Active Westminster Strategy

Foreword Active

hysical activity is hugely beneficial for our health and wellbeing. Not only does it improve health outcomes and enable people to live happier and healthier lives, but it can also bring communities together, improve rates of social inclusion and even help to create greener, more environmentally friendly cities.

On the surface, Westminster is a fantastic place to be physically active. Here, we have high-quality leisure facilities situated across the city, some of the best green spaces in the country, and relatively low levels of private car ownership and everimproving walking and cycling infrastructure make Westminster a great place to get around on foot or on wheels. We also have over 200 voluntary sector and community organisations in the city working to bring communities together, and to provide opportunities for people to get active.

However, too often we hear that not everybody in our city has the same opportunities to take part in physical activity, and despite our comparably good health outcomes for certain groups, inactivity is still harming the health and wellbeing of too many of our residents. Presently, 40% of our children are deemed overweight by their final year of primary school, residents with a disability are three times less likely to take part in physical activity, and there is a stark contrast between those residents living in the least and most deprived parts of the city – at the moment, a woman born in Knightsbridge and Belgravia, on average will live for 9 years longer than a woman born in the north of Westminster, and for men it is an 18 year life expectancy gap.

At the heart of the council’s Fairer Westminster strategy is a commitment to reducing these stark inequalities, and improving everyone’s access to physical activity is central to this commitment.

This is why I am so pleased to launch our new ActiveWestminster Strategy for 2024–2028, which sets out our ambitious plan to improve the health and wellbeing of residents and visitors across the city, by making physical activity more accessible for everyone. This cross-cutting strategy will ensure that with every decision the council takes, we are prioritising improving access to physical activity. The strategy will also consider the deep-rooted barriers

that exist to getting people more physically active and help us to tackle them head on.

To do this, we are not starting from scratch. We have recently made significant improvements to our existing leisure services, including investing over £4.4 million into our facilities, opening two new community leisure centres, and providing hundreds of low-cost hours of leisure centre use to underrepresented community groups. We’ve also delivered over 80 hours of Active Street sessions, creating safe spaces for children and their families to play outside, and we’ve launched an outdoor gym in Grosvenor Estate and the city’s first inclusive playground on Alfred Road. We have also spent time listening to our communities and voluntary sector organisations, to better understand what the barriers to being more physically active are, and how we can work together to reduce them.

The ActiveWestminster Strategy recognises the progress the council has already made, and how much more we have to do. It provides a framework for how the council will work across each of its directorates to improve access to physical activity at every juncture, for every Westminster resident. This will involve looking at the city as a whole, from its active travel infrastructure and the way in which we shape the public realm, to how we target programmes at the specific people we know face barriers and how we fund and support voluntary sector organisations. By looking at the way in which the entire council operates, we will ensure that we use every lever we have to promote and encourage physical activity.

With this strategy, we have an exciting opportunity to create a truly Fairer Westminster, one in which every resident has access to meaningful opportunities to be physically active.

Cllr Cara Sanquest Cabinet Member for Communities

Executive Summary

We know that being physically active is vital for everyone’s mental and physical health It also affects many other aspects of our lives, from employment opportunities to social inclusion.

At first glance, Westminster looks like a relatively active place. Activity levels among adults are higher than the national average, and people walk more and use cars less than in other parts of the country.

To do this we need to think about enabling and encouraging physical activity at the individual level, within neighbourhoods, and right across the city as a whole That’s why our new “Move for Life!” framework is made up of three themes: Active Lives, Active Neighbourhoods and Active City.

However, some of the headline figures conceal more worrying patterns and trends. Our young people are far less active than they need to be for their health, and rates of obesity are increasing

Three things this strategy will do differently:

Sitting below this strategy will be a detailed Delivery Plan, which will capture all of the programmes actions that we will undertake to deliver a city where everyone is active. The Delivery Plan will be developed collaboratively with all the council teams and external partners that contribute to that vision.

That is why tackling these disparities is a key focus of this strategy. We want to support those who are currently less active, removing barriers and creating opportunities to get active in ways that work for them.

Perhaps most worrying of all is that physical activity in Westminster is not always fair. Some people within our communities are more likely to access physical activity opportunities than others. Some people experience barriers, and this contributes to inequalities in health outcomes.

Fairness 1

Widening access to physical activity opportunities, paying special attention to removing the barriers that some people experience to getting active.

Prioritisation 2

Focusing on supporting and engaging those that are least active currently, enabling them to feel the benefits of being more active and by doing so contribute to tackling health inequalities.

3

Coordination

Working seamlessly across teams with a new ‘whole council approach’ and making sure we’re making best use of all our assets and expertise, to drive up physical activity levels.

Where we are now

Challenges we are facing

Onthe face of it, Westminster appears relatively active, with comparatively good health outcomes. A smaller proportion of adults here are overweight or obese compared to the national average, and life expectancy is among the highest in the country.

We also have some of the right conditions in place to enable and encourage physical activity, with a higher proportion of residents in work than many other inner-London boroughs, relatively low levels of private car ownership, and a range of high quality leisure facilities and green open spaces.

Despite all this, inactivity is still harming the health and wellbeing of too many of our residents. Many of the main causes of early death are linked to inactivity, including the two biggest killers – heart disease and cancer. And while our adults are relatively active, fewer of our young people are getting the recommended 60 minutes of activity per day than the London and national average, which research shows will affect their long-term habits. Furthermore, the impact extends to people’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as physical.

Also, the average levels of activity mask significant inequalities. There is a stark contrast between those residents living in the lowest and highest socio-economic areas in the city – both in terms of how much they move, and their health outcomes. Some individuals and groups experiencing significant barriers to being active need our support more. Older people, women and girls, those with disabilities, and people from the global majority1, are all more likely than average to be inactive. We want to make groups like this a priority.

Westminster’s streets, parks and buildings should give everyone easy, accessible opportunities for being active in their daily lives, but right now this isn’t always the case. Too often the infrastructure of our city stands in the way of physical activity for some people, or can actually promote inactive choices.

People have busy lives and many competing priorities. Many people struggle to find the time to exercise, and they aren’t always aware of all the opportunities available to them locally. In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, affordability can also be a barrier for some. We need to create easy, affordable access to opportunities for daily physical activity for people of all ages, in all parts of the community, and we need people to have the capability and motivation to take them.

We also know that some people in our community experience personal and cultural barriers, meaning they are not as active as they could be. It’s vital that opportunities for physical activity are present at every level in Westminster – in their own home, on the street or estate they live in, in their neighbourhood, when travelling short and long distances, in education settings, in health and social care settings, and in the workplace. And we need to find ways of ensuring these opportunities feel inclusive, welcoming and safe for all to enjoy.

Change is urgent. We’re moving in the wrong direction. Rates of physical inactivity are increasing. Obesity rates among children are going up. We know that these issues affect some people more than others based on their ethnic background, their socio-economic status, and where in the city they live. This has got to change.

More than of Westminster’s adults are classed as ‘inactive’, doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week.

1 5 in Only of Westminster’s young people get the recommended 60 minutes of activity per day. 8%

Highest life expectancy gap between wards of any council area nationwide for males.

18 years

Climate emergency: Westminster’s air quality is improving but NO2 emissions are still higher than  the London and UK average. Active travel reduces emissions and in turn cleaner air encourages people to exercise outdoors.

Skills and employment:

residents in Westminster have no formal qualifications. In the lowest socioeconomic areas up to have no qualifications.

25%

Sport England Active Lives Survey

The tells us that people who live in lower socioeconomic areas are more likely to be inactive

Private car ownership is low More men are active in Westminster than women.

Listening to our communities

Havingidentified the key challenges we’re facing, we wanted to better understand the barriers our residents face in being active and what factors could be most impactful in increasing their levels of physical activity.

We have undertaken a rolling programme of engagement with our communities, asking partners and residents about their experiences and seeking to hear as many different perspectives as possible. Recent engagement activities have included:

We wanted to better understand the barriers our residents face in being active.

of residents do not own one, but travel by vehicles in Westminster overall is now going back up following the pandemic.

27%

Socio-economic deprivation: of Westminster’s children live in low-income families and physical activity is more likely to be reduced due to cost-of-living pressures among those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Residents with a disability are 66%

1 8 in 3 times more likely to take part in no physical activity.

14%

Equalities and inclusion: of people in Westminster classify as from the Global Majority and 45% of people in Westminster have a disability – both these groups are more at risk of being inactive currently.

(66%) of children deemed overweight by the last year of primary school. 40%

• Our annual Active Communities survey, which we use to assess how we are performing and to help us address any issues raised.

• Insight gathered from our Strategic Outcome Planning Model, a national framework to gather key insights and develop organisational physical activity and sport vision, mission and objectives.

