PRO-ACTIVE central london

Part of the National County Sports Partnership Network

Hosted by:

PRO-ACTIVE Central London: About Us

Our partnership is committed to improving the lives of people living and working in central London through sport and physical activity. We aim for increased participation in high quality activities, which are sustainable over the long term.

PRO-ACTIVE central London is a network spanning seven London boroughs. We aim to harness the many opportunities that central London has to offer, inspiring individuals to take part in sport and physical activity in their local communities. Because of this we’re built from the grassroots up, and involve a broad range of partners, including:

• Sports clubs • Community and voluntary groups• Leisure facilities• Schools, colleges and universities• The local NHS• Local authorities• Community Sport and Physical Activity Networks (CSPANs)• National governing bodies of sport.

Some of our partners are experts in sport, some are not, but they all want to work together to promote the benefits that sport and physical activity can bring, as an essential part of health and wellbeing, a tool for social change or simply for enjoyment.

Where we work

Helping 7 London boroughs provide sport and physical activity

opportunities to their 1.7 million residents and the 1 million people

who travel into central London every day.

We receive our core funding from Sport England, and we translate

national goals into local action and results.

1 of 49 county sport and physical activity partnerships across England.

The 5 partnerships in London are branded PRO-ACTIVE London.

1. Islington

2. Camden

3. Kensington and Chelsea

4. Lambeth

5. Southwark

6. Wandsworth

7. Westminster

12

7

6 4

5

3

PRO-ACTIVE central london

How the partnership works

In central London we have extremes of wealth and poverty, with concentrations of deprivation and poor health. Our population is richly diverse and nearly one in three people come from minority ethnic groups. Some people in central London have put down roots while many others are highly transient, and may only live and work in the area for a short period.

While we have advantages such as being at the centre of the transport system for London and indeed the nation, we also face unrelenting pressures for land, a limited supply of open space, a large number of private providers and a patchy community infrastructure.

Bringing together local and national agencies with 7 borough-based community networks to get more people active

This diversity and contrast is also evident within each of the central London boroughs. Understanding their specific needs – and knowing exactly what resources are available to meet them – is a particular strength of the CSPANs (Community Sport and Physical Activity Networks), which are central to the partnership. Operating at borough level they consist of local partners all working together to lead, plan and provide sport and physical activity opportunities in their specific areas. They have a deep understanding of their local communities. In addition, this is the level where investment has a positive impact on the coaches, volunteers, clubs and providers who offer activities that really appeal to local people.

PRO-ACTIVE Central London also connects the CSPANs to regional and national partners. The diagram on the next page shows how everyone fits together.

PRO-ACTIVE Central London is hosted by London South Bank University, within the Academy of Sport, and

this is where our core team is based.

PRO-ACTIVE central london

Participantsin sport and

physical activity

ProvidersClubs, coaches, volunteers and

leaders

National and London regional

partners(eg. Sport England, national governing

bodies for sport, Sports Coach UK, County Sports Partnership

Network, Greater London Assembly, NHS,

PRO-ACTIVE North, South, East, and West)

ProActive Camden

ProActive Southwark

Kensington and Chelsea

CSPAN

Active Westminster

Active Wandsworth

LambethCSPAN

ProActiveIslington

How PRO-ACTIVE Central London fits into the regional and national landscape

PRO-ACTIVE central london

POLICY, INVESTMENT

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

INVESTMENT, ADVICE, PLANNING, PROGRAMMES

REPRESENTATION, LOCAL INTELLIGENCE

ACTIVITIES THAT MEET NEEDS, INVESTMENT

NEEDS

The partnership vision

Vision statement:

Our collective values

We collaborateWe inspireWe make a positive differenceWe act with integrity

We believe that effective collaboration can increase participation in sport and physical activity, improve the quality of this experience, and ultimately create far-reaching benefits for individuals and communities. The chart on the next page illustrates how it all works.

