Living Sport Impact Report 2020-21

Impact Report 2020-21

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

A message from Simon Fairhall Chief Executive Officer of Living Sport It gives me great pleasure to introduce Living Sport’s Annual Impact Report for 2020-21, a year like no other.

In a year of unprecedented turmoil, I’m proud to share how Living Sport responded to the pandemic by acting with great agility and determination. We adapted our offers and were led by the needs of our communities to provide support and physical activity solutions that worked for them.

We can draw on many positives despite the most challenging of circumstances, not least the resilience of the Living Sport team whose energy and commitment has been fundamental to the high-quality outcomes achieved.

Partnership working continues to be at the core of everything we

do, and over the last year we have reflected on how we can be a better partner. The pandemic allowed us to strengthen many of our existing relationships, collaborating in new ways and forming new partnerships too. We look forward to further developing these relationships to take on the opportunities and meet the challenges of the year ahead.

This impact report looks at our key areas of work and the progress we made despite the many restrictions that characterised the year. As the importance of sport and physical activity to improve health, happiness and wellbeing was highlighted, our work became more relevant and valuable than ever before.

I would like to thank the many individuals and organisations that have supported Living Sport 2

throughout the past 12 months.

Thanks to our principal funder, Sport England, for their continued support and additional Covid-19 funding that has enabled us to reach those in greatest need.

Simon Fairhall Chief Executive Officer Living Sport

Living Sport

About Us Living Sport is a charity that works with partners to improve lives across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough by supporting people to be active. We work collaboratively to create the conditions for people to be active in whatever way works for them. We focus on helping those least likely to be active and strive to tackle inequalities by removing barriers and championing inclusivity.

We are one of 43 Active Partnerships in England and work with partners in the public, private, community and voluntary sectors to harness the power of sport and physical activity to improve lives.

We are a registered charitable trust with a Board of Trustees, consisting of individuals with skills and expertise across the sectors and a staff team of 18.

Impact Report 2020-21

Our three priority areas are:

Our Values: - Passionate about what we do - Striving for excellence - Making a positive impact - Working collaboratively

Children and Young People

Communities

Health 3

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Children and Young People Living Sport aims to provide positive physical activity experiences to allow young people to unlock their potential and improve their physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Through our work we play a pivotal role in responding to local need, addressing barriers to participation, and supporting more children and young people to be physically active.

Children and young people in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

45.3%

51,400 meet physical activity guidelines

31.6%

35,800 do less than an average of 30 minutes a day Data from Sport England Active Lives Survey, academic year 2019-20

Children and young people were hit hard by the pandemic and with schools, sports clubs and leisure providers closed during lockdowns, activity levels were affected.

We worked tirelessly to help children stay active and connected throughout these challenging times by adapting and innovating our offering.

Cambridgeshire And Peterborough School Games The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough School Games is part of a national initiative which aims to inspire young people to take part in sport and physical activity opportunities. The School Games is a free offer to all primary, secondary and special schools.

Faced with lockdowns and school closures we quickly innovated to turn the 2020 events virtual. In partnership with our local School 4

Games Organisers, Living Sport hosted a Virtual Friendship Run during the Autumn term with more than 7,000 young people across the county taking part. In addition to the run event, participants completed a series of personal best and competitive challenges both in their schools and at home.

Over 7000 Children took part in the Virtual Friendship Run

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

“I just wanted to say how well they [the Virtual Friendship Run and challenges] have been received by children, staff and parents. It has been truly amazing to see the personal achievements made and the very rosy cheeked children coming in from their sessions. The children have grown in their love of running!!”

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Satellite Clubs This Sport England funded programme aimed to provide inactive and fairly active young people with the opportunity to take part in extracurricular sport and physical activity on a regular basis.

The programme targeted young people aged 14-19 years who were less likely to participate. By shaping the activities based on their needs and preferences, it provided a positive experience of being active.

In addition to providing more opportunities for adolescents, the programme enabled us to connect with local partners to support them in providing safe and inclusive activities. The funding also acts as an investment to sustain activity by contributing to the development of the local workforce through training and development opportunities.

34% from ethnic communities 12% with disability focus 71% in low socio-economic areas Over 25% in youth or community centres 25% multi-sports format

14 new clubs

Watch Satellite Clubs in action

Living Sport facilitated Satellite Clubs funding in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and worked with a variety of providers to focus on targeted areas using adapted delivery models to best meet the needs of young people.

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Active Lives Survey The Active Lives Survey for 5-16 year olds provides valuable information to gain insight to children’s attitudes and behaviours around sport and physical activity.

This makes a real difference to understanding and shaping investment locally and nationally, helping to ensure that all children and young people, regardless of their age, background and ability level, can take part in, and enjoy, sport and physical activity.