• Focus groups with residents and service users over the course of 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

• Our Westminster Change Makers workshop in 2024, which heard from Westminster residents and community groups regarding our leisure services.

• We estimate that we have heard from over 200 people during the course of our engagement activities, and all of this feedback has directly helped us shape this strategy.

What our community is saying

Barriers Opportunities

Stakeholders and residents have identified the following barriers to people being active in Westminster:

• Safety of outdoor spaces, particularly for women but also young people impacted by postcode wars.

• Perceptions of physical activity being not for “people like me”.

• Insufficient spare time to participate in physical activity.

• Family commitments including caring for children and other relatives.

• Lack of awareness of opportunities which may be linked to insufficient communications to reach all audiences.

• Cultural or personal barriers which might relate to gender, culture, religion, or norms within households.

• Affordability – both direct and indirect costs; prices of services and related pressures on low-income families such as time.

When asked about the barriers to Active Travel, the main ones were:

• Worried about personal safety and lack of lighting.

• Lack of cycle lanes and footpaths.

• Unmaintained footpaths or cycle lanes.

• Just over a quarter of respondents reported that they did not own a bike.

• Limited bike storage.

• Roads are too dangerous.

I like to keep my fitness and stamina up which will help prevent high blood pressure and help me stay healthy. I like boxing and would like to see even more spaces for girls to do boxing.

When asked what kind of things would help them to be more active, they said:

• Delivering opportunities that fully address safety concerns.

• Offering non-traditional and informal opportunities to get moving.

• Improved accessibility, coordination and proximity of services.

• Community-focused consultation work to make sure opportunities and activities suit local people.

We could activate our public realm through:

• Training – offer opportunities for cycling training to give people skills for active travel.

• Awareness of barriers –barriers related to gender, culture and accessibility.

• Quieter streets – find ways to enable less traffic for more active use of street space.

Our young people told us they wanted:

• More accessible and affordable gyms.

• More outdoor sports activities and facilities in parks.

And we could improve use of our parks and open spaces with:

• Clearer information on how people can be active there.

• More lighting around communal play areas.

• Information on group activities for exercise that would typically be done alone e.g. cycling or going to the gym.

People said we could improve our leisure facilities provision with:

• Activities/programmes at convenient times.

• Availability and number of swimming pools.

• Availability and number of swimming lanes.

• More access and affordable spaces to book (including at community spaces outside of Leisure Centres).

• Better or new communal outdoor facilities including cleaner playgrounds and play areas for children of all ages.

• More accessible play equipment for all abilities and ages, including early years (0–5 years).

The All Stars Boxing Club is a charity playing a critical role in providing opportunity to young people and adults of all abilities in Westminster. We find it important to work in partnership with local services to remove barriers to participation and personal development.

Muf Akay, Director of All Stars Boxing Club

Our physical activity assets

We know that different types of physical activity suit different people at different times – it doesn’t just have to be about going to the gym!

That’s why we want to make sure we’re using all the assets our city has to offer, to maximise

their use for physical activity. From parks to playgrounds, and cycle lanes to school facilities, we will continue to find innovative ways to ‘activate’ all the spaces we can, creating a wide range of varied and appealing options for getting active.

located in Surrey, a residential site with a range of outdoor activities for children, adults and families to enjoy.

• Active Streets – an approved permanent or temporary closure of a residential or school road for children, young people, adults and families to play and be active.

Colleges and Universities, to name a few.

We’re not starting from scratch

Through our 2024 – 2028 strategy we are determined to meet all the challenges relating to physical activity head on and respond positively to what our communities are telling us they need. However, we are not starting from scratch.

These are some of the key achievements that the council and its partners have achieved under our previous strategy. This work stands us in good stead as we move forward.

Facilities Inclusive

In October 2022 and September 2023, we opened two new community leisure centres called Church Street and Jubilee Community Leisure Centre respectively, with both centres offering targeted community programming.

Supporting those within the lowest 40% index of multiple deprivation through our Sport for Confidence programme and Physical Activity Referral Scheme.

Community & Schools Outdoor & Environment

Our leisure contractor providing £10.3 million of social value, to include free activities in the community, as well as work and training opportunities, resulting in improved life satisfaction and educational attainment, plus contributing to positive health outcomes.

All parks and open spaces have been reviewed to identify their accessibility and suitability to host activities designed to encourage residents to be more active.

