Derbyshire Sport strategy to get 50,000 more people active by 2021 is launched
Towards an Active Derbyshire, the new strategy for physical activity and sport in Derbyshire, has been launched by Derbyshire Sport.
The ambition to get 50,000 more people active by 2021 was outlined on Wednesday (October 5) as partners from across sport, health, leisure, education, business and voluntary sectors gathered to pledge their support at Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
Prof Kathryn Mitchell, Chair of Derbyshire Sport and University of Derby Vice Chancellor, Andy Reed OBE, Director of Sport Think Tank and Hayley Lever and Ilana Freestone, Directors of Derbyshire Sport, presented the key headlines from the new strategy.
They were united in saying it would require new ways of working to get people who are not currently taking part in physical activity and sport to get active.
Prof Kathryn Mitchell, Chair of Derbyshire Sport and University of Derby Vice Chancellor, said:-
“In Derbyshire we have a greater proportion of inactive people than nationally… nearly 30% of adults are sedentary, and only 56% are active enough to benefit their health. 42% of 15-year-olds are sedentary for more than 10 hours a day.
“A growing number of people are living increasingly inactive lives and for a healthier, happier more prosperous Derbyshire, we have so much more to do.
“Towards an Active Derbyshire seeks to achieve a vision of a physical activity and sport revolution in the county and central to the strategy are calls for a commitment to change.”
In Derbyshire, only 55.9% of the adult population in Derbyshire are meeting Chief Medical Officer (CMO) recommended levels of physical activity to benefit their health.
The new strategy will bid to engage 50,000 more people by supporting the inactive to become active, ensuring people are supported and encouraged to engage in sport, and enjoy lifelong participation in physical activity and sport.
It will also strive to address inequalities by focusing on three priority groups – women and girls, people from lower socio-economic groups, and young people aged five to 18.
Throughout the strategy delivery, disabled people will be supported to become engaged in physical activity and sport.
Hayley Lever, Director of Derbyshire Sport, said:-
“We’ve all been working really hard in Derbyshire to engage people in physical activity and sport, but we haven’t achieved what we set out to do and we need to do something differently.
“Over the past year, we have taken time to understand the trends, talk to partners, learn from national and international examples and policy direction, which has helped us collectively arrive at what we believe is a new, more focused vision.”
Following the launch guests had the chance to ‘practice what they preach’ by taking part in Kwik Cricket or a led walk.
Andy Reed, Director of Sport Think Tank, said:-
“It’s really important to bring a range of partners from across Derbyshire together because the success of this community-based strategy is not just down to one person or organisation, but everyone working together.
“We want to get a little bit of fresh thinking into it because the old adage of ‘build it and they will come’ is no longer relevant.
“There are hundreds of people who get the importance of this across Derbyshire and if we all push together in the same direction we can achieve a lot more.”