Living Sport supports local schools to take part in the Active Lives Survey on behalf of Sport England.

We also work with the Healthy Schools Programme and School Games Organisers to provide schools with support to respond to the findings of the report, working towards the local Healthy Schools Award if they wish.

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

“The club is my safe space to come and make new friends, strengthen existing friendships and exercise.”

-Satellite Club participant

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Living Sport

2019

22 schools

Impact Report 2020-21

2020

2021

33 schools

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough schools taking part in the Active Lives survey by Academic Year “Thank you for this, the findings have kick started a rejuvenation of sport here at St. Peter’s. I would like to opt in next year and subsequent years as I find the surveys to be extremely useful.”

- St. Peter’s School Active Families We work with local authority partners to deliver the Active Families programme which helps families in Fenland, Peterborough and Cambridge benefit from the physical, mental and social benefits of being active together through activity sessions, virtual activity trails, and holiday roadshows.

1000 home activity boxes provided

Over 200 families accessed virtual activity trails 8

“I really love mobile adventures! I like going places and getting exercise with my family. We have been to places we might not have gone to otherwise, including some great playgrounds!

Its 50% orienteering, 50% trivia and 100% fun! I would recommend them to anybody – they’re amazing!”

- A 9-year-old participant on our mobile adventures

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

The Daily Mile™ The Daily Mile is a national initiative, supporting schools to get children fit for life and fit for learning, by encouraging them to run or jog for 15 minutes every day in their primary schools and early years settings. This physical activity promotes social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing, as well as fitness.

“The pupils have been really enjoying Mount Mile and it has helped to keep the school community feeling by joining those pupils we have in school to those pupils working remotely; all working together on the same task. I have had really positive feedback particularly from our Key Stage 1 teachers, they have found the challenge a useful tool to keep pupils in school motivated.”

- Thongsley Fields Primary School

Throughout the pandemic and periods of remote learning, Living Sport continued to support schools across the county by creating resources and challenges for children to continue their Daily Mile at home. This provided a much needed means of keeping pupils active and connected.

129 schools

£75,000 funding 9

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

What Else We’ve Been Working On… projects established in 2020-21 and commencing in 2021-22 Living Sport Youth Community Enabling young people to develop their leadership skills, influence community led projects, access training and play a part in the decision-making process for grant distribution.

Sports Leaders Volunteer Programme New programme of learning designed to offer young people a pathway into volunteering through building transferable core skills.

In partnership with: Sports Leaders, Enjoy the View

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Communities The pandemic highlighted the importance of community – of the places we live, and the community we feel when connecting to ‘people like me’. As restrictions kept many of us at home, what was available in the place you live became more important than ever before.

We quickly realised how we can come together to lift each other up and how vital the work we do, to empower and equip local communities to embed physical activity within community life, is.

Through our Active New Communities programme, we have been learning about the value of working in places, in partnership with local people, for several years.

This last year has really challenged us to take this working in a place-based way to the next level.

Tackling Inequalities Fund Early in the first lockdown it became clear that those with the lowest levels of physical activity pre-pandemic were likely to become even less active as we stayed at home. Disabled people and those with long term conditions were more likely to shield or lost their support networks; people living in areas of statistical deprivation had less access to green space to be active; and racially minoritised people were more likely to be working longer hours and living in places where it is more difficult to be active.

In response, Sport England launched the Tackling Inequalities Fund, to support organisations and groups working with those disproportionally affected by the pandemic to help keep them active and connected.

Living Sport were the distributing partner for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with funds going to a wide range of community groups.

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Total Distribution

£87,700 Total Projects

43 “Thank you for giving me something amazing in a very dark time where I didn’t expect it. I looked forward to every session and the feeling of wellbeing it produced. It provided motivation to keep healthy and maintain some sort of togetherness and sense of community.”

-Participant, Healthy Living and Diabetes Intervention at Gladstone Community Centre

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Active New Communities

Supporting Sports Clubs

“Play suspended by pandemic” was a key feature of the third year of our Active New Communities programme which supports people living in new housing developments to create opportunities for physical activity and sports.

The pandemic shut the doors of sports clubs across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, devastated income and fundraising, and put the hard built volunteer networks our clubs rely on at risk. We proudly supported clubs during this period by distributing funding, hosting support forums and transitioning our workforce training courses online.

Whilst many of the planned activities couldn’t take place, the hard work of the project team in building local trust and knowledge meant a successful year in new communities Northstowe and Alconbury Weald.

450 people supported to move more Living Sport’s continued presence and work with our valued partners has demonstrated the importance of time, patience, local knowledge and support in building a thriving, active community. One which is driven by local need and ambition.

