchequer funding. Local partners need to work with national organisations to identify how national plans for sport and physical activity can be implemented at a local level. All national plans and guidance will be channelled to an authority-wide Climbing Higher Partnership. Information will then be cascaded into a number of community activity networks across the City and County of Swansea.
Community Activity Networks
Clubs Schools Coaches Volunteers
Participants
Climbing Higher Partnership The Climbing Higher Partnership should be at the heart of a single delivery system for community sport and physical activity. The partnership should unite and coordinate work with major investors and deliverers, including: • Higher and Further Education, Clubs, Schools, Health and Private sectors • National Governing Bodies • Local Authority Provision • Voluntary Sector
There is a need to build strategic partnerships to lever investment that will deliver local plans. The Partnership will be the central point of decision making within the City and County of Swansea and provide direction and react to the needs of local communities via suitably placed Community Activity Networks (CAN’s).
Developing People
Active Communities
Board & Steering Group
Active Young People
Developing Participation Performance
Developing Places
The Strategic Board The Strategic Board has responsibility to define and approve the overall strategic vision and to promote and support changes that are introduced. The Strategic Board will consist of the senior management and political representatives who are responsible for making decisions on the investment, direction and frameworks required to achieve the desired objectives of Climbing Higher. They will take the lead in establishing the values and behaviour required to drive change, often 'leading by example' and establishing links with other relevant boards.
Senior Management Steering Group This group will have the overall authority for the services and programmes delivered and are responsible for their initiation, direction, and ongoing evaluation. This group must ensure that services and programmes are delivering appropriate value for the time and resources being invested. Within the confines of the strategy and action plan the Senior Management Steering Group is the highest authority, responding only to the Strategic Board.
Framework Management Groups Following the National Sports Council for Wales Framework for the Development of Sport and Physical Activity, five formal management groups have been formed to ensure that facilities, services and programmes included in Climbing Higher action plans in Swansea are fit for purpose and will achieve the overall targets set for the next 20 years. These groups include specialist managers and partners brought together to assist in planning and scrutinising the current and future provision for sports and physical activity in Swansea. It is anticipated that these formal networks will enhance the understanding we have of each other’s work and produce more effective and productive actions. These scrutiny and management groups include:
Active Communities The Active Communities Management Group will focus on ensuring that accessible, formal / informal services and programmes are available to increase a broad range of adult participation.
Unitary Development Plan
Community Strategy
Active Young People The Active Young People Management Group will focus on ensuring accessible formal/ informal services and programmes are available to increase a broad range of participation for children and young people between the ages of 0-25.
Health, Social Care & Well Being Strategy
CHP
Children’s Plan
Developing Participation, Performance & Excellence The Developing Participation, Performance and Excellence Management Group will co-ordinate with the Sports Council for Wales and the relevant priority National Governing Bodies of Sport to ensure the long term sustainability of formal sport infrastructure within the City and County of Swansea. The group will need to ensure a co-ordinated approach to long term athlete development, supporting National Governing Body priorities and programmes and aiding in the improvement of local structures and standards for all age groups from entry level participation through to professional sportsmen and women.
Developing People The Developing People Management Group will focus on increasing the number and capacity of volunteers and paid staff in developing an infrastructure within which increases in participation can take place.
Developing Places The Developing Places Management Group will focus on the appropriate development, management and maintenance of quality accessible outdoor and indoor facilities supporting national priorities and ensuring an infrastructure within which increases in participation can take place.
Unitary Development Plan
Environment Strategy
Strategic Links Fundamentally the board, steering group and framework groups should connect local policy makers to local deliverers and national agencies. They should drive key resource investment within the local authority. Unlocking this resource requires a credible delivery plan and measurement. The partnership, via the steering group and board, will provide the main link to other key strategic partnerships within the City and County of Swansea, including the Local Service Board and Community Plan Partnership. The Climbing Higher action plans should complement the key outcomes of the Community Plan and key strategic documents (Health, Social Care & WellBeing, Environment Strategy) and the partnerships should integrate appropriate Climbing Higher action plans within their own.
Community Activity Networks (CAN’s) Community Activity Networks will be developed within strategic areas of the Authority. Swansea has a diverse range of communities and the Climbing Higher process needs to empower local deliverers to develop coordinated local plans for their communities. These networks will be vital to increase participation using key activity plans, funding and resources .They will aim to unite representation of sport & physical activity at the local level, providing a citizen-centred approach to delivery. The City and County of Swansea as a key agency will drive the development of these networks but not control them. Local residents must have ownership of local plans and the Climbing Higher Partnership groups will provide local strategic direction to ensure all local partners are working to a shared vision.
Community Activity Networks
Clubs
Schools Coaches
Participants
Volunteers
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