BOROUGH OF POOLE

ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW GROUP

28 July 2005

REPORT OF THE HEAD OF LEISURE SERVICES

JOINT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND RECREATION STRATEGY

1 / Purpose and Policy Context
1.1 / A joint Strategy for Physical Activity and Recreation is being developed between Leisure Service and the Poole Primary Care Trust (PCT) to develop the existing links to improve health and well-being in Poole.
2 / Decision Required
2.1 / Members are recommended to: consider the draft strategy for wider consultation.
3 / Information
3.1 / On 3 February 2005, it was reported to this Overview Group that a key element of leisure strategy for Poole concerned recreation and sports, and the following statement was made:
Current joint working between Leisure Services and Poole Primary Care Trust (PCT) on physical activity (including recreation and sports), promoting health improvement, exercise referrals from GPs and the Local Public Service Agreement (LPSA) targets clearly illustrate the closely shared objectives in this area of work.
Members agreed to developing a strategy in partnership with the PCT. The latest version of this document is now available for Members consideration.
3.2 /

The Physical Activity and Recreation Strategy for Poole has been prepared jointly by Leisure Services Borough of Poole and Poole Primary Care Trust. It covers the whole range of activity from exercise for health improvement through involvement in informal and formal recreation to excellence in sporting achievement. It aims to promote healthy lifestyles and to encourage people to enjoy being more active, whatever their age, occupation, income or health status.

3.3 /

Physical activity, recreation and sport are known to benefit individuals and communities in terms of personal fitness, health and self esteem, social inclusion, community safety and environmental improvements. The Physical Activity and Recreation Strategy sets out how recreation and sport can contribute to this in Poole, working in partnership with organisations and individuals in the public, private and independent sectors.

3.4 / The Executive Summary of the draft strategy is appended to this report to illustrate the scope and main issues.
4 / Proposal
4.1 / The strategy is still draft and it is proposed that following Members consideration it be subject to consultation within the Council, partners and stakeholders initially and then with users later.
4.2 / The strategy will be reported back to Members for final consideration and approval following consultation.

CLIVE SMITH

HEAD OF LEISURE SERVICES

Contact Officers:

Clive Smith (01202) 261380

Background Papers: Draft Physical Activity & Recreation Strategy

Draft Physical Activity & Recreation Strategy

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Physical Activity and Recreation Strategy for Poole 2005-2008 aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Poole by encouraging increased participation in physical activity. The nature and intensity of the activity will vary according to the age, health status, inclination and opportunities of each individual, ranging from planned exercise for health improvement through informal or formal recreational activities to organised competitive sport and sporting excellence.

The Strategy is a joint document prepared by Leisure Services, Borough of Poole and Poole Primary Care Trust, with input from a range of interested individuals and organisations. Partnership working is a key theme of the entire strategy and will be essential to the successful implementation of the Action Plan.

Importance

Physical activity is key to the general health and wellbeing of the population and is particularly relevant to current concerns about the rising levels of obesity in all age groups, and its association with conditions such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, some cancers and some mental health conditions.

Several national policy documents dealing with physical activity, health and wellbeing, recreation and sport have been published in recent years. Key among these are:

Game Plan (Cabinet Office, 2002);

At Least Five a Week (Chief Medical Officer, 2004);

Saving Lives – Our Healthier Nation (Department of Health, 1999);

Choosing Health: Making Healthier Choices Easier (Department of Health, 2004).

The national lead in developing sport is taken by Sport England, which aims to increase the numbers of people involved in sport, the opportunities to play sport and the medals won in international competition.

The benefits of increased levels of participation in physical activity and sport include:

improved social inclusion;

community regeneration, safety and crime prevention;

improved health and wellbeing;

economic growth;

an improved local environment.

Context

The Physical Activity and Recreation Strategy for Poole forms part of the strategic framework of the Borough Council, ‘Striving for Excellence’ with its emphasis on young people, the local economy, environment and community, and the health and wellbeing of the population. The Strategy is also key to delivering many aspects of the Primary Care Trust Local Health Plan, particularly in the areas of tackling health inequalities and conditions such as diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, obesity and mental ill health.

