'The Future Of...' Physical Activity and Sport Strategy - Year 2

WELLBEING · ACTIVE · SPORT · CLUBS · HEALTH · FITNESS · YOU

Physical Activity & Sports Strategy 2022-27

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION FROM THE PROVOST After sitting at your computer all day, it’s a great idea to get some exercise. Being regularly physically active can help you deal with the stresses and strains of study and work, and it’s known to lead to a healthier, happier, and generally longer life.

Certainly I’ve found that myself – whether that’s outside on a bike or in the gym or pool on campus.

And at University – thanks to our more than 90 sports clubs and societies – it’s also a way to meet new people and to make new friends. Some of these may turn out to last a lifetime.

Regular physical activity is fundamental to the wellbeing of all our staff and students. It requires the right infrastructure, facilities and services; but crucially, it also requires everyone to feel like they’re able to dedicate time to being active as well as balancing their academic and work responsibilities.

The College’s Physical Activity & Sports Strategy 2022-27 outlines an ambitious agenda to empower our students and staff to meet their own activity goals and sets a baseline target that all our community should be supported to meet the CMO guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.

INTRODUCTION FROM THE HEAD OF SPORT Over the lifespan of the past strategy, Be Active 2018-2022 we all experienced unprecedented change due to the global pandemic.

Nonetheless, even during times when we were most disrupted and furthest apart, one thing that remained constant was the importance of physical activity for both your physical and mental wellbeing. Indeed, the pandemic has perhaps brought into sharper focus the importance of physical activity in maintaining our overall wellbeing.

With the lessons we’ve learned from this period, ‘The Future Of...’ strategy is an evolution of how we view sport and physical activity at the College; there is no longer an argument to be had on the benefits that an active lifestyle can have at individual, societal or global level. However, there is still so much to be done about supporting individuals to make positive lifestyle changes that can increase their activity levels.

We want to be not only a world-leading academic institution, but also a world-leading community for physical wellbeing and sport, where everyone is at their best.

Our headline ambition is simple: to get every single member of our community able to meet the CMO guidelines of 150 minutes moderate physical activity per week.

Professor Ian Walmsley FRS

To do this, we will work with colleagues across College to empower change; it may be through the services we offer, facilities we operate, advocacy to senior leaders or infrastructure changes. Additionally, we want to build on the launch of Imperial Athletes to make sure that the offer and experience are commensurate with our place as a world-leading institution. We will work collaboratively with students and Imperial College Union to ensure that sport, which is such a fundamental aspect of some student’s experience, creates positive lifelong memories and is adding value to the holistic university experience.

Will Hollyer

WHERE ARE WE NOW ?

WHERE ARE WE NOW?

The 2022-27 Strategy does not exist in a vaccuum; instead, it builds upon the achievements of its predecessor. The previous strategy articulated an ambitious set of goals, most notably the complete redevelopment of sports governance and the launch of two new brand identities: Move Imperial and Imperial Athletes.

The past four years have seen incredible progress for sports and physical activity at the College. The challenge is now to supercharge that progress and empower every member of our community to enjoy its benefits.

HIGHLIGHTS 2018-22

15 20 th

IN BUCS 2021-22

BUCS

CHAMPIONS

1,300,000 VISITS TO ETHOS

SCHOLAR ATHLETES

TIMES UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR

AWARD

250+

COVID-19 RESPONSE RECOGNISED IN THE

Launch of new governance model

Modernised access gates + membership system

Launch of Imperial Athletes

Launch of Move Imperial brand

Over £2m invested in facilities

Launch of ‘The Future Of’ consultation

SO, WHAT NEXT ?

THE VISION: TO MAKE EVERY MEMBER OF THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY MORE ACTIVE

SO, WHAT NEXT?

“Being physically active is a true wonder drug. It adds years to people’s lives and prevents all sorts of diseases from depression to dementia, cancers to cardiovascular disease. However, the opportunities are not there for everyone - being physically inactive is a condition of socio-economic inequality. A key issue for public health is ensuring that physical activity is available to all.”

- Dr. David Salman, Doctor and Research Fellow at the School of Public Health and MSk Lab

THE GOAL: ENABLE & EMPOWER EVERY MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY TO DO

150 MINUTES OF EXERCISE PER WEEK in line with the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO)

THE MISSION:

BY ADVOCATING THE BENEFITS OF AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE, WE’LL WORK TO EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY TO FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

CMO GUIDELINES The CMO recommends that adults undertake moderate activity for at least 150 minutes per week or intense activity for at least 75 minutes per week. Every minute counts, and it’s never too late to start.

SO, WHAT NEXT?

HOW WE’LL DO IT Empowering every member of our community to undertake 150 minutes of physical activity per week will require a holistic effort across multiple areas of work. Our work will be underpinned by our values of:

COLLABORATION | INNOVATION | INTEGRITY | EXCELLENCE | RESPECT Here are the key objectives for how we’ll do it:

PHYSICAL WELLBEING

Positively impacting wellbeing by developing a comprehensive package of physical activity programmes.

ACTIVE

Making an active lifestyle accessible, sustainable and rewarding for every member of our community.

ACTIVE CURRICULUM

We aim that in all learning sessions students do not remain sedentary for more than 60 minutes.

IMPERIAL ATHLETES

INFRASTRUCTURE

Photo by Lucinda Douse

To deliver the best experience and foster lifelong memories for our student athletes and clubs.

Developing spaces, services and equipment in line with the expectations of our community.

More detailed objectives, actions and outputs can be found in our Strategy Operations Plan on our website.

