Can a community building initiative help increase people’s opportunities for physical activity in Gloucestershire?

Over a third of adults in England do not do the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity a week (Sport England, 2019). One in four women and one in five men are physically inactive, doing less than 30 minutes of moderate activity per week. The impacts on our health are wide ranging and ultimately cost billions to the healthcare system and the wider economy.

There are many reasons for low levels of physical activity. These include: lack of spaces in which to be active, poor public transport and individual circumstances such as caring responsibilities.

The charity Active Gloucestershire aims to increase people’s levels of physical activity across Gloucestershire. It has created a programme of activities called ‘We Can Move’. We Can Move is a whole systems approach  that brings together public, private, voluntary and community organisations to develop a shared understanding of what causes physical inactivity. This shared understanding is used to help bring about change.

We Can Move has recently started supporting the Gloucestershire Community Building Collective. This is a project in Gloucester, which works directly with local people through ‘Community Builders’. Community Builders get to know local residents and work to encourage connection and mutual support among neighbours, as well as the development of resident-led projects and activities. We hope that these activities will lead to increased physical activity, both directly, as residents develop new physical activity-related projects in their neighbourhoods, and indirectly, as residents benefit from higher levels of engagement in local activities and issues.