Our award-winning leisure centres and playgrounds have received investment to ensure they are fully accessible and welcoming, providing hundreds of free hours of usage to under-represented community groups which positively impacts the #2035 work in tackling health inequalities

A disability open day took place at Queen Mother Sports Centre in October 2023, sharing accessible opportunities and gathering key insights from visitors to inform future opportunities like an accessibility app.

Dance Westminster event delivered for our disabled community, resulting in 96 free hours of dance tuition, over 100 participants, and 200+ residents attending the final yearly.

Over 3.8 million users of our leisure facilities yearly.

There are 6 Changing Places changing facilities (disabled change) across Westminster’s Leisure Facilities, with the newest 4 added in 2022/2023

Westminster Champions of the Future athletes competing at the highest levels with two competing in 2024 Olympic Games.

Our school games programme provides physical activity and competitive sport opportunities to over 2,500 Westminster pupils a year.

Our parks won 28 Green Flag Awards and 6 Green Flag Heritage Awards in 2024. Climate, biodiversity and energy savings investments in our leisure centres.

In 2024, Alfred Road Playground, the first fully inclusive playground was launched in Westminster.

Westminster Mile 2024 saw 550 free places offered to Westminster residents by London Marathon Trust.

In 2023/2024 21 community organisations received ActiveWestminster Network funding. In addition, in 2024, 42 organisations have benefited from the Healthy Communities Fund of which 22 organisations incorporate physical activity into their projects.

Following the launch of our first Play Street on Luton/Fisherton Street, there has been an increased and improved Active Streets programme with more Play Streets planned, and more School Streets and Street Play sessions.

Sayer’s Croft now provides free activity, free accommodation, volunteering and job-learning opportunities to underrepresented communities.

Where we want to get to

Our vision is for Westminster to be a city where everyone is active and has a healthier and happier life.

Because a Westminster where everyone is active, is a Fairer Westminster…

Physical activity can be an important driver in increasing fairness and yet we know that opportunities to be active in Westminster are not accessed equally by everyone at the moment.

Delivering on our vision of a city where everyone is active will therefore contribute to delivering on the council’s overarching Fairer Westminster Strategy in a variety of ways, including:

• Providing excellent physical activity opportunities which ensure all adults can stay healthy and thrive as they age.

• Ensuring children growing up in Westminster having access to active communities.

• Supporting community and voluntary groups prosper in the sport and physical activity sector.

• Ensuring people can find out about opportunities to be active in their local area.

This strategy also reflects findings from the Future of Westminster Commission The Commission made a number of recommendations about physical activity in Westminster, which this strategy picks up on.

In a number of areas work has already begun, including a review of existing community sports provision across the city (in response to the recommendation that we should complete this type of audit), and a monthly process to review all leisure service S106 agreements to ensure full compliance.

During the life of this strategy we will go much further, responding to all of the Commission’s recommendations, including continuing to develop our directories of physical activity provision and providers, so that people can easily discover what’s available for them locally, and a review – and subsequent enhancement –of women’s provision, to respond to the need to maintain focus on the activity of women and girls.

In addition, this strategy directly aligns with, and responds to, the bi-borough joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2023–33). Tackling health inequalities is at the heart of our health & wellbeing agenda, and physical activity is one of the vehicles through which we will achieve this. The connection is especially strong with three of the ten ambitions in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy – ambitions 5, 6, and 7, pertaining to people feeling safe and part of their communities, our city being a healthy environment, and delivering accessible services that meet people’s needs, respectively.

The outcomes we are seeking

These are the results we want to see by delivering on our vision:

Active health and wellbeing

People who live, work and study in Westminster move more for improved health, well-being and happiness.

3 Accessibility

There are accessible opportunities to be active in leisure centres, activity facilities, school facilities, parks, open spaces, green spaces, playgrounds, community places/ spaces, streets and highways – an active environment.

5 Environmental sustainability

Contribute towards reducing our carbon footprint, enhancing the natural environment, improving air quality and making active travel a way of life.

2 Equality

There is equal opportunity to be active, regardless of background.

4 Strong neighbourhoods

Leisure centres, activity facilities,  school facilities, youth clubs, parks, open spaces, playgrounds, community places/spaces, streets and highways are all strong contributors in creating neighbourhoods which people want to live and work in.

6 Skills development

Develop skills and access to employment for people to thrive.

Physical activity can reduce the risk of dementia by cardiovascular disease by 30% and Type 2 diabetes by 35% 40%

People who are regularly physically active are less likely to experience multiple types of cancer.

Adults who get more than

30 minutes of inactive people.

activity per day report feeling happier and more satisfied in their life.

