Co-designing activities is key, according to councils
Earlier this year, the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board launched a call for evidence on supporting women and girls to be more physically active.
The objectives were to accelerate learning by collating and sharing effective council practice, via case studies, and to gather evidence on the challenges and solutions, to help inform our future work.
When we started, we had no idea that, six months later, this work would position us effectively to contribute to several of the new Government’s aims – including breaking down barriers to opportunity, taking back our streets, and building an NHS fit for the future.
Our work also supports the Government’s aim of kick-starting the economy, because of the link between inactivity, poor health and productivity.
The evidence we received clearly demonstrates some great work is taking place in councils, and these inspiring case studies can be read on our new Active Communities Hub.
You told us that key factors for successful interventions include engaging with women and girls to co-design and co-produce activities, as this encourages participation because people feel listened to and are personally invested in the activity.
Others include: using local, convenient, but safe and comfortable venues; arranging activities at times when women and girls are already using these venues; and providing childcare and opportunities to socialise, bond and gain confidence.
Working with local charities, leaders, faith groups, female role models, volunteers and staff, parents, locally trusted organisations, the NHS and school partners to engage with women and girls can also increase take-up of physical activities.
However, while the evidence of what works is strong, the evidence we received of what doesn’t shows this work is being hampered by:
- limited and fragmented funding streams, which is affecting the sustainability of interventions
- workforce and training issues – specifically, too few female staff and volunteers to deliver projects
- an absence of a national strategy
- a lack of data and research on the barriers stopping women and girls from being active at each stage of their life.
These systemic barriers are resulting in fewer women and girls being supported to be active, and is affecting councils’ and their partners’ efforts to progress this agenda.
Research shows that more men participate in sport and physical activity than women, regardless of age, ethnicity and disability.
Closing the gender gap and tackling inequalities to enable more women and girls to be active in ways that suit them doesn’t just improve their own physical and mental health. Women have a strong influencing role within their families and can positively affect the activity habits, health and wellbeing of future generations, too.
This is the first call for evidence in a two-year project commissioned by the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board to take an in-depth look at reducing inequalities in the least physically active groups. We will also be looking at children and young people, disabled people, the least active ethnic minority groups, and older people. We will share our findings, effective practice and learning in our new Active Communities Hub, where you can also read our full report on the call for evidence on women’s and girls’ activity levels.
The board will be discussing the findings in October, to agree our future lobbying activity to help tackle the barriers identified in the report.
- See www.local.gov.uk/active-communities-hub for more information