Partners collaborating effectively to increase participation and the quality and sustainability of sport and physical activity in central London

PRO-ACTIVE central london

PRO-ACTIVE central london

Lasting results

• Sustainable sport and physical activity opportunities• Improved educational attainment, training and employment• Social cohesion and stronger communities• Improved health and wellbeing• Reduced obesity and inactivity-related health conditions

Increased participation

• More people cycling, walking and running – ‘using their own steam’ to travel

• Growth in club membership – particularly within health and fitness clubs

• More people playing sports that are well suited to the specific nature of central London

• Greater use of green space for exercise• Higher use of existing facilities, including

schools, colleges and universities • A broader range of activities for groups with

low participation levels• Increase in social sport through less formal

opportunities • Public more aware of the benefits of being

active and feeling motivated to participate

Improved quality of experience

• Opportunities are available at the right time of day • A range of offers, pitched at the right level for

the participant• Workforce equipped to meet the needs of

the participant• Better coaching for introduction to the sport

and continuous improvement• Pathways to progress are open and clear• Clubs and facilities provide a welcoming atmosphere• Green spaces maintained appropriately for

active users• Opportunities are affordable• Information is easy to find• Appropriate competition for those who want it

Effective collaborationthrough Community Sport & Physical Activity Networks

• Higher levels and better use of investment • Co-ordinated planning and implementation • Stronger clubs and other community providers• Improved flow of useful information across central London partners• Better understanding and evidence of customer and community needs

What we do

All of PRO-ACTIVE Central London’s work is guided by ten strategic objectives, and here are just a few examples of the partnership’s successful work to meet these goals.

Partnership objectives Partnership results

Support national governing bodies of sport to increase participation and establish progression routes

Increasing resourcesWe brokered a deal between the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) and local authorities to jointly fund a boxing development officer post, which has supported schools and clubs and brought an additional £200,000 into local boxing.

More young people enjoying sport in education and moving into community-based activities

The Sportivate programmeSportivate is a national legacy programme that provides new and exciting opportunities for less sporty 14 to 25 year olds, linking them to on-going activity. In the first year of the programme we managed over 200 different projects in central London and more than 2,000 young people have gone on to regular activity.

Low participation groups doing more sport and physical activity

5K Your Way5K Your Way is a fun workplace health initiative designed by PRO-ACTIVE Central London. It aims to increase physical activity levels among public sector staff. Participants represent their organisations at an inclusive 5K fun walk/jog/run, after attending internal workplace training sessions in the lead-up to the event. In 2012, more than 1,200 people joined in the final event next to the Olympic stadium in Hackney Marshes.

Through investment, develop the current and future workforce – both paid and unpaid.

Developing coaches and leadersPRO-ACTIVE Central London provides a range of support programmes to help recruit and train new coaches and leaders, and to help experienced people develop these skills further. During 2012, 196 new coaches were trained and 299 qualified coaches enhanced their qualifications through additional courses.

Widen access to, and increase the use of, existing facilities

Facility auditThe core team gathers information on all the spaces and places where people can enjoy sport and activity in central London, and these are made available on-line. This is particularly important to help make best use of all the possible places to play in an area where facilities and space are very limited.

PRO-ACTIVE central london

Partnership objectives Partnership results

Build the capacity of local clubs and providers through targeted investment

Legacy Makerswww.legacy.makers.org.ukWorking with colleagues from each CSPAN, the core team has created the Legacy Makers programme to help central London clubs and activity providers attain sustainable growth. The programme offers resources and information for clubs via a dedicated website and one-to-one mentor support from expert advisors.

Effective communications lead to a consistent and credible image for the partnership

Get Active Londonwww.getactivelondon.comThe five PRO-ACTIVE Partnerships have developed an online destination for people looking for activities, facilities and programmes across London. Get Active London now holds over 12,000 listings across all 33 London boroughs and received over 75,000 visits during 2012 – and it is growing all the time.

Attract growing levels of investment in sport and physical activity

Funding alerts and advicePRO-ACTIVE Central London produces a monthly funding update to keep partners abreast of the latest opportunities, and also gives one-to-one support to advise on funding bids. During 2012-13, we helped our partners secure more than £1,075,000 for sport and physical activity projects.

The partnership evolves and is strengthened by engaging appropriate partners and quality service providers

Networks for enhanced partnershipBy connecting agencies and people with common interests in sport and physical activity, we foster new ideas, opportunities and collaborations. PRO-ACTIVE Central London enables organisations to come together to share best practice and generate new initiatives. More than 100 different partner organisations are regularly involved in networks facilitated by the core team, covering themes such as workforce, club development and physical activity.

Maintain and support strong CSPANs across all 7 boroughs

Supporting CPSAN achievementThe core team actively supports the development of CSPANs in each of the central London boroughs, in part by leading a full strategic review of each network and providing recommendations on the development of strategies, membership, structures and operation. This has given our CSPANs a stronger voice and made them powerful actors in their localities.

