A NEW ten-year £5.5million plan is being launched to get people across the region more active.
The project to improve access to sport and activity, launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Sport England, is aimed at improving residents’ physical and mental health.
As part of a new partnership, announced to mark the first anniversary of the Commonwealth Games, the WMCA and Sport England will work closer than ever before to make it easier for people from all parts of society to walk, cycle and take part in exercise and play sport more frequently.
They will identify and work with groups in the West Midlands who are least active in support of the shared goal of reducing the health inequalities which exist across the region.
These were highlighted in the WMCA’s Health of the Region report and the recently published West Midlands Mental Health Commission report.
The West Midlands has some of the highest levels of physical inactivity in England – one third of children and over half of adults do less than the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity.
The partnership was announced in Birmingham last Wednesday by Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair Andy Street and Chris Boardman, Sport England chair. They were accompanied by Haniyah Kousar, the UK’s first female Muslim wrestling coach who is based in the region.
The scheme will be backed by an initial £5.5million of joint funding from the WMCA’s Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund and National Lottery funding administered by Sport England.
The partnership will continue the Commonwealth Active Communities project which works with grassroots groups in Birmingham, Black Country, Coventry, and Solihull to provide a wide range of opportunities to help people get active in their local streets and parks.
Grant funding will be provided for community-led projects to increase participation in sports and physical activity as a driver of better health and wellbeing.
A pilot scheme will be funded to integrate physical activity and sport into mental health care pathways for children and young people – one of the recommendations in the recently published West Midlands Mental Health Commission report.
The Gen 22 trailblazer legacy project to get more disabled and LGBTQ+ young people involved in sport volunteering will be expanded.
And voluntary sport organisations will be supported with business and financial planning, governance, staff development and inclusion and accessibility.
Mr Boardman said: “Being active can change lives both physically and mentally and it’s important we continue to support people in the grassroots to be active and make a difference for themselves and their communities.
“This 10-year partnership will make a vital difference for people in the West Midlands, following our substantial investment into the West Midlands and Commonwealth Games last year.
Mr Street said: “We know from work undertaken by the West Midlands Combined Authority – including the Health of the Region report and Mental Health Commission – that there are unfortunately barriers that too many local people face when it comes to taking part in sport and physical activity.
“Our Legacy Enhancement Fund – combined with additional investment from Sport England – will ensure we maximise the post Games momentum to deliver tangible benefit for local people right across our region including those from some of our most deprived communities.”
E-mail [email protected] for more on the sport and activity funding.