PARTNERS

PARTNERS Reaching the aims of this Strategy will require a whole-of-College approach, and a recognition that physical activity plays a role in all aspects of College life.

As the College’s leader on physical activity, Move Imperial will take primary ownership of the Strategy’s operations and achievement:

Move Imperial reports to the College’s Sports & Physical Activity Board, comprised of staff and student leaders. It works with a wide cross-section of departments and groups across the institution, including: • • • • • • • • •

Imperial College Union Estates Operations Student Services Occupational Health Human Resources ICT Centre for Environmental Policy Disability Action Committee Transition to Zero Pollution

PHYSICAL WELLBEING

PHYSICAL WELLBEING ACTIONS Support the delivery of the College Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy

Move to develop and deliver support programmes (Move More) for students and staff

Develop a physical wellness clinic to support staff and students

METRICS 1. Engage with 25% of the College annually 2. Reduced annual number of sick days for those that engage with Move services 3. Physical Activity ambassador scheme 4. Run an annual survey ‘Future of’ across College

YEAR 2 FOCUS •

Support the delivery of the action plan set out by EAG

•

Feed Move services into the EAG to ensure joint promotion and support

•

Expand the delivery of educational workshops outside of Move More participants

•

Include expert leaders in the delivery of our educational workshops

•

Continue to work with NHS staff in developing a Sport Clinic in Ethos

•

Review how wellness clinics could be delivered at Move

ACTIVE

ACTIVE ACTIONS Deliver services that support the community within a hybrid working/teaching model

Programmes and services delivered weekly across College campuses

Inclusive and accessible programmes to enrich the staff and student experience

METRICS 1. 80% of community meeting CMO guidlines 2. 800+ weekly participants engaging with Move active programmes 3. Deliver monthly educational campaigns across College 4. Develop Active Travel action plan

YEAR 2 FOCUS •

Develop a package of activities and support for home working staff

•

Develop a webpage to host hybrid programmes

•

Deliver activities during selected liberation months and campaign days

•

Engage College central teams to support College-wide campaigns

•

Identify College networks to support with programmes

•

Review sector good practice for accessible sport programmes

METRICS

ACTIVE CURRICULUM ACTIONS Develop a research project to understand the impact of an Active Curriculum

Create a suite of active breaks that can be utilised by staff and students

Work with an academic department to be an early adopter of the Active Curriculum programme

YEAR 2 FOCUS •

Develop a project that can create effective messaging to Imperial students

•

Understand best practice already in place

•

Support infrastructure changes that promote activity in the learning environment

•

Develop stress buster activities for use around exam times

•

Share best practice that is already being delivered at College

•

Deliver a campaign that promotes the positive impact of activity to physical and mental health

•

Gather feedback from students/ staff to understand impact or value

•

Highlight small changes in behaviour to reduce sedentary behaviour

1. Adoption of active curriculum across all College Faculties 2. Increased physical activity levels and reduced sedentary behaviour 3. Creation of active break library 4. Launch of Active Champions ambassador programme

ACTIVE CURRICULUM

IMPERIAL ATHLETES

IMPERIAL ATHLETES ACTIONS Deliver a College-wide student intramural sport programme

Grow and develop the Performance Sport support for high-level student athletes and teams

Deliver events that create lifelong memories

METRICS 1. College-wide intramural programme with 90% capacity rate 2. Top 15 ranking in BUCS and number 1 in London 3. FISU and EUSA representation annually 4. Achievement of international performance medals

YEAR 2 FOCUS •

Develop promotion of the intramural leagues across College

•

Conduct a review of sport feasibility at other sites in relation to facility spaces

•

Develop a termly reporting process to demonstrate added value from the performance programme

•

Season planning with performance athletes and teams to ensure increased representation at BUCS and international meets

•

Review potential of delivering an alumni day in partnership with clubs

•

Continue to deliver Varsity and Sports Awards

METRICS

INFRASTRUCTURE

1. Facilities Strategy that meets College objectives 2. Gym membership of 7,000 students annually across all sites 3. Annual survey delivered with a response rate of 10% of College population 4. Access to physical activity facilities and/or services on each campus

ACTIONS Deliver facilities and services in line with our community’s expectations

Create physical activity resources for every campus

Deliver Business As Usual across all Move sites

YEAR 2 FOCUS •

Research and undertake steps to complete Healthy Campus Accreditation

•

Deliver on action plan created in response to user surveys

•

Create and promote a minimum standards/level of access to services on each campus

•

Promote Harlington Sports Grounds as a wellbeing campus

•

Deliver business as usual activity focusing on enhancing the student experience

•

Deliver on health and safety compliance across all sites

INFRASTRUCTURE

FINANCES

FINANCES Move Imperial is a not-for-profit enterprise.

To account for the reduced rates at which physical activity services and facilities are provided to our community, the College provides an annual subsidy. This is then supplemented by several income streams, all of which are reinvested back into our operations.

Approximately 18% of our income comes from student memberships, 7% from staff memberships, 11% from external memberships and 13% from College bookings and facility hire. The rest comes from external bookings and hires, although these have to be carefully balanced against ensuring the availability of our facilities for our priority: students and staff.

Our average annual expenditure is below. As it is overseen by a separate governance model, this does not include the further spending that is distributed directly to student sports clubs.

STAFFING £1,569,000

BUILDINGS £476,000

MAINTENANCE £433,000 OPERATIONS £1,049,000

5

YEARS TO ACHIEVE

100% AT

150 MINUTES.