The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has published the government’s new sport strategy, ‘Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity’.
Following its publication, David Gent, our chief executive, has shared the response from Active Humber.
Response from Active Humber
Active Humber welcomes the government’s new sport strategy and the recognition of the important role that being physical active can play in improving the nation’s health and wellbeing.
At Active Humber we passionately believe that improving the health and wellbeing of the Humber through physical activity and sport must be a central priority for this and future Governments. We know as a charity that a place that is physical active helps to create sustained economic growth, improves and sustains the local environment, supports the NHS, and strengthen the fabric of our communities across all ages and backgrounds.
The Government’s new Sports Strategy outlines the essential nature of sport and physical activity in people’s everyday lives, and importantly recognises the many programmes and initiatives that contribute to this ambition to improve our national health and wellbeing.
Active Humber regards the new strategy as critical to helping develop a collective responsibility across the Humber through physical activity to improve the Humber’s health, community, wellbeing, economic productivity, and environmental sustainability.
We welcome the creation of a new Government taskforce to oversee the implementation of the strategy, with industry representatives collaborating with key Government departments.
The Humber is the second most inactive place in England
The Humber is the second most inactive place in England and the inclusion in the new strategy of participation targets provides clarity around the ambitions for a more physically active population and to reduce existing inequalities. We look forward to seeing how these ambitions translate into clear, sustainable delivery plans that focus on the growth and development of the sector here in the Humber.
The challenge now is for all of us across the Humber concerned about our poor levels of physical activity to use the strategy to develop and support programmes of delivery in conjunction with partner organisations to make full use of all aspects of the sector. If we can do that then this strategy will be able to deliver on its ambitions and unlock the full potential of the sector.
We believe with the necessary resources and working collaboratively with the sector, we can reverse the high levels of physical inactivity in the Humber and improve outcomes across society.
Reducing Inequalities
Active Humber as part of the network of 43 non-profit Active Partnerships across England takes a place-based approach to reducing inequalities, so we welcome the importance placed on this in the strategy along with the recognition of the value sport and physical activity has in helping to transform people’s lives.
We will continue to partner with local and national stakeholders to affect widespread social change, whether it’s bringing communities closer together, connecting people to opportunities, driving greater inclusion, improving health and wellbeing, and economic productivity and environmental sustainability.
This also resonates with our role in implementing Sport England’s Uniting the Movement in tackling inequalities and ensuring everyone can experience the benefits being physically active brings.
We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively across all areas of the Humber and with our community, local, regional and national partners to ensure we create a more active, fairer, and healthier Humber and in turn the nation.
Read how other organisations have responded
Read how Sport England have responded to the new strategy.
As one of the network of 43 Active Partnerships, you can read more about how the Active Partnership network has responded to the strategy.
