POLICY
MARIANNE BOYLE Head of Partnerships & Strategic Lead Infrastructure
Shifting the dial on inequalities in physical activity
U
kactive and Sport England have enjoyed a productive working relationship for many years – one that has been built upon a
common purpose and shared values. The announcement this month, of ukactive’s
ukactive
WE HAVE BIG AMBITIONS FOR WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP AND WILL NOT REST UNTIL WE HAVE BUILT BACK FITTER
role as a System Partner of Sport England, cements the impact that both organisations
ever before. Our partnership projects
believe working together can have on
include the publication of the This Girl Can
tackling inequalities and to level up access to
guide for gyms – which helps the sector
sport and physical activity across the country.
to better support women and girls – and
The partnership will focus on supporting the structure around local leisure facilities, so that every local leisure facility can
the launch of Everyone Can, a joint agenda for disability inclusion and accessibility. This partnership and investment provide
provide an opportunity for everybody to
the opportunity for us to listen, engage and
be active, regardless of your background,
utilise insight and data to identify the key
gender, bank balance or postcode.
areas that we can continue to support the
While we have worked collaboratively
sector with to enable it to recover, reinvent
for many years, we are extremely proud of
and grow so that it can become more
how our partnership has strengthened over
sustainable and resilient. If we can achieve
the past two years, despite the disruption
this, the sector will be empowered to tackle
and challenges posed by the COVID-19
inequalities and achieve our shared ambition
pandemic. We are making significant in-roads
to unite the movement and reach many
to enabling the sector to address inequalities
more people, across every community.
and be more inclusive and accessible than
As we enter the first year of this five-year partnership, we do so with a forensic focus
© SPORT ENGLAND
on these priority areas for the development Sport England and ukactive will work together to tackle inequalities
of the sector: campaigns; children, young people and families; digital transformation; health and wellbeing; inclusion; infrastructure; and quality standards. Running parallel to these crucial developmental areas, we commit to working collaboratively across our workforce and with local, national and devolved governments and the wider sport and physical activity eco-system to support and drive progress within the sector. We have big ambitions for what we can achieve through this partnership and will not rest until we have built back fitter. ●
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SPORTSNATION.ORG.UK JAN/FEB 2022