PRO-ACTIVE central london

Benefits for partners

Our partners include diverse organisations wishing to contribute to the vision of increasing participation, quality and sustainability of sport and physical activity in central London. Here is how being part of PRO-ACTIVE Central London helps them all.

Sector What the partnership offers

Local authorities and CSPANS(Community Sport & Physical Activity Networks)

• A collective voice • Advice and support to deliver local priorities• Sharing good practice• National funding for local programmes

Schools, colleges and universities

• A chance to tap into community sport opportunities• Opportunities for young people to participate, and

become coaches or volunteers • Sharing good practice• National funding for local programmes

National governing bodies of sport

• Information about local priorities, opportunities and contacts

• Support with local implementation of national plans• Networking opportunities

Clubs and voluntary groups • A collective voice for the needs of clubs • Sharing good practice• A range of support, advice, funding information and

training to help develop quality and sustain success

Sport and leisure facilities • Information about funding and partnership opportunities, and help in accessing them

NHS and local authority public health programmes

• Information about opportunities for physical activity and sport that can contribute to health and wellbeing

• A communication network for physical activity leads

PRO-ACTIVE central london

PRO-ACTIVE central london

ProActive Islington

ProActive Islington is the longest established London CSPAN, set up in 2005 around a joint strategy between health and sport. Two significant achievements have been:• The annual ProActive Islington festival. Between

2006 and 2010, this sport and activity festival attracted 15,000 people per year. The Highbury Fields sports event in 2012, linked to the Olympic torch relay, attracted over 6,000 people.

• Gaps in provision for disabled people to participate have been identified and filled with wheelchair basketball and tennis, multi-sport programmes for people with high support needs and tennis for visually impaired people.

Active Westminster

Active Westminster has become a strong local network to drive sport and physical activity development. Recently, Active Westminster partners created and promoted 12 legacy programmes to connect residents and visitors with the excitement, inspiration and opportunity brought by the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to deliver a lasting legacy of sustainable opportunities. Results include the innovative Active Westminster Mark, a locally developed endorsement mark showing that a club or organisation provides a quality service and meets a range of standards. More than 20 local providers have been supported to achieve the mark to date.

Kensington & Chelsea CSPAN

The Kensington & Chelsea CSPAN’s most significant project came through Sport England funding awarded for the Recreation, Education, Active Community & Health (REACH) project. The project aimed to develop a partnership to increase participation within certain target groups. These included groups who had not come forward in the past, such as older people, disabled people and women. Over three years the project engaged over 14,000 participants, and activated a number of new volunteers and coaches.

ProActive Camden

ProActive Camden has undertaken a thorough needs analysis of their local residents to identify barriers and preferences for activity, and the findings formed the basis of their strategy. As a result, the partnership has developed a number of very successful projects such as Give It A Go, a scheme that supports and incentivises inactive people on low incomes to participate regularly at local gyms. In the first year, 1,775 participants were recruited and more than 18% were still active after six months.

ProActive Southwark

ProActive Southwark has been successful in creating a strong network of delivery agencies and ensuring collaborative working. The network includes local sport and physical activity providers, youth clubs, sports clubs, school sport personnel, the local authority’s community sport team and the leisure contractor. One example of their partnership work is the Boundless Sports Event, a new inclusive day of sport and physical activity for disabled and non-disabled people that was first held in 2012. The event gave disabled people the opportunity to participate in sailing, wheelchair basketball, adaptive cycling, boccia, boxing and indoor rowing and and over 100 people attended.

Active Wandsworth

Active Wandsworth has enjoyed success in bringing together the health, sport and education sectors to create a single sport and physical activity strategy for the borough. Recently, Active Wandsworth’s membership has broadened to include greater representation from the local NHS and other physical activity stakeholders within Wandsworth. And the CSPAN has helped to co-ordinate the Council and local NHS in developing an Active Westminster strategy for physical activity and sport for 2012-17.

Shown below are just a few examples of what partnership members have achieved by working together.

Get in touch

If you would like to work with us, or if you are already one of our partners with an idea to share or a problem to solve, please get in touch by contacting:

PRO-ACTIVE Central LondonAcademy of Sport London South Bank University103 Borough RoadLondonSE1 0AA

020 7815 7876www.pro-activecentrallondon.org

PRO-ACTIVE central london