Project to boost activity levels in deprived areas

Children in deprived areas are half as likely to be physically active than those in wealthier ones, according to a Sport England study.

In response, the public body has announced that it will be supporting communities in 53 "high-need" areas, including Swindon, Wiltshire, through projects to make sport more accessible and to boost health and wellbeing.

Sport England said the impact of physical inactivity costs the NHS billions of pounds a year and deepened "long-term health inequalities".

A spokesperson for Wiltshire and Swindon Sport (WASP) said the group was "really excited to be working with Sport England and our communities to address physical activity inequalities in our town".

Sport England said its research had shown that just 34% of children meet physical activity guidelines in deprived communities, compared to 62% in more affluent areas.

It said the situation disproportionately affected women, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and black and Asian communities.

The amount of funding being made available to each region will be announced in the coming months, with projects being led locally over a number of years.

WASP said it is working to understand the needs of the communities it will be working with.

"If we keep doing the same things nothing changes, so part of this stage, is really about what helps and who's already working in those communities and learning how we can support them," a spokesperson said.

The initiative is focussed on activity and movement rather than sport, they added.

"And giving communities that are naturally further away from physical activity the support, power and autonomy to help themselves."

WASP said it would aim to increase physical activity, reduce inequality and provide positive experiences for children and young people.

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