As people returned to play, we were pleased to see that many clubs had adapted and survived, and we continue to listen to what they need to recover and reinvent.

Community Emergency Fund

£348,835 distributed to 108 clubs Mick George Sports Fund distributed to 33 clubs

24 Online Training Courses delivered

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

“Since we upgraded our facilities [with new heaters], the club has blossomed and membership has grown significantly despite the difficulties with lockdown restrictions. We are so grateful for the support from Living Sport through the Mick George Sports Fund.”

- Club Professional, Swavesey Squash Club, recipient of Mick George Sports Fund

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Living Sport

Walking Sports We recognise the importance of people having the opportunities to stay active as they get older or after a change in their health. Early in 2020 we set out to increase the availability of Walking Sports across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough so that people can still take part in the games they love, but in a less strenuous way. This offered people the opportunity to be active alongside enjoying the social benefits of sport.

As lockdowns were lifted, the importance of accessible and inclusive physical activity really

Impact Report 2020-21

came to the fore. Walking Sports provided a much needed option for those looking to be more active in a way that suited them.

Walking rugby and hockey established in 4 different locations Ability Plus Group The strength of Living Sport is its partners, and the networks we work with. A great example of this is the Ability Plus Group, which brings together 186 partners working to increase accessibility to activity for disabled people and those with additional needs. Living 14

Sport are the lead facilitator for the group, which has benefited from coming together online during the pandemic. We saw increased attendance at quarterly events, with effective sharing of information and skills to support disabled people to continue to be active, return to sessions or adjust to online.

Looking forward, the insight, knowledge and skill of the network will be essential as we develop and implement a Disability Physical Activity Strategy for the county.

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

“It’s good to get out, see people, get some fresh air. It certainly has a balancing effect on mental health” - Participant, March Bears Walking Rugby 15

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

What Else We’ve Been Working On… projects established in 2020-21 and commencing in 2021-22 Papworth Trust Work And Health Programme Supporting people on the Papworth Trust Work and Health Programme to participate in physical activity to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

In partnership with: Papworth Trust, Illuminate, Able2B

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Health “If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat.”

- UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines, 2019 Living Sport is committed to working as a systems partner to unlock access to this miracle cure in our local health system.

The last year has been a significantly challenging one for our health partners. Services suspended or reduced as staff were redeployed to the pandemic response, overwhelming demand due to delayed treatment, and the plans to transform to an Integrated Care System finally coming to the fore.

with complex needs and looking at the role physical activity can play. The emergence of Integrated Neighbourhood Teams with a granular knowledge of local health population needs and the power to address them means more opportunities to embed physical activity in pathways are opening up.

The development of the Integrated Care System means an increased openness to collaboration and innovation to address the health of our county.

Healthy You Summer 2020 saw the launch of the new Healthy You service, helping people make changes to their lifestyle. In partnership with our local District and City Councils, Living Sport co-ordinates the delivery of healthy eating and physical activity programmes in communities, schools and workplaces. This builds on the fabulous three year Let’s Get Moving Cambridgeshire programme that we also co-managed.

Despite a very challenging first year bringing a new partnership together, with lockdowns, facility closures and public confidence low, the service has had a significant impact.

But it has presented significant opportunity for us to collaborate in new ways. There is now a strong network of skilled Social Prescribing Link Workers and Health Coaches, working with patients

With our District and City Council partners, Healthy You provides the capacity and local knowledge for collaboration with Primary Care 17

Living Sport

Networks and the new Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, linking patients directly into existing activities, and improving local pathways. We look forward to adding value to the local system over the next year.

Over 4000 people in physical activity programmes

109 new programmes developed 209 existing programmes supported

Impact Report 2020-21

Peterborough Mental Health

Workplace Movement

Recognising the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health, and the proven link between physical activity and management and prevention of mental health, Living Sport proactively sought to identify what role we could play in supporting people through the challenging time.

Workplace Movement supports employers to encourage employees to keep active for their physical and mental health. It is a national programme, supported by Sport England and facilitated through Active Partnerships.

In Peterborough, we convened a partnership of providers who focused on wellbeing activities across arts, physical activity and natural environment, to understand how we could collaborate to have a stronger response to support Covid-19 recovery. It became clear that being able to have good conversations about mental health, and knowing how to support people, was a priority. The shared expertise and insight will be used to improve mental health support services in Peterborough.

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As a member of the local Healthy Workplaces network, we are keen to ensure that there is a broad and varied offer for employers to find the right fit for their workforce, as we fundamentally believe that healthy workplaces are essential to improving lives and communities.

During 2020-21, Living Sport delivered Workplace Movement webinars to several companies via tailored and open sessions with content adapted to support the needs of employees working from home.