Only of active people say they always or often feel lonely, compared to almost 5.5% 9%

Risk of hip fractures can be reduced by nearly 70%

with an active life.

How we will get

Introducing our ‘Move for Life!’ Framework

We are determined to deliver on our six outcomes by working in a coordinated way across all council teams (the ‘whole council approach’), and in collaboration with the ActiveWestminster partnership.

We need to structure all that activity, though, to make sure we achieve the greatest impact we can while making clever use of resources.

We will do this by focusing on three core themes of delivery:

Together these make up our ‘Move for Life!’ strategic framework. It enables us to tackle the barriers to activity and enable participation at an individual level, within the immediate areas where people live, and across Westminster as a whole.

Building upon the past successes under our 2018–2022 strategy, and using what you have told us as part of our engagement, we have developed the actions and initiatives that we intend to deliver under each of these three themes.

Active Lives

Everyone in Westminster should be able to be active within their everyday lives, in a way that works for them. This may be to and from work, study, volunteering and training in parks and open spaces, in their local leisure centre, on their own or with friends and family.

Active

Neighbourhoods

We will strive to ensure neighbourhoods have opportunities for our residents, students and workers to be active and connect in their local neighbourhood. We recognise that all neighbourhoods are distinct, and we will work at a local level to determine what needs to be in place to support an active neighbourhood.

Active City

The infrastructure across the city should support people to be active; whether this is in our leisure centres, activity facilities, school facilities, parks, open spaces, green spaces, playgrounds, our streets, community places/spaces, or cycle and walking routes on our streets and highways.

THEME 1: Active Lives

Wewant everyone in Westminster to be able to make the choice to be physically active.

We know that currently physical activity, sport and leisure opportunities are not accessed by everybody equally across the community and we’re determined to do all we can to put this right. This means taking targeted action to remove barriers and encourage participation at an individual level, in order to drive better health outcomes, to increase inclusion and help address existing inequalities.

Young People

We will continue to engage with young people in effective ways to encourage them to be active in ways that suit them and contribute to positive mental health.

We will work especially hard to support our least active groups such as disabled people, women and girls, Global Majority and vulnerable individuals.

We will support young people and their families with nutrition education and positive behaviour change to support healthy lifestyles.

What we will do under this strategy:

Children

We will work with key partners to ensure that all children can access the right opportunities for them to be active, whether this is at school, through play or as elite athletes. We will consider all opportunities within outdoor education facilities, parks, open spaces, playgrounds, school and educational establishment facilities, community facilities and leisure centres, in order to achieve this.

We will continue to support and develop opportunities for children with disabilities or long-term health conditions and create opportunities for early years to access play, in addition, we will work hard to engage children that are currently least active.

We will support children and their families with nutrition education and positive behaviour change to support healthy lifestyles.

Adults

We will support adults to find ways of being physically active that suit their circumstances, that they can fit into their busy lives and enjoy.

We’ll especially support those who currently tend to be less physically active and we’ll help create opportunities through physical activity to adult learning and employment. Including our least active groups such as disabled people, women, Global Majority and vulnerable individuals. We will work with GPs, NHS and health practitioners to support adults with positive behaviour change and access the Physical Activity Referral Scheme and other health programmes.

Older People

We will have targeted approaches to working with older people, helping them overcome barriers to getting and staying active. This includes working with physical activity providers, GPs, NHS and health practitioners to socially prescribe and encourage movement.

We’ll provide opportunities for social connections alongside physical activity and will create specific options for those with long term health conditions and/or disabilities. Including our least active groups such as women, Global Majority and vulnerable individuals.

How we will know if it’s working:

Reduction in health inequalities (#2035 tackling health inequalities).

Measured through Active Communities Survey and #2035 measures.

Increased participation in physical activity amongst underrepresented groups and those who experience barriers.

Measured through Active Communities Survey & activity participation data collection. Increased activity in the currently least active wards.

Sport for Confidence

My name is Hassan White, and I was told about Sports For Confidence sessions where an Occupational Therapists and coach supports people to be active. I found it interesting and decided to attend. I joined because I found myself needing to be more socially active and I enjoyed meeting new people.

I attend the Queen Mother Sports Centre in London where I improve my fitness as well as expanding my social circle. Going to the sessions has helped to improve my overall confidence and my ability to communicate with others. I have been looking to improve these skills as these skills can help me in the workplace.

