Agenda item

This report provides an update on the new Sport and Physical Activity Strategy, including a clear statement of the Council's aims, objectives and priorities for the next five years.

Steve Hollingworth (Assistant Director Leisure, Sport & Culture) introduced the report which provided an update on the Borough’s new five-year sport and physical activity strategy.

Councillor Adam Peter Lang commented on the post pandemic period and the importance of ensuring the well-being of young people. He asked what was being done to encourage young people to engage in activities to support healthy lifestyles into adulthood. In response, Steve Hollingworth explained there was more work to do with Primary Schools, but the Council was already providing physical activity sports sessions with free meals in the summer holidays. However, he stressed it was important to engage with young families and children, so that they developed a sporting habit for life. Councillor Adam Peter Lang agreed this was vital work and it was excellent that activity sessions with free meals were being provided.

Councillor Jackie Borland asked how officers were consulting with local community groups. In response, Steve Hollingworth explained CSPAN (Community Sport and Physical Activity Network) comprised of representatives of the whole sports community, and the strategy had been taken to this forum for feedback from its members. As the Sports Strategy was being developed, it was his intention to put the report out to wider consultation through the Council’s website before it finally went to Cabinet for sign off.

Councillor Jackie Borland asked if more emphasis could be placed on the work being conducted in Fulham (and not solely in Hammersmith). Steve Hollingworth acknowledged there were several great parks in Fulham, as well as the Sands End Arts and Community Centre which supported young children, adults and providing services for adults with dementia.

In terms of the priorities set out in the strategy, Councillor Ashok Patel commented that one of the things that was missing was the goal of getting young people off their (phone) screens. He also asked if further details could be provided on the community support and physical activity network. In response, Steve Hollingworth confirmed that this was a difficult challenge, but it was important that children were introduced to sports professionals early so they received the right experience, and in doing so, wanted to adopt the sport and do more of it and build it into their lifestyle.

On CSPAN (Community Sport and Physical Activity Network), Steve confirmed it was Sports England that had suggested their needed to be a network in the community of all those volunteers – volunteers’ groups and sports club which had shared issues such as recruitment, training and finding affordable venues so there were lots of synergies. Steve confirmed that CSPAN met on a quarterly basis and despite good progress, further work needed to be done in this area. In relation to the composition of CSPAN, Steve Hollingworth confirmed the members were drawn from community sports groups. Councillor Ashok Patel asked if these groups should also contain school PE teachers as these were closely connected with schools and pupils. Steve Hollingworth confirmed it would be an important asset if a schools representative joined CSPAN.

Councillor Liz Collins highlighted the cost to parents of accessing sports provision for their children, both in terms of time and financially, and enquired if there was any assistance available. Steve Hollingworth confirmed the Council currently offered free activities in the holidays as well as at half term and these included swimming and learning to row across the borough, provided by Fulham Reach. However, he also acknowledged that physical activity was also about making time, and most people were not time rich.

The Chair, Councillor Rory Vaughan asked how disabled residents would be involved in terms of co-production to ensure they received access to good physical activities within the borough. Secondly, he enquired about the Public Accounts Committee’s report on grass roots participation in sports and physical activity and whether some of the learning from the report had been integrated into the strategy. He also commented on the lasting legacies of sporting events, such as the 2012 Olympics and what officers’ views were on this.

The Chair suggested that the consultation net was cast wider and recommended that the strategy should include the views of school’s representatives, the third sector, as well as the Dementia Alliance, the disabled and other groups.

The Chair asked what the timetable was for developing the strategy, how might residents become involved and how would the strategy be measured (for success) and monitored in the future. In response, Steve Hollingworth commented the value of major events was the inspiration it provided to residents to take part in an activity in the future. He highlighted that research was being done on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year and how this had inspired and influenced local residents. Steve commented that that Borough took an active role in the London Youth Games which was the largest event of its type globally. In terms of the measures of success, Steve Hollingworth commented that Hammersmith and Fulham was the second most active borough in London and a goal could be to become the most active borough in the country. And, in terms of resourcing, this should be focused on the least active elements, to raise the overall activity profile of the borough.

In response, Steve Hollingworth explained that the themes needed to be developed further and put out to consultation for feedback, and then for the Strategy to be revisited by the Committee in June / July 2023.  The Chair agreed that the proposed themes set out in the report were the right ones and suggested that it would be good if the strategy could paint a picture of where the borough was at the moment in terms of the level of physical activity, facilities and where there was perhaps scope to develop these in the future. The Chair asked for Steve Hollingworth’s view on what might be done to engage wider groups to become more involved in physical activity.

Action – That the borough's new five-year Sport & Physical Activity Strategy be revisited at the 24 July 2023 committee meeting – Steve Hollingworth

In response, Steve Hollingworth confirmed that the Council could map its current sports facilities to provide a snapshot of current provision and officers would use the Council’s current networks to encourage greater participation.

The Chair asked what could be done to increase access to sports such as encouraging residents to think about the types of activity, price and location of this, as well as what could be done in residents’ homes or gardens. The Chair explained that one of the biggest challenges was not only to encourage physical activity but also people’s mindsets. Steve Hollingworth confirmed that an aspect of encouraging residents to become more active was through Public Health and GP`s prescribing more physical activity.

Councillor Adam Peter Lang referred to an event which was held over the summer in Fulham Palace, whereby tennis court access was free for local families and cited this as a good example of trying to think creatively to get people involved in a number of physical activities / try a new sport. He also explained that traditional sports were now giving way to a new wave of sports such as mountain-biking, skateboarding and walking football so there was scope to think outside the box. Commenting further, Councillor Adam Peter Lang explained that the Council was posed with a challenge post pandemic and further re-engagement with communities was necessary.

Councillor Liz Collins noted that there had been higher rates of depression during the pandemic where shielding had necessitated staying at home. This had brought about more social isolation and some residents now felt safer remaining in their homes. She asked how officers proposed to overcome this type of resistance. To address these points, Steve Hollingworth confirmed that Environment worked in partnership with Adult Social Care and Public Health colleagues to provide specific targeted support to reduce social isolation where this was needed most.

Councillor Ashok Patel confirmed that he lived between four parks, but when he went for walks, no sports groups were actively using the parks. He commented that in his view, this might be due to the amount of red tape from the Council which dissuaded people from forming or joining new groups. He asked what could be done. In response, Steve Hollingworth confirmed that Hurlingham and South Park were currently over-subscribed, and the Council needed to restrict activity here. He explained that if a group wanted guaranteed use of an open-air space, such as Eel Brook and Parsons Green, it needed to be booked and paid for and so there was cost and affordability to consider.

Summing up the discussions, the Chair thanked officers for the report and confirmed that: there was general agreement that the proposed themes of the strategy were the right ones and promoting physical activity to the less active in the community was important. That existing sports networks needed to be expanded and developed further to include schools, the third sector, disabled groups and Public Health. That officers needed to ensure co-production was weaved into the strategy and that the strategy needed to include an appendix containing a document which stated what sports and physical activity provision currently looked like, so there was a picture of where the Council was starting from. He confirmed that the Committee welcomed the update the Committee would receive in July 2023.

RESOLVED

1.    For the Committee both note and comment on the report.