Sport Action Zones provide major boost to participation in deprived Communities

Research published on 3 October by Sport England reveals how two ground-breaking Sport Action Zones have helped two of England's most deprived communities buck trends by getting active and into sport.

The research, carried out by Ipsos MORI for Sport England, provides crucial insights into what works in the battle to get people off the sofa. It contains detailed evaluation of four of the twelve Sport Actions Zones (SAZ), which were launched in 2000 to combat low levels of participation in sport and physical activity among hard-to-reach groups.

In Liverpool and Barrow-in-Furness the research showed significant increases in participation. In Liverpool, overall regular participation in sport and physical activity went up by five per cent (60% to 65%); it increased 12 per cent among over 50s (36% to 48%); and among socio-economically deprived (C2DE) groups it increased by a staggering 10 per cent (43% to 53%). Significant increases were also recorded in Barrow, with overall participation increasing six per cent (from 66% to 72%); eight per cent among women (61% to 69%); and among C2DEs (61% to 67%) and residents over 50 by seven per cent (53% to 60%).

Gary White, Liverpool SAZ Manager, said: 'We are thrilled with the results and the difference the zone has made to thousands of people's lives and the community as a whole. This is down to five years of dedication and hard work by local people and volunteers, our partner agencies and all the staff who have worked in the Liverpool Sport Action Zone. The challenge for us now is to build on this success and increase participation rates even further. We also hope that the lessons we have learnt will help others improve access to sport and address physical inactivity in their own communities.'

Stephen Baddeley, Sport England Interim Chief Executive, said: 'Sport England set up the Sport Action Zones to address low participation in some of the most socially and economically deprived areas of the country, from Cornwall to Cumbria. The outstanding results from Liverpool and Barrow-in-Furness are testament to the excellent work of all those involved, especially given the backdrop of static participation across the country as a whole over this period. The research published today provides clear lessons about the steps we must take if we are to boost sport, address chronic inactivity amongst many groups and improve the nation's health.'

Sport Minister Richard Caborn said: 'The positive results from both the Liverpool and Barrow-in-Furness Sport Action Zones are extremely encouraging and prove just what can be achieved through local people, volunteers and partner agencies all working together. The research will be invaluable to help find a way forward to get more people taking part in sport and physical activity at every level in their own communities.'

The evaluation across a number of different zones has enabled Sport England to assess which interventions and activities are most successful in encouraging and supporting more people to get active.

The evaluation shows that success is dependent on a combination of factors, which include:

A highly motivated and skilled leader and team of local paid staff and volunteers
Taking a bottom up approach to empower local people, based on what they want and need
Offering a variety of sports and activities, with low cost or free taster sessions
Investing in facilities and open spaces but focusing on people as the key to success
Promoting and supporting volunteering by local residents
Tailoring communications to individual groups
Providing small grants to help build goodwill in the community
Taking advantage of peoples' sense of identity and community
To engage with a wide range of partnerships within and outside sport.

Stephen Baddeley said: 'Arguably the most remarkable thing about the critical success factors identified in the research is the fact that there is nothing actually very remarkable about them. They are all examples of good community sports development principles and practices. It is the way they are combined together which is powerful.

'The findings of the SAZ research present Sport England and its partners with some exciting and challenging policy implications. We now need to look at ways we can apply the lessons learnt and replicate this SAZ model for local community engagement in sport throughout the country. We will be using data from the Active People survey and our Active Places facilities database to identify areas of greatest need.'

Source: Sport England