2023 - 2024
About us
We’re Northamptonshire’s leading charity supporting physical activity, health and wellbeing.
With our partners, we deliver sports events, activity programmes, wellbeing projects and support local groups. We collaborate to change behaviours, tackle inequalities and remove the barriers that prevent people from leading more active lifestyles.
Foreword
Chris Holmes, Chief Executive
Our job at Northamptonshire Sport is to help more people to be active. Whether that’s playing sports with a club, joining an exercise class, or going for a walk or bike ride with the family. Sometimes our work involves delivering opportunities ourselves – such as our 5K running events or the Summer School Games.
We also support people to be more active by commissioning or co-ordinating with partners to deliver programmes. Good examples of this are the Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) programme and the Activity on Referral scheme.
But most of all, we seek to influence the world around us, to create an environment in Northamptonshire where being active becomes so much easier. We call this – system change. It involves reshaping the strategies, policies, investment decisions and ways of working within public, voluntary and private sectors.
This report gives a small snapshot of some of this work. It doesn’t cover everything we do and it certainly doesn’t cover all the great work that our partners are doing. Examples are given of some of the system change work we are involved in and some of the opportunities we deliver, either directly ourselves or indirectly through others. We hope it gives a flavour of who we are and what we are about.
Our thanks to all those who have helped make these things happen and we very much look forward to continued impact over the coming years.
Chris Holmes Chief Executive at Northamptonshire Sport
Chris Holmes
Active Communities and Health
Our aim is to make it easier for everyone to enjoy an active lifestyle. To do this we help to create the right conditions in our priority places, and focus our efforts on our least active communities, building trusted relationships, co-producing local solutions to remove inequalities, and connecting them to local networks to create system change.
Working in collaboration with local health partners and through strategic positioning we advocate for the role that physical activity can play in achieving health and social care outcomes. Examples of this work includes the Activity on Referral scheme, specialist referral pathways, falls prevention and social prescribing initiatives.
Get Up & Go, falls prevention programme
Falls and falls-related injuries are a common and serious problem for older people. In Northamptonshire around 47,000 people over 65 are at risk of falling each year.
Since 2018, we’ve provided a programme of OTAGO exercise, strength and balance classes for people with a history of, or at risk of falling. In the last 12 months, the programme has grown significantly. Over 50 Get Up & Go classes happen each week across Northamptonshire. The enhanced version, ICAN Get Up & Go, continues to grow.
ICAN Get Up & Go
Millie’s story
The class has helped me tremendously and it’s still helping me a lot. One of the big things it’s helping me to do is have a bath independently. Because of the work we do in the classes, I can get in and out now without help – which is a great improvement.
Apart from what the classes teach you, I think the camaraderie in the class makes it easier. Everyone is so friendly and considerate of each other and that makes a lot of difference
Watch Millie’s Story
Highlights 2023/24
Active Communities and Health
£18,511 of funding secured for 15 sports clubs in Northamptonshire from the Mick George Fund.
40 organisations supported with £139,882 of funding through the Together Fund.
2,254 participants joined the community ‘Get Up & Go’ falls prevention programme. 189 participants joined the enhanced version - ICAN Get Up & Go.
2,022 referrals to the Activity On Referral scheme across 17 sites, of those 1516 started and 1023 completed the 12 week programme.
people attended the free training course and 22 volunteer placements were secured for The Volunteer Coaching Academy.
Commercial and Business Development
3,805
people participated in open water swimming at our Sywell and Daventry Country Park venues.
2,035 people attended our 2023 event programme.
14,815 recorded visitors to Northampton Bike Park
Active Schools and Education
25
schools supported with over £247,048 through the Opening School Facilities (OSF) programme, supporting the establishment of after-school activities.
75%
of schools engaged with the School Games, with 242 competitions/festivals/ events, in 34 sports, with a total attendance of 23,213.
68,658 places booked on the Holiday Activity and Food programme, with 53,263 attendances recorded from 7,547 children.
Out of School Hours Funding (OSF)
The government funds the OSF programme. OSF is a three-year programme, worth £57m nationally – £19m a year – of which at least 90% goes directly to schools.
The OSF programme is managed by the Active Partnerships National Team and a consortium of partners, these include the Youth Sport Trust, Street Games, UK Active and the 43 Active Partnerships – Northamptonshire Sport is one of the 43.
OSF aims to help schools open their existing sports facilities, including swimming pools, for a broader range of young people and develop community links.
Additionally, OSF supports schools to open their facilities outside of the normal school day to allow young people and the wider community to access more opportunities to be active
Over the lifespan of the project, Northamptonshire has been allocated £873,466
Weavers Academy - Testimonial
Since the arrival of the new gym at Weavers Academy, the positive impact on our community has been nothing short of transformative. This state-of-the-art facility has become a vibrant hub of activity, promoting health, wellness and a sense of unity among students, staff and community users.
The gym has significantly enhanced both our physical education programme and our extra-curricular programme providing students and staff with access to top-notch equipment and a wide variety of fitness classes. This has not only improved their physical fitness but also boosted their confidence and motivation. Students are now more engaged in sports and physical activities, leading to better overall academic performance and wellbeing.
We’re incredibly proud of this addition to our academy and look forward to the continued positive impact it will have on everyone who steps through its doors.
Stefan Emary, Head of Physical Education at Weavers Academy,
Wellingborough.
HAF
With our partners, we deliver the government-funded HAF programme in Northamptonshire.
Known locally as HAF Northants, the funded school holiday clubs ensure that disadvantaged children, young people and families have access to healthy food and enriching activities throughout holiday periods.
HAF School Holidays at Pinnacle Climbing Centre, Northampton.
Ash joined the HAF programme during the summer of 2023.
Talking about the experience, Ash said:
These sessions have given me the opportunity I’d have otherwise never had. Coming to the Pinnacle was a dream since I was very young, I had been asking for years and was never able to come due to a variety of different reasons, including financial. It was amazing, like ticking something off my bucket list. I would love to come climbing more often and improve my climbing skills.
Ash’s mum said:
Firstly, I would like to say how grateful I am as a single mum for the opportunity for my son to have been able to attend the Pinnacle sessions. Ash has had a very difficult few years and has lost interest in everything. He found socialising incredibly difficult. He has shown determination in improving his climbing and has thoroughly looked forward to coming every week.
I have seen such a difference in Ash’s confidence and happiness. He can’t wait to share all about his afternoon when I collect him. In summary this has been a life changing experience for Ash, which in turn shows a positive attitude within our family. Thank you.
Watch the Video
Making a positive impact - with help from our volunteers
We can’t do it without you, thank you.
The support of our volunteers means our charity can help more people in Northamptonshire to be active. Every week our volunteers donate their time and energy to help our programmes and events to run smoothly. Whether it’s marshalling events, lifeguarding, maintenance, or coaching, volunteers make our work possible.
Volunteering has a positive impact both for individuals and the wider community, through developing self-confidence, improving social connections, and enhancing employment opportunities. Our aim is to continue to create a space where volunteering can change lives, helping everyone to thrive.
If you’re interested in volunteering with us please get in touch, contactinfo@northamptonshiresport.org
Testimonial
“Volunteering
has really helped me gain more confidence. I’ve volunteered for several years now doing gardening and sports. It’s great, I love being outside whatever the time of year.”
Grant Ellingham Northamptonshire Sport volunteer
Northampton Bike Park
In 2022 we worked with West Northamptonshire Council, Sport England, British Cycling and other partners to transform a former golf course into a 40-acre specialist mountain bike park. In the last year, we’ve created more courses and held specialist days to help more people enjoy the bike park and the benefits of physical activity.
From the recent Women’s Day to beginner cycling courses, we’re working hard to engage the local community and make Northampton Bike Park a hub for cycling in Northamptonshire.
Our team of volunteers is ever-growing. They help to maintain the park, help run our events and support our bike park team.
Like our other programmes and events, volunteers are at the heart of what we do. Without them, we couldn’t deliver our work to make Northamptonshire a happier, healthier and more active place.
Testimonial
“Volunteering at the bike park with Northamptonshire Sport gives me the opportunity to give something back to the community. Volunteering allows others the freedom to develop in a sport that has brought me so much happiness.”
Northampton Bike Park volunteer
System Change
Our aim is to create an environment where everyone can be active, regardless of their background or circumstances. This means addressing the underlying issues that prevent people from being active, such as lack of access to facilities, the built environment, infrastructure, health and social inequalities or inadequate support.
To do this we are working to influence the local ‘system’ (health, sport/ leisure, education, government, charities) to make long term changes on how sports and physical activity is organised and delivered across places and communities in Northamptonshire.
Leading on Move Northamptonshire Strategy
A framework for active lifestyles in Northamptonshire.
The Issues Around Inactivity are Complex. Here are just a few…
Primary Care Integrated Care Health
Collaboration
Collaboration
Local Area Partnerships
Sports/ Physical Activity Charity, Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise Schools
Leisure Providers National Governing Bodies
Instructors
Lack of Facilities
