Increasingly Active, Healthy and Successful Communities Mark Thornewill, Director Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Meeting : Lecture Date :

Increasingly Active, Healthy and Successful Communities

Mark Thornewill, Director

Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent

Meeting : LectureDate : 6 December 2007Location : Staffordshire University

Introduction

• Understanding the challenges faced by Local Authorities in developing Sport and Leisure Polices

• The environment they have to be developed in

• Some of the main challenges faced

• Importance of developing a strategic local strategy

• The picture in Staffordshire – what a good strategy should look like.

Challenges to local Sport & Leisure Policies

Changing national political agenda for sport

Early 70’s• Sport for all• Sport for sports sake• Competition and developing performance pathways• Massive investment in facilities

Early 80’s• Sports development focus

Late 80’s• Compulsory competitive tendering


Changing national political agenda for sport – cont.

The 90’s• Sports contribution to the wider agenda• Game Plan• Health• Community Safety• Education – decline in PE

2000• Partnership working across the wider agenda• Staff structures changed eg. Health Officers not Sports

Development Officers• Local Strategic Partnerships• Local Area Agreements• Youth Sport Trust school sport• Sport England – community sport and participation – Active Sports then onto 16+ age group

– Active People• UK Sport and elite level development


Changing national political agenda for sport – cont.

2008

• Sport matters in itself• Competitive sport matters• Government to clarify roles and responsibilities

of different departments and organisations to meet the aim of 2 million more people active by 2012


Non statutory function

• Easy hit for Local Authorities to reduce funding

• Cultural Strategy – a requirement one year then dropped

Resources

• Capital – facility development

• Revenue – sports development and facility management

• External funding very often directed at wider agenda issues

• Local authority aligned to these to access funding

• Ghershon Efficiencies

Corporate Priority• Merged departments• Leadership:- Political

Officer

Partnership Working• Engagement• Sharing of resources• Timing• Trust

Role of County Sports Partnership• Effective delivery system for Sport and Active

Recreation through partnership working


Importance of Developing Sport & Leisure Policies

Vision and Rationale

i. Provides the vision for sport and active recreation in the local area

ii. Purpose of the strategy clearly explainediii. Strategy has a city or borough-wide applicationiv. The grounds for public investment in sport are clearly

stated

Leadership and Organisation’s Core Values

i. The rationale for the lead organisation’s involvement in sport

Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies

National and Regional context

i. Strategy relates to and utilises appropriate national policy and funding relevant to sport

ii. Links with the Regional Plan for Sport

iii. Takes account of the relevant changes in the external environment

iv. Synergy with regional non-sporting agenda• Regional Cultural Strategy• Regional Development Framework• Regional Spatial Strategy• Regional Economic Strategy• Regional Framework for Health


Local Context

Ownership

i. Strategy is shaped by involvement of community partners, staff and others

ii. Recognition of the power and potential of sport and its contribution to the achievement of local objectives

iii. Addresses the issue of widening access for all

iv. Audit of existing infrastructure and land use planning – open space, playing pitch and facility plans

v. People resources, structures and finance

Importance of Developing Sport & Leisure Policies

The picture in Staffordshire Findings of the Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-

Trent mapping exerciseStrategy Overview Combined Results Number of current Sport and Active Recreation Strategies. 1 Number of Sport and Active Recreation Strategies that finished in March 2007. 3 Number of Sport and Active Recreation Strategies currently being developed to be launched 2008. 7

Number of Local Authorities with no specific Sport and Active Recreation Strategy or strategy development. 2 Duration of current and past Sport and Active Recreation strategies. 5years

Duration of Sport and Active Recreation strategies that finished in 2007. 5years

Duration of new Sport and Active Recreation strategies being developed. 3-10years


Key Local Policy Drivers of Sport and Active Recreation Strategies Recorded

‘Community Strategy, Corporate Plan, Community and Safety Strategy, Health Improvement Plan, Local Development Plan and Economic Strategy, Cultural Strategy, Local Strategic Partnership Strategy, Health and Environment Service Plan, Open Spaces and Playing Pitch Strategy, Sports Facilities Strategy, PCT Exercise Strategy Choices for a More Active Life’.

Key Sub Regional Policy Drivers of Strategies Recorded

Sports Across Staffordshire, Active Sports Partnership Development Plan.

Key Regional Policy Drivers of Strategies Recorded

‘Sports Life - A regional Plan for the development of sport in the West Midlands (2001-2006), Sport England Regional Sports Board, Sport England West Midlands’.

Key National Policy Drivers of Strategies Recorded

‘Game Plan (2002), World Class Initiative, Running Sport, Volunteer Investment Programme, Facilities Planning Model, Active Programmes: Schools, Sports, Communities (Sport England), Policy Action 10, A Sporting Future For All (DCMS, 2000) Sport England, GO - SRB, National Governing Bodies, Sport England 'More people, More Places, More Medals'’.


