Breckland amongst 27 places chosen for Sport England’s latest Place Partnership expansion

Following this week’s Autumn Budget announcement, Sport England has announced a major expansion of its work in places with high rates of inactivity. This expansion aims to use community exercise and sport to address the growing challenge of people feeling disconnected from their communities.  

We’re thrilled to announce that Breckland is amongst 27 new places across England chosen as part of Sport England’s Place Partnership expansion. Breckland will join the 53 existing Place Partnerships which include King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, and Great Yarmouth, and will receive a share of the National Lottery’s £250 million funding to boost activity rates and improve the sense of community within that area.  

By embedding physical activity in the heart of local systems, Sport England is helping build a healthier, more connected and more productive nation – focusing its time, funding and energy on places and people that face the biggest barriers to getting active, where activity levels are lowest and inequalities are deepest. 

The importance of Place work  

We know that where you live has a direct impact on how active you can be. For this reason, the ‘whole-system’ approach to place is proving to be the best way to target inactivity and provide the bespoke interventions that communities within that place need.  

Sport England has been testing this community-based approach since 2018, with insight from pilot areas demonstrating that its investments are making a positive contribution towards changing the way local systems work and reducing inactivity amongst those that need the greatest support. Two key groups being targeted include children and young people from low-income backgrounds, and older adults at risk of long-term health conditions. 

The latest expansion aims to build upon the existing Place work across the country. Recent Sport England research shows that: 

• Over half a million children and young people aged 12-17 say they don’t feel they belong where they live 

• Over 845,000 of these children do not feel proud of where they live 
• Over a third of people (34%) are inactive in England’s most deprived places, compared to 20% in the lease deprived 

This creates a ‘postcode lottery’ for physical activity, which can deepen concerning health inequalities across the country.

“Inactive children living in lower income households are more likely to grow up into inactive adults with more health issues and less happiness – and that’s a ticking timebomb for our country’s future. By working together with communities who know what’s best for them, we co-create opportunities to get active that local people and children want and need in the place they live. This can help inspire lifelong active habits in children and young people.  Active children and young people are more likely to become active adults.” 

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Director of Place (Sport England)

The social value of sport and physical activity 

“If everybody can take part in sport and exercise – regardless of background, bank balance or postcode – we will all be healthier, wealthier and happier.” 

This month, Sport England published an updated Year Two report on the social value of sport and physical activity. This showed that the total annual social value of sport and physical activity in England for 2024/2024 was £122.9 billion. It also showed that healthy, active lifestyles could save up to £15.9 billion a year for the health and care system, which would ultimately relieve pressure on the NHS.  

It also showed that for every £1 invested into community sport, £4.38 was generated for the economy, which demonstrates the value of an active lifestyle.  

Since October, this research has been further developed to show the breakdown of value by region. The latest report shows that the annual social value in the East of England is valued at £14 billion, highlighting more than ever the importance of our work in Place across Norfolk.

Our planned work in Breckland 

We are thrilled that work is being strengthened in Breckland to drive meaningful, place-based change; joining our two existing places, King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth in this exciting opportunity.  

Our current work across the these two existing Place Partnerships has seen huge developments within the areas, and over £170,000 invested into those areas so far. We have consulted with stakeholders and local partners, and engaged with local communities to identify areas in which initiatives will have the most impact. 

“The Sport England Place Partnerships work in Norfolk has been truly community-led from the very beginning. By listening to local voices and shaping plans around what matters most to residents, we’ve started to plan and approach new initiatives that feel relevant, inclusive, and impactful. This approach has not only strengthened partnerships but also empowered communities to take ownership of active living. We’re thrilled to continue this exciting journey and explore the incredible opportunities that lie ahead.”

Rebecca Tuff, Head of Active Communities (Active Norfolk)

Breckland is amongst 27 places that have been added to this expansion. Each Place chosen is in the top 20% for inactivity, social need, deprivation and health inequality at a national level. 

In July, in partnership with Breckland Council, Active Norfolk brought together a range of organisations alongside colleagues from Sport England to identify the priorities for Breckland. 

We’re looking forward to enhancing our collaborative way of working with the local community and partners, where we’ll strive to understand Breckland’s unique needs. In support of the existing Health and Wellbeing Partnership, we will work to tackle the inequalities and barriers that prevent people from being physically active.  

You can read more about our ongoing work in the Place Partnerships programme, and get in touch for further information by clicking the button below.