People across York and North Yorkshire could benefit from improved access to sport and physical activity under a new partnership designed to improve health, reduce inequalities and support economic growth.
Sport England, North Yorkshire Sport and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding setting out how they will coordinate investment and work together to encourage more people to become active.
The agreement brings together the Mayor’s £7 million Moving Forward campaign and Sport England’s national Uniting the Movement strategy. It will run until 2031.
The partners will develop a joint programme to identify opportunities to design, fund and deliver projects together, with a focus on areas where they believe coordinated action can have the greatest impact.
Focus on health and inequalities
The partnership will focus on aligning services and investment, developing the workforce, joint communications, linking health services with physical activity, creating child-friendly places, and using data to measure progress.
The organisations say the agreement should help residents access physical activity more easily and strengthen the local organisations that support people to become active.
It also aims to improve connections between health services and activity opportunities, while encouraging safer and more welcoming places for children and young people to walk, cycle and play.
North Yorkshire Sport, the region’s Active Partnership, will coordinate work across York and North Yorkshire, bringing organisations together, sharing evidence and helping ensure funding and resources have the greatest possible impact.
£7 million Moving Forward campaign
The agreement builds on existing investment in the movement, activity and sport workforce, including around £400,000 from the Mayor to strengthen skills, capacity and leadership across the sector.
The Mayor’s Moving Forward campaign includes £7 million of investment across four themes: active travel; movement, activity and sport; men’s mental health; and connection to the outdoors.
Sport England’s research into the social value of sport estimates that every £1 invested in community sport and physical activity generates £4.38 for the economy and society.
What the partners said
David Watson, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Sport, said:
We are proud to sign this agreement with Sport England and the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority. It builds on a strong partnership and gives us a clear framework for action in the areas where we can make the biggest difference.
By working together, we can tackle inequalities, support healthier lives and create lasting opportunities for people to be active. We want this agreement to deliver clear results, shared responsibility and meaningful change across York and North Yorkshire.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
Coming together with Sport England lets us bring our regional ambition together with their national vision.
Our ambitious Moving Forward campaign is backed by £7m Mayoral funding to support people to move more and live healthier, happier lives. Working closely with Sport England we’ll be able to maximise the impact of this investment and support more people right across York and North Yorkshire.
Simon Hayes, Chief Executive of Sport England, said:
Community sport has a vital role to play in creating healthier, happier communities and stronger local economies. This partnership is about making that a reality for people across York and North Yorkshire, particularly those who face the greatest barriers to being active.
Local people know their communities best. Their needs, experiences and ambitions should help shape where we invest and how we work. By bringing together our national expertise, the Combined Authority’s leadership and North Yorkshire Sport’s local knowledge and relationships, we can make a real difference to people’s health and happiness.
This agreement is a strong example of that joined-up approach in action – bringing organisations together, tackling inequalities and making it easier for more people to enjoy the benefits of an active life.
Annual plans to track progress
The three organisations will produce an annual joint work plan setting out their shared priorities, resources, intended outcomes and measures of success.
Senior representatives will meet each year to review progress and identify further opportunities for joint working.
The agreement supports Sport England’s 10-year Uniting the Movement strategy, which aims to reduce inequalities, increase participation, improve health and wellbeing, strengthen communities and create more inclusive opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity.