Sport England’s Place investment is a funding and support approach that focuses on improving physical activity levels in specific communities and locations, particularly those facing the greatest inequalities. The focus is on a Place working with local partners to tackle the wider barriers that stop people being active.
As part of this approach there is a big emphasis on working across a Place with local leaders from all sectors. This so they can understand the role they, and their organisations, play in tackling inequalities and physical inactivity in the communities they work in.
In November 2025 North East Lincolnshire Council, as part of their development award, ran an initial 2-day leadership session. This brought together organisations from health, education, voluntary and community sectors, along with sport and a range of departments from the Local Authority including marketing, heritage and culture, public health, transport and more.
The aim of the 2 days was to help participants learn how to work collectively to address the root causes of inactivity in their community. Since then, there has been an additional 3 leadership events which have supported the development of the full award to Sport England. The 3 extra events have also developed the understanding of this work and its future across a whole range of different partners.
Adam Wrightham, Place Partnership Manager for North East Lincolnshire Council, explained that they are working with system partners in the area to tackle inactivity through a systems based approach, he said: “Working in this way enables the local voluntary and community sector as well as health partners, sports clubs to be part of the Move Together Network.
“The leadership work will also support the network to share resources and learning to help those facing the highest health inequalities to move more within their local areas.”
One of the organisations involved from the start has been Creating Positive Opportunity (CPO). CPO are based in Grimsby and is a community business who develop and deliver a range of projects to support the communities they serve.
Steve Ryder, Managing Director of CPO since they began trading as a social enterprise in 2006, has for a long time recognised the role sport, physical activity and movement plays in supporting their communities. Steve has been a leader across the VCSE sector for many years working with partners to advocate for, co design and bring in resources. They use physical activity as part of mental health projects, to support low-income families to access activity, people with dementia and patients diagnosed with cancer so they can access exercise and movement more.
Creating Positive Opportunity have always worked alongside other organisations to develop their programmes and initiatives to ensure they have the maximum impact; however, Steve feels he has really benefitted from his involvement in the leadership work.
Steve says: “Having been in management for 30 years and coached sports to divisional level, I'll admit to being sceptical about how useful I'd find the Sport England leadership training.
“That said, I have found it both useful and affirming. Having struggled to see a solution at Place in North East Lincolnshire, and often found myself at a loss as how to support communities that are marginalised, sedentary and often disillusioned, this leadership experience has been extremely effective.
“I have seen that complex problems need a different approach; I knew that, but solutions seemed distant and oftentimes impossible. Coming together has been a reaffirmation that together we can make a difference.
“It will be a long and rocky road, but with this wider partnership, and Sport England's backing, I believe we can, and will, make real and lasting change at place.”
The Place Expansion work is supporting residents in North East Lincolnshire to get active and stay active.
At Active Humber, we are working with system partners in the area to tackle inactivity through a systems-based approach. This enables the local voluntary and community sector, as well as health partners and sports clubs, to be part of the Move Together Network so we can all share resources and learning to help those facing the highest health inequalities to move more within their local areas.
