Great Yarmouth & West Norfolk among 53 places chosen to receive further Sport England investment to tackle inactivity
Today, Sport England have announced 53 Place Expansion Partnerships they will be working with, in order to address regional inequalities in activity levels across England. Today’s announcement builds upon 2023’s major £250m investment into the heart of communities across England, designed so those in greatest need are able to be active.
Amongst the 53 to receive investment are West Norfolk and Great Yarmouth; which are both included in the top 10% in the country for inactivity, social need, deprivation and health inequalities.
What are Place Partnerships, and why are they important?
Sport England research has found that affluence and activity levels are closely linked, with over a third of adults (34%) in England’s most deprived places found to be inactive, compared to 20% in the least deprived places.
The Place Partnership approach targets resources and efforts on communities that could benefit most. This follows the belief that where a person lives, and the environment around them has a huge impact on how likely they are to be physically active.
Place Partnerships collaborate with people and partners who live and work locally, in order to reflect that community’s unique requirements and circumstances. To do this, Sport England bring together local leaders, policy and decision-makers and organisations to understand the specific barriers people face when getting active. They will be working with all 43 Active Partnerships across the country to do this.
The intention of this work is to co-create local solutions that work for the communities receiving funding, rather than working on assumptions.
Which areas will receive further investment through Sport England’s place-based approach?
The first 53 places receiving investment (Phase 1) have been announced today. These will join the existing 12 Place Partnerships (formerly local delivery pilots) which were established in 2018.
King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, and Great Yarmouth are amongst the initial 53 to be announced, with both areas set to receive further funding to tackle inequalities.
Other nearby areas include Ipswich, West Suffolk, Fenland and Peterborough. Sport England plan to announce a further 27 Place Partnerships later in the year.
What will the funding be used for in King’s Lynn & West Norfolk and Great Yarmouth?
Active Norfolk are thrilled that a portion of the £250 million pound funding from Sport England has been allocated to benefit Great Yarmouth and West Norfolk. We anticipate this will be a vital contribution towards improving the physical and mental wellbeing of local communities within these areas.
Our Director, Eve Dewsnap spoke to the Eastern Daily Press to give an overview of how crucial the funding is to the local communities receiving it.
In Great Yarmouth and West Norfolk, it’s vital that we focus on improving access to physical activity opportunities. This is in line with Active Norfolk’s ethos that movement improves lives, but also with the recently released research on the social value of sport and physical activity, where it was estimated that over £107 billion in social value was generated by sport and physical activity in 2022/2023 – a huge number that is being built upon year on year.
“We are happy to hear that King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth are among those chosen to benefit from Sport England’s Place Partnerships funding. This investment in these areas will be crucial in tackling the barriers that prevent local communities from being active—whether that’s financial constraints, accessibility challenges, or a lack of suitable facilities. By targeting these issues, we can begin to break down these barriers, ensuring that more people, especially those in underrepresented groups, have the opportunity to engage in sport and physical activity. Through supporting community-led initiatives and improved local spaces, we’re committed to making it easier for everyone to move more in their daily lives.”
Eve Dewsnap, Active Norfolk Director
In terms of allocating the funding, we know that establishing and supporting community-based projects can be powerful, offering free or low-cost opportunities to engage in physical activity. Additionally, we need to involve local communities in decision-making, ensuring that the programmes reflect their specific needs, be it through tailored initiatives or culturally relevant activities. The investment needs to target areas where there are barriers to participation, be it financial, accessibility, or lack of facilities, especially for underrepresented groups.
We need to successfully work with local partners and communities to identify and tackle these barriers head on. We will also focus on influencing decision making and change, ensuring people can walk, cycle, or take part in recreational activities safely and easily.
Find out more about Place Partnerships
To find out more about Place Partnerships, and our plans for Great Yarmouth and West Norfolk & King’s Lynn, visit our Place Partnerships page.