Within the Borough of Poole the lead on physical activity is taken by Leisure Services. The Strategy also connects to a wide range of Borough and health service plans and strategies in such areas as transport, education, children’s and youth services, arts and culture, housing, health inequalities and the Local Health Plan. The Strategy also builds on the Best Value Review of sport and recreation services carried out in 2001/02.

People And Lifestyle

The decision to hold the 2012 Olympics in London will further promote the need to develop sporting excellence. However, the health needs of our community show that a more significant effect on people’s well-being is to be achieved by encouraging all people to move along the activity continuum wherever they are, but particularly at the inactive end. We need to focus on people and acknowledge their different needs. In order to offer healthier lifestyles to all members of the community it must be recognised that some specific groups need more targeted attention.

Several key target groups are identified, including:

children and young people;

women;

people aged over 60;

people with disabilities;

disadvantaged groups.

There is considerable evidence of the health benefits of increased physical activity, and also evidence of inequalities in uptake. In general, the most active sectors of the population are in the younger age groups, professional and managerial occupations with higher levels of educational attainment, and males of all ages are generally more active than females.

Much work is already in place, including through the Healthy Schools Programme, Healthy Youth Centres, Healthy Early Years, the School Sports Co-ordinator Programme, work with local employers and through input into the Local Transport Plan and Active Travel Plans.

It is clear that, to be effective, the strategy needs to impact on people’s everyday lifestyles.

Current Provision

The Borough of Poole provides a range of facilities including:

Ashdown Leisure Centre;

Dolphin swimming pool;

Rossmore Leisure Centre;

a range of outdoor and water-based activities and programmes;

playing fields;

children’s play areas;

an exercise referral scheme and healthy walks programme;

community and recreation development support.

Additional provision is made by the voluntary sector and through youth and community centres and joint use of school facilities. There is a growing private sector, providing health and fitness clubs and slimming advice and support. The Borough has two specialist sports colleges (Carter and Rossmore) providing a high standard of sports facilities which are widely available for community use.

An analysis of existing provision, using the Facilities Planning Model, suggests that additional resources are needed to meet demand by 2011, particularly for sports halls and swimming pools. (For details, see Appendix 4).

The Strategy and associated background work reveal that some areas within the Borough are well served, while others are underprovided with sport and recreation facilities

Key Issues

A range of key issues are highlighted for further work or specific action in the following broad areas:

physical activity in general;

children’s play;

school sport;

sports facilities;

sports clubs;

playing pitches;

active travel;

performance and excellence;

management and ownership;

funding;

pricing and subsidy.

MAIN AIMS

All of the key issues need to be addressed, and each partner to the strategy will play a different role. To clarify understanding and simplify action planning, the following overall desired outcomes are proposed, within which the key issues can be addressed:

1.Providing opportunities to be active

Providing or enabling a wide range of facilities, programmes and services to allow people to be active;

Seeking funding to develop provision;

Developing innovative opportunities (partnerships, facilities, activities).

2.Removing barriers to being active

Affordability;

Location/transport;

Minority or special interests;

Improving information;

More opportunities for involvement in planning, provision and decision-making.

3.Working together to deliver activity

Joining up providers and stakeholders;

Linking activity, health, leisure, education, transport, care;

Working across public, private and voluntary sectors;

Finding out what people really want.

Implementation Of The Strategy

The Strategy will be implemented over a three year period and funded through:

existing resources, refocusing priorities as appropriate;

capital funding for refurbishment or new development;

‘reward’ money relating to LPSA targets for physical activity;

bids to external sources such as lottery funding, sports governing bodies, private providers and the voluntary sector.

Implementation will be through partnership working, with the key players being:

Borough of Poole, including Leisure Services, Education, Transportation, Strategic Planning and Social Services;

Poole Primary Care Trust;

local primary care teams and hospitals;

Poole Physical Activity Partnership;

voluntary sports clubs and community organisations;

local employers, transport companies, private health and sports clubs;

national bodies such as Sport England and other sports governing bodies.

Detailed actions required to deliver the Physical Activity and Recreation Strategy for Poole will be contained in an Action Plan giving timescales, lead organisations and outcome measures. Monitoring and reporting against the Action Plan will take place on a regular basis.

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