Hassan White, Sport for Confidence participant

Dance Westminster

I started dancing from a young age. Growing up with a brother who has Autism, a learning disability and visual impairment, I quickly understood the benefits of dance to health and wellbeing and a fantastic way for my brother to express himself. As an adult, I began working with disabled people in care settings and continued to see the benefits of dance and physical activity on quality of life which led me to establish Step Change Studios with the support of the Dance Enterprise Ideas Fund. My ambition was to provide dance that is fun, and for all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. With a partnership with ActiveWestminster, I have supported Dance Westminster to become a well-known annual dancing event.

Rashmi Becker, Step Change Studio Founder

I first started dancing when a work colleague invited me to accompany her to a salsa class she was attending. I absolutely loved it and started attending regularly. Since losing my mobility in 2007, I have tried to keep up with dancing and exercising where I can. Dance Westminster was my first dance competition and then my first opportunity to be a judge in one of the heats. I have also performed at the Lillian Baylis Theatre, Sadlers Wells, with Step Change Studios. I am an active athlete, with a yellow belt in Shotokan Karate and a bronze medal in the ESKF British Adapted Karate Championship. I have also won a silver medal in the annual Pimlico Disability Swimming Gala.

Adrienne Armorer, Wheelchair Dancer

THEME

Active Neighbourhoods

We are proud to have nine council leisure facilities spread across eight wards, but we know that getting people active is about much more than just these sites.

We want people’s neighbourhoods to be active places as a whole, which means making good use of all local assets. There is a wealth of locally-based programmes, projects and schemes, run by various teams in the council and by partners, but the challenge is how to coordinate all that activity. Using a placebased view, we will ensure that we are catering to different needs and preferences, and through effective communication and promotion we will help people to find out what opportunities are available near to where they live, and how they can get involved. In this way we’ll contribute to strong, cohesive and active neighbourhoods, right across the city.

Connected Neighbourhoods

We want activity to help people to feel part of their community, so we’ll support local networks, clubs, groups, youth clubs, Voluntary and Community Sector partners and schools/colleges/universities to build capacity locally and remove barriers.

Addressing Inactivity

We know the neighbourhoods where health inequalities are highest and activity levels the poorest, so we’ll focus on those wards with targeted programmes.

Thinking Local

We will get a better understanding of the spaces, programmes and facilities in individual neighbourhoods, while also increasing our awareness of what types of activities local people really want, so that we can ensure what we provide in their area matches their needs.

Activating Neighbourhoods

We will directly support those who deliver physical activity opportunities locally, as this provision within the community is vital in driving up participation.

How we will know if it’s working:

Past work we can build on:

Increased access to coordinated provision in neighbourhoods  which need it most.

Measured through activity participation data.

Access to physical activity opportunities is a positive contributor to reducing antisocial behaviour.

Measured through social value calculator.

More people are supported to develop their skills or career through physical activity.

Measured through data captured about people accessing our skills and training opportunities.

ActiveWestminster Networks

Now an ActiveWestminster Champions of the Future athlete, from a young age I loved sport and physical activity, competing in athletics and netball as well as playing football for Brentford FC before focusing my attention to basketball at international level.

However, in 2020 I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. This is a potential sports career-changing challenge which I met head on, by showing my love of the sport by committing myself to court time, gym sessions and yoga.

With the help of ActiveWestminster Network funding, my organisation Hurdles2Hoops provides a variety of sporting activities, including basketball, skateboarding and football for asylum seekers and refugees who are housed in Westminster’s Hotels and have little to no resources or opportunities to improve their health & wellbeing through physical activity, this has a great impact on their lives.

Charlotte Thomas-Rowe, Founder of Hurdle to Hoops

CASE STUDIES

Jubilee Community Leisure Centre

The Jubilee Community Leisure Centre opened in September 2023 in Westminster’s Queens Park Ward and serves as a vital hub for health, physical activity and community cohesion. Its purpose is to provide accessible local recreational facilities and programmes that promote physical wellbeing and social interaction among residents of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

The Avenues Youth Project is a dynamic youth club local to Jubilee Community Leisure Centre and offers free after-school activities for young people aged 8 to 19. Carol Archibald, the Programme Director said, the Jubilee’s facilities are essential for them to host events like “Sporty Saturdays,” where youth engage in various sports, promoting physical activity which may otherwise be financially out of reach. The Community Centre provides a larger indoor safe space that helps to keep young people active and engaged, combating isolation, screen addiction and creating a supportive community where young people can thrive.

