New five-year strategy aims to get Bedfordshire more active
A new five-year strategy has been unveiled to tackle physical inactivity and health inequalities across Luton and Bedfordshire.
Be Active, the Active Partnership for Bedfordshire, has published its updated strategy Moving Forwards Together, which sets out plans to increase participation in movement, physical activity and sport over the next five years.
Clare Fitzboydon, director at Be Active, said the new strategy comes as the area faces increasing pressures around health and wellbeing.
She said: “With more acute health, wellbeing and social inclusion priorities identified across Bedfordshire there are significant challenges as well as opportunities that our updated strategy seeks to address.
“By working better together with partners, we want to remove the barriers to physical activity and create new opportunities that support people to move more and become more active, however and whenever they choose.”
The partnership says 27 per cent of adults in Bedfordshire currently do less than 30 minutes of physical activity each week.
Meanwhile, 57 per cent of children and young people across Bedfordshire are doing less than the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day.
The strategy covers Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton, with a particular focus on people who face the greatest health inequalities and barriers to being active.
Its work will be centred around three strategic pillars: Active Communities, Active Systems and Active Environments. These will focus on strengthening community partnerships, influencing systems and policy, and creating inclusive and safe spaces where people can be active more easily.
Michelle Nelson, founder and coach at Bellator Boxing Academy, England Boxing coach and Be Active board member, said she had seen the impact physical activity could have on people's wellbeing.
She said: “As a system partner working in the community with Be Active, I have seen the transformational power that physical activity brings both to mental and physical health.
“It’s so important that solutions and opportunities to be more active are informed by the experiences of the community and driven by what they want.”
Be Active has worked across Bedfordshire since 2005 and works with local partners to increase access to physical activity and sport, with the aim of improving wellbeing and strengthening communities.
The full ‘Moving Forwards Together’ strategy is available on the Be Active website.