We’re thrilled to share our new Impact Report for 2023-24! See what we’ve been up to.

Community Investment: Opening Schools Facilities

The Fund: Opening Schools Facilities

Opening Schools Facilities (OSF) is a 3-year funding programme to meet the goals set out by the Government’s School Sport and Activity Action Plan (SSAAP). The aim is to help schools open their existing sports facilities for a broader range of young people, and to support the wider community by partnering with sporting organisations who can deliver activities.

The objective of the fund is to extend school facility opening hours outside of the school day (evenings, weekends and holidays) to allow children and young people to access more opportunities to be physically active.

Collaboration lies at the heart of our programme. We have made concerted efforts to engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders in partnership with our schools. We also continue to share insights and learn from our Active Partnership colleagues across the country.

In Norfolk and the wider region, we take pride in having far surpassed the expectations set for us, both in terms of the number of schools and students we have engaged. We have witnessed a plethora of innovative projects spring up across the county, and have seen relationships with the schools we work with go from strength to strength. This success is a testament to our commitment to promoting physical activity and fostering a culture of health and well-being in our community.

In the year ahead (2024-2025):

  • Community Integration and Sustainability: We aim to prioritise projects that not only integrate effectively with their respective communities but also demonstrate potential for sustainability beyond the funding period.
  • Knowledge Sharing and Best Practices: We plan to disseminate our learnings from various schools and showcase case studies of exemplary practices. This will provide evidence of how schools can optimise their existing resources to enhance their physical activity offerings and facility utilisation.
  • Community Use Agreements: We intend to delve into the potential of community use agreements with our partner schools. This exploration will help us understand how we can further leverage school facilities for community benefit.
  • Collaborative Learning: We aspire to bring together our partner schools to facilitate the sharing of learnings and opportunities as we move into the next academic year. This collaborative approach will foster a culture of shared growth and continuous improvement.