THEME 3: Active City

Whenpeople in Westminster are asked about their physical activity, they say that the majority of their movement is made up of everyday activities.

However, some aspects of the way our city is designed and built can discourage people from building physical activity into their day-to-day lives. Sometimes worries about safety and wayfinding also play a part. We want to ensure that all the indoor and outdoor facilities, playgrounds, places and spaces that can be used for physical activity are accessible, inclusive and designed with local need in mind, in line with Sport England’s 10 principles of active environment design. We also want to widen bike ownership and ensure that people of all ages and genders feel safe and confident cycling, walking and being active in our city, contributing to our Net Zero goals.

What we will do under this strategy:

Active Places and Spaces

We will make sure we have the right facilities in the right places to encourage and enable everyone to be active. We will strategically plan to use and develop our assets in Westminster to best effect and make sure that our leisure centres, activity facilities, school and educational establishment facilities, community places and spaces, parks, playgrounds and open spaces are inclusive and attractive to all members of the community.

Active Environment

We will work across the council and with partners to ensure our city is designed and built in a way that supports physical activity. This will include ensuring access to green and open spaces and continuing to work on improving the environment and air quality, to make Westminster an attractive place to get active in.

Active Travel

We will work to encourage people in all parts of the community to make more use of active modes of travel. Linking in with the council’s emerging Sustainable Transport Strategy, we will look at all journeys, not just commuting for work. This recognises growing trends around working from home.

Place Shaping

We will ensure physical activity is considered as a key priority in all place-shaping and indoor and outdoor spatial planning work.

Events

We will facilitate events that encourage all communities and ages to take part in physical activity and provide inspiration at every level, from grass roots to elite spectator experiences.

How we will know if it’s working:

More people use active travel (walking or cycling) in their daily lives.

Measured through the Westminster City Survey.

Indoor and outdoor physical activity, leisure and sport places and spaces are perceived to be safe, clean and positive contributors to the environment.

Measured through Active Communities Survey.

Facilities and spaces are evenly distributed across the city and accessible to all.

Measured through asset mapping survey.

What we have been doing

Active Streets

I have lived in Westminster since I moved to London in 2012. I love the vibe of the area and the sense of community and coming together. Where I live, all neighbours help and support each other. We don’t have gardens, so we gather in the street and share a cup of tea. It is amazing to have this in the centre of a Capital City! I came across the Active Streets programme when exploring ways to do more community activity in a safer way, protected from traffic. I decided to be a StreetMaker and take lead in organising the closure of our street on certain dates. The experience was fabulous, allowing us to use the street for the community, for children and grownups alike to enjoy and play.

Diana Carrasco, StreetMaker

CASE STUDIES

Cycling in the City

In 2023, JoyRiders teamed up with Westminster Wheels a local community bike shop on Church Street to get more women from the local community cycling. From day one, we saw fantastic enthusiasm, welcoming many local women who had never considered cycling before joining in. They were introduced to safe, quiet routes in the area and encouraged to explore cycling independently. While some women are still gaining confidence to ride solo, they’re thoroughly enjoying the cycling rides and building their skills together. One inspiring local woman even trained as a ride leader, purchased her own bike, and completed a remarkable journey from London to Brighton! She has become a true role model for others in the community, showing what’s possible when you are given the opportunity to take that first step.

Mariam Draaijer, Chief Executive, JoyRiders

Working together

Working together

External partnerships

We know that achieving better physical activity outcomes for people in Westminster is not something we can do alone.

Success will rest on the way we work together with a wide array of partners, including those in the Voluntary and Community Sector and heath sector, organisations which support adults, children and older people, specialist providers, education establishments, iconic facilities and sports clubs, and many more.

When it comes to coordinating efforts across this complex landscape of provision, we have a solid foundation to build upon in the form of our ActiveWestminster Partnership, which has been in place since 2008. This gives us the framework we need to get the most out of the collective efforts, resources and expertise of all the groups and orgainsations that contribute to physical activity in the city.

Success will rest on the way we work together.

Adults and Public Health

Economy and Skills

Whole Council Approach

Increasing physical activity in Westminster, and encouraging and supporting participation by those who are currently least active, will require a whole-council effort.

We need to work together across teams and departments, utilising all our levers to tackle barriers to physical activity and make it easier and more appealing for people of all ages and in all parts of the community to be active.

This means looking at everything, from the infrastructure of the city and the way it

enables active travel, through to providing support and guidance to those who want to make a career for themselves in physical activity, sport and leisure.