Key Themes in Current Sport and AR Strategies· Tackle equality issues · Develop sporting pathways, club, coach and volunteer development· Raise profile of sport· Improve Health and quality of life through participation · Strategic coordination and planning· Facilities· School sport and education· Partnership working· Community safety· Economic regeneration· Community capacity· Targeted opportunities including 50+ Key Partners of Local Authorities Identified within StrategiesPolice Staffordshire Youth Offending TeamStaffordshire Youth Service Sports Coach UKStaffordshire County Council Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke On TrentHousing Associations Colleges, UniversitiesConnexions Staffordshire Local AuthoritiesChildren’s Fund Parish CouncilsFamily Focus Groups Forestry CommissionSchool Sport Partnerships Partnership Development UnitPCTs and Health Authorities Young Carers Associations National Governing Bodies of Sport Local CharitiesSport England Able Too ForumSports Councils BarnardosSport Across Staffordshire

Strategy Title Number adopted Duration

Number being developed Duration

Allotments 1 2007-2011

Playgrounds 1 2005-2010

Equestrian Strategy 1 2005-2010

Playing Pitch Strategy 5

2006 2002

2003-2018 2005 2004 2

2008 2008

Arts Strategy 2 2007

Tourism Strategy 4

2004-2014 2004-2014 2004-2014 2004-2014 1 2007

Local cultural Strategy 1 2001-2008 Museum Strategy 1 2007

Parks, Green Spaces and countryside Strategy 4

2005x2 2006 2004

Leisure Needs Assessment and Playing Pitch strategy, 1

2003


Complementary Strategies


Strategy Number adopted Duration

Number being developed Duration

LDF 4

1996-2011 2007-2022 2006-2016 2007-2021 1

Play Strategy

9

9x2007

LSP 7

2003-2020 2006-2021 2005-2015

2005 2003-2010

2006 2004-2014

LAA 9 2007 x 8 2006 x 1

PPG17 3

2005 2005 2004 6

2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008

Facilities strategy 1 2007-2017 3

2008 2008 2008

Complementary Strategies

i. Resources – people – expertise and experience

Practioners

Time – part of the day job

– Financial – cost of consultants

ii. Corporate Priority – where does sport sit in the Political agenda?

Sport is not a statutory service

Utilise requirement for LDF and possibly LAA

iii. Leadership –

iv. Engagement with Partners – effective consultation and delivery. Justification for establishing a Community Sports Network


Challenges to preparing robust sport and active recreation strategies


What are the main barriers to achieving strategy objectives?

What changes need to be made in future Sport and AR strategy?

What has been the hardest objective to achieve?

Why has this been hard to achieve?

How have you over come this?

Engaging with hard to reach groups, voluntary and private organisations

Lack of trust understanding of sporting structures, Different agendas, pressures and priorities

Establish effective network of partners and be written into their plans,

Providing pathways of sport.

Limited elite level promotion of all sports. Insufficient performance clubs in locality

Raise profile locally such as hold prestigious award evenings.

Partnership working, Vacant posts/ Frozen posts, Lack of volunteers, Strategic profile of sport Strategy, Change in population demographics

Clearer delivery and monitoring framework, Reduce duration of strategy to allow for changes in political agendas,

Child protection Lack of corporate lead

Pushed issue forward as a corporate risk, used SASSOT Child protection policy in interim

Challenges to implementing

Conclusion


Development

i. Clarity of vision – strategic choices and priorities established

ii. Development supported by evidence – Active People

iii. Issues identified are strategic in nature and reflect the internal and external environment

iv. Shared ownership from a range of partners – developed in consultation including non-sporting partners as appropriate

v. Leadership responsibilities identified

vi. Aligns supply with demand. Sets out plans for change based on assessment of need and sustainability

What does a good Sport & Active Recreation Strategy look like?

Importance of Developing Sport & Active Recreation Strategies

Implementation

Action Plan

i. Resources identified

ii. Phased planning and timescale for delivery

iii. Lead responsibility for delivery identified. Partners identified

iv. Objectives are SMART

Sport England Fit for Purpose Assessment FrameworkProducing a Sport & Active Recreation Strategy

www.sportengland.org

Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-TrentStaffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Sport & Active Recreation Strategies mapping exercise – August 2007

www.sportacrossstaffordshire.co.uk(see Sport & Leisure Policies lecture under Resources for a copy of this presentation)


Increasingly Active, Healthy and Successful Communities Mark Thornewill, Director Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Meeting : Lecture Date :

Documents

sport slide

development of sport

director sport

potential of sport

local sport leisure

communities sport england

strategic local strategy

sport england west midlands