People across York and North Yorkshire will get more support to be active under a new partnership between Sport England, North Yorkshire Sport and York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority – aligning investment and action to improve health, wellbeing and economic growth.
The Memorandum of Understanding combines Sport England’s national strategy, the Combined Authority’s regional leadership and North Yorkshire Sport’s local knowledge and networks.
The long-term agreement aims to improve health, reduce inequalities and support economic growth through movement, activity and sport. It brings together the Mayor’s £7 million Moving Forward campaign and Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy, so investment and action can be better coordinated.
The organisations have worked together for many years, and this agreement sets out how they will turn their shared aims into coordinated action. They will develop a joint programme and look for opportunities to design, fund and deliver work together where it can have the greatest impact. Sport England’s social value of sport research calculates that for every £1 invested in community sport and physical activity, £4.38 is generated for economy and society.
What the partnership will focus on:
- aligning services and investment
- developing the workforce
- joint communications and advocacy
- linking health services with physical activity
- creating child-friendly places
- using data, insight, evaluation and learning
These priorities will guide future investment, strengthen local services and create more opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to be active.
North Yorkshire Sport will coordinate work across the region, bringing partners together, share evidence and help make sure funding and resources have the greatest possible impact.
For local people, the agreement should mean easier access to physical activity and better support for the organisations that help residents get active. It also aims to improve links between health services and activity opportunities, and to create safer, more welcoming places for children and young people to walk, cycle and play.
The agreement builds on existing investment in the movement, activity and sport workforce, including around £400,000 from the Mayor to strengthen skills, capacity and leadership across the sector.
David Watson, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Sport, said: “We are proud to sign this agreement with Sport England and the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority. It builds on a strong partnership and gives us a clear framework for action in the areas where we can make the biggest difference. “By working together, we can tackle inequalities, support healthier lives and create lasting opportunities for people to be active. We want this agreement to deliver clear results, shared responsibility and meaningful change across York and North Yorkshire.”
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “Coming together with Sport England lets us bring our regional ambition together with their national vision.
“Our ambitious Moving Forward campaign is backed by £7m Mayoral funding to support people to move more and live healthier, happier lives. Working closely with Sport England we’ll be able to maximise the impact of this investment and support more people right across York and North Yorkshire.”
Simon Hayes, Chief Executive of Sport England, said: “Community sport has a vital role to play in creating healthier, happier communities and stronger local economies. This partnership is about making that a reality for people across York and North Yorkshire, particularly those who face the greatest barriers to being active
“Local people know their communities best. Their needs, experiences and ambitions should help shape where we invest and how we work. By bringing together our national expertise, the Combined Authority’s leadership and North Yorkshire Sport’s local knowledge and relationships, we can make a real difference to people’s health and happiness.
“This agreement is a strong example of that joined-up approach in action – bringing organisations together, tackling inequalities and making it easier for more people to enjoy the benefits of an active life.”
Andy Taylor, CEO of the Active Partnerships National Organisation, said: “The signing of this MOU is fantastic news for people in the area as these three organisations look to strengthen their alignment and fully utilise the power of sport and physical activity to boost local economic growth, as well as health and wellbeing.
“North Yorkshire Sport fulfilling this co-ordinating role, is a great example of the important part Active Partnerships can play in a combined authority area, convening and connecting leaders and resources across sectors so as to deliver on local priorities.”
The partners will produce an annual joint work plan setting out areas for collective action, joint resourcing, shared outcomes and measures of success. Senior
representatives from the three organisations will meet each year to review progress and identify further areas for development.