These are just a few of the key teams we will need to work with, in order to deliver on the council’s vision for an active city where everyone lives a healthier and happier life.

Meanwhile this strategy connects with a wide range of existing and emerging council strategies and plans – a full list of these can be found at Appendix 1.

What’s next

How we’ll manage delivery and measure the impact we’re having

gainst each of our three ‘Move For Life!’ themes, we have identified the actions we will take in order to impact our six outcomes and, ultimately, deliver on our vision of a city

To ensure our actions have the greatest impact we will always ensure they are based on good evidence, we will continue to listen to our communities and we will continually innovate to ensure we are taking a holistic and sustainable approach to physical activity in Westminster.

As we move through delivery of this strategy, though, we need to be certain that the actions we’re taking are the right ones, and that they’re having the effect we want in the real world. This is why, alongside each theme, we have given some examples of the data we can look at to measure the impact we are having. Those measures are summarised again here:

We will continue to listen to our communities.

Active Lives

Active Neighbourhoods Active City

1 2 3 1 2 3

Reduction in health inequalities (#2035 tackling health inequalities).

Increased participation in physical activity amongst underrepresented groups and those who experience barriers.

Increased activity in the currently least active wards.

Increased access to coordinated provision in neighbourhoods which need it most.

Access to physical activity opportunities is a positive contributor to reducing antisocial behaviour.

More people are supported to develop their skills or career through physical activity.

1

2

More people use active travel (walking or cycling) in their daily lives.

Indoor and outdoor physical activity, leisure and sport places and spaces are perceived to be safe, clean and positive contributors to the environment.

3

Facilities and spaces are evenly distributed  across the city and accessible to all.

This gives just a flavour of the things we can measure to understand how well we’re doing. The finer detail will be captured in a Delivery Plan, which will sit below this strategy document.

The Delivery Plan will include granular information about all actions under the ‘Move for Life!’ framework, and all the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) we will use to measure success.

It will guide our operations as we put the ActiveWestminster Strategy into effect.

Work is already underway to develop that plan, in full collaboration with all the teams inside the council and beyond who will be playing a role in delivery.

Thank you

Data sources

Appendix 1: The context we are working in

Our work to deliver a city where everyone is active has been developed in the context of national and regional policy.

It also directly connects with, and responds to, a wide range of local plans and existing or emerging council strategies.

National

Key themes:

• Active environments, with safer streets and play space

• Connecting communities

• Activity at every age –empowering younger people and inclusive opportunities for older people

• Activity in schools

• Widening access to places, spaces and opportunities

• Managing long term health conditions

• Alignment of services to benefit physical and mental health

• Walking and cycling at the heart of transport planning

Regional

Key themes:

• Active environments, with safer streets and play space

• Connecting communities

• Activity at every age –empowering younger people and inclusive opportunities for older people

• Activity in schools

• Widening access to places, spaces and opportunities

• Managing long term health conditions

• Alignment of services to benefit physical and mental health

• Walking and cycling at the heart of transport planning

Local

Key themes:

• Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (K&C and WCC)

• Westminster’s #2035 Tackling Health Inequalities Programme

• Sustainable Transport Strategy

• Fairer Economy Plan

• City Plans and Supplementary Planning Documents

• Built Facilities Strategy

• Playing Pitch Strategy

• Play Facilities Strategy

• Bi-borough Childrens & Young People’s Plan

• Climate Emergency Action Plan

• Air Quality Action Plan

• Westminster Greening and Biodiversity Strategy

• Dementia Plan

• Culture Strategy

• Westminster Food Plan

• Third Party Asset Strategy

• WCC Equalities Objectives

• Safer Westminster Partnership Strategy

• Westminster After Dark

• Bi-Borough Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategic Plan

• A Partnership Approach to Open Spaces and Biodiversity

Health impact

Key themes:

The ‘Move for Life!’ framework gives us the structure we need to ensure more people feel the benefits of being active. This will have clear impacts on health, both physical and mental. So, by delivering ‘Move for Life!’ we will also be delivering on several aspects of the council’s joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy.

This strategy therefore has scope to impact on many of the ambitions in that strategy. Overt links have been made to:

• Ambition 5: People feel safe and part of our communities.

• Ambition 6: Our boroughs are healthy environments.

• Ambition 7: Accessible, quality services which meet people’s needs.

There will also be significant connections with Ambition 1 (children’s health), Ambition 2 (improving wellbeing and preventing ill health) and Ambition 3 (supporting mental wellbeing).