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

“Worth taking the time out of your day to pause and think about these wellbeing tips – especially recommended over Covid-19 and the gloomy winter months for mental and physical wellbeing!”

- Participant, Workplace Movement Webinar

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Living Sport

What Else We’ve Been Working On… projects established in 2020-21 and commencing in 2021-22 Wellbeing Together Community training programme to equip volunteers and community workers with the skills to support others to look after their mental health.

Impact Report 2020-21

Wonder Women Programme to pilot activities to address the specific barriers women in local communities experience in being active.

In partnership with: Peterborough Council for Voluntary Services, Arts and Minds, Green Backyard and Metal Peterborough

In partnership with: Peterborough Mental Health Exemplar, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Trust, CPSL Mind Worthwhile Waiting Programme to support people awaiting orthopaedic surgery to improve their self-care by being more physically active.

In partnership with: Meridian PCN, Kettles Yard and South Cambridgeshire District Council

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Other Highlights…

Local Joes Campaign In August, members of the Living Sport team pushed themselves out of their comfort zones and put themselves through different fitness challenges, from cycling for 24 hours to walking, running and pushing various distances, to raise funds for our work in supporting the efforts of #LocalJoes – the people on the ground who keep our communities active and connected and who went above and beyond during the pandemic. We raised over £3000 and this is being used to support clubs through our workforce initiatives to continue their inspirational work.

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Festival Of Running Whilst we, like everyone else, had to cancel several of our events, in November 2020 we hosted a month-long virtual Festival of Running to help keep people active, connected and motivated. 165 participants took part in the event, where they had the choice to walk, run or push a 10 mile, 10km or 5km distance using their own route or marked routes at Nene Park.

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Virtual Sports Awards Determined to honour our sporting stars, clubs, coaches and lockdown and community heroes, our annual Sports Awards event went virtual in December 2020. Olympic gymnast Louis Smith MBE hosted the live-streamed event which saw over 7000 votes cast in the public vote, 130 peak live viewers and over 2000 video views. We were delighted to be able to recognise the deserving winners and nominees and are grateful to all our sponsors, including key sponsor Central England Co-operative, who made the event possible.

To tell the story of the experiences of the sport and physical activity community sector during 2020 we created a video poem for the event.

Watch it here - Look Back, Look Forward

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Working in Partnership Partnership working is at the heart of everything we do. We work collaboratively with partners in the public, private, community and voluntary sectors to create the conditions for the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to be active. The pandemic presented many unprecedented challenges for the sector necessitating us to quickly learn to work in different ways. Throughout this period, we continued to prioritise supporting our partners and working together to tackle the obstacles and optimise the opportunities that were presented.

different organisations. In March 2021, we carried out a further piece of partner research to provide additional insight and inform our strategy development.

Additionally, partners were represented at our Improvement Workshop in March 2021.

Every year we send a survey to all our partners and stakeholders to assess how we are delivering on our partnership values and to measure the effectiveness of our partnerships. This allows us to continue to learn and improve. In September 2020 our Partner Survey was sent to 165 partners from 89 24

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

What Our Partners Said About Us:

Our Partnership Values:

As we look to the future, we will continue to focus our energy on working collaboratively and fostering mutually beneficial relationships that work towards shared values and objectives.

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Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

Looking Forward The Living Sport Board approved a new Business Plan in November 2019. This was followed by an organisational restructure and reinforcement of the team, with recruitment through the first half of 2020-21 into Delivery, Partnerships and Business Development teams.

We are planning for 2021 and beyond including the launch of a refreshed Strategy, building on the insight that the Covid-19 pandemic accentuated the inequalities and barriers to participation in sport and physical activity and that in addressing this we need to work across systems and in a place-based way. We will continue to build strong relationships with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, working collaboratively to use physical activity to change lives for the better.

Our forthcoming strategy refresh will focus on: • Supporting positive physical activity experiences for children and young people • Supporting communities to thrive by becoming more resilient, inclusive and connected • Embedding physical activity in prevention and management of physical and mental health This sits comfortably alongside a new ten year Sport England strategy Uniting the Movement, and Living Sport will, as one of the network of 43 Active Partnerships covering England, support their vision “Transforming lives and communities through sport and physical activity”.

The development of our robust and resilient organisation is built upon a strong focus across the charity 26

on Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Young People and Adults at Risk in sport; promoting greater Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; and continued Good Governance.

We hope that you have enjoyed reading our Annual Impact Report, but more importantly are encouraged to engage and work with Living Sport in the future as we deliver our refreshed Strategy.

Living Sport

Impact Report 2020-21

“Connecting, influencing, enabling and supporting opportunities for people to be active across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough”.

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info@livingsport.co.uk Eastfield House Latham Road Huntingdon PE29 6YG 01487 841559 www.livingsport.co.uk