- But the research shows sport clubs and activity groups give children the greatest sense of community
- Access to sport and exercise can be a postcode lottery – especially in deprived areas
- Dr Guddi Singh: “Postcode can be a stronger predictor of health than genetic code”
- Sport England expands partnerships into 27 new places to boost activity rates & improve sense of community
After yesterday’s Autumn Budget, Sport England has announced a major expansion of its work in places with high rates of inactivity.
The expansion aims to use community exercise and sport to address the growing challenge of people feeling disconnected from their communities, including children and young people. New research by Sport England has found:
- Over half a million children (1 in 10) aged 12–17 say they don’t feel they belong where they live – that’s equivalent to the population of Bristol.[1]
- Almost 1 in 5 (close to 845,000) do not feel proud of where they live
- Among those who lack pride in their area, almost half (45%) say it’s because there is nowhere to go for young people, while 4 in 10 cite anti-social behaviour and worries about crime
The research also points to a powerful solution: exercise and sport. When asked what gives them a sense of community (aside from friends and family), the top answer was sports clubs and activity groups – with over half (56%) of children and young people saying that this gives them a sense of community.
However, access to exercise and sport is often dependent on where you live, with affluence and activity levels closely linked. Over a third of people (34%) are inactive in England’s most deprived places, compared to 20% in the least deprived. This creates a ‘postcode lottery’ for physical activity, which can deepen health inequalities across the country.
Tackling inactivity is one of the best ways to boost national health and wealth, with Sport England research showing that every £1 spent on community sport and exercise delivers £4.38 [2] back for the economy and society in health, wellbeing, happiness, community cohesion, employment and economic growth.
To provide opportunities for everyone to exercise, Sport England is expanding its partnerships to a further 27 places, with each place in the top 20% for inactivity, social need, deprivation and health inequality at a national level. This work supports the aims of Uniting the Movement, Sport England’s 10-year strategy, and helps deliver the Government’s wider goals of improving health, growing local economies and building stronger, fairer communities.
Speaking from Blackpool – where Sport England has been working in partnership with Move Together Blackpool for a year tackling inactivity, including low activity rates among children and young people – CEO Simon Hayes said: “Sport and exercise are a fantastic way for people to connect with their communities. However, if you live in a less wealthy place, the less active you are. That’s why we focus our resources on places where they can have the most impact – so children and young people in lower-income areas like Blackpool have places to go and take part in sport and activity.
“Making exercise a normal part of life for everyone, all over the country, drives major social and economic value; active lifestyles save the health system £8 billion a year. If everybody can take part in sport and exercise – regardless of background, bank balance or postcode – we will all be healthier, wealthier and happier.”
Sport England’s Director of Place, Lisa Dodd-Mayne, said: “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.”
Sport England Chair, Chris Boardman, said: “Health experts call exercise the “miracle cure”; it is fantastic for our health, happiness, and economy. That’s why it’s vital that every adult and child can take part in sport and exercise. Our work in local places will help end the postcode lottery for physical activity – and get people active from the ground up.”
Dr Guddi Singh, paediatrician, health campaigner and broadcaster said: “As a paediatrician, I see every day that a child’s postcode can be a stronger predictor of their health than their genetic code. When local streets feel unsafe, there’s nowhere affordable to go, and young people don’t feel they belong, it shows up in their bodies and in their minds.
“If we care about the future of public health, we have to turn our thinking on its head: health isn’t built in hospitals, it’s built in homes, schools, streets and parks. That’s why this place-based investment from Sport England matters so much. It backs the communities where children actually live, learn and play – and gives them a real chance to move, connect and thrive.”
Andy Taylor, CEO of the Active Partnerships National Organisation, said: “Many of the Place Partnerships that Sport England is investing in are led by Active Partnerships from our network of 42 organisations. This is vital investment for places across England and our network will work with partners and communities, ensuring that it is used in the most effective way for each of the 27 recipient places.
“Every place is different, and as local experts and great connectors that bringing real change from the ground up, Active Partnerships are engaging with key stakeholders, including voluntary organisations, health partners, local authorities, and communities, to support local people to be active in ways that work for them.
“Our Active Partnerships know from years of experience that sport and physical activity has the power to bring people together, creating stronger connections and thriving, more resilient communities. It can also help foster a sense of personal pride and achievement, as well as pride in the places where people live, work, and play.”
Working in partnership with communities
To tackle inactivity in these new 27 places, Sport England is taking a Place-based approach, partnering with Active Partnerships, other local organisations, and with leaders who understand both the specific needs of their communities and the local assets that are available to support people to play sport and get active.
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.
Sport England is investing £250 million of National Lottery and exchequer funding into this way of working and into more than 90 places across the country.
The power of Place-based working
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 it’s targeting include children and young people from low-income backgrounds, and older adults at risk of long-term health conditions.
A flagship programme working in deprived communities in Bradford to get children aged five to 14 and their families physically active improved children’s total physical activity by 8.3 minutes a day and over 70 minutes a week. In Greater Manchester, changes in local systems have led to an increase of activity levels for children and young people so they are now above the national average. In Doncaster, the number of active adults has risen from 53% to 58% since 2015 – an increase of almost 17,000 people.
For more information on Sport England’s Place Partnerships and how to get involved, visit www.sportengland.org.
[1] Online research conducted on behalf of Sport England by OnePoll between 10-14 November 2025, interviewing 2,000 UK children.
[2] Sport England’s Social Value of Sport & Physical Activity Year 2 Report, based on work by State of Life, Sheffield Hallam University, and Manchester Metropolitan University.
