Active Lincolnshire has received a commitment of additional funding from Sport England to boost levels of physical activity among people living in communities facing the greatest health inequalities and barriers to being active. South Holland is among the 27 places set to benefit from a share of Sport England’s £250 million investment into the heart of communities across England, designed to tackle inactivity and inequalities by making sport, physical activity and movement accessible for everyone. This investment in South Holland follows equivalent investments in Boston and East Lindsey earlier this year. Sport England research calculates that active lifestyles save £8 billion a year for the health and social care system. This relieves some of the NHS burden, preventing more than 3.3 million cases of chronic health conditions a year – including 1.3m cases of depression, 900,000 cases of back pain and 700,000 cases of type 2 diabetes. The Social Value of Sport report demonstrates that being physically active generates an average wellbeing value of £2,600 per adult. For adults who are disabled and/or live with a long-term health condition, being active generates a wellbeing value of more than double that – £5,300 a year. Overall, the social value of physical activity in Lincolnshire is over £1.6 billion. Less than half of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for daily physical activity and women, people from lower socio-economic groups and Black and Asian people are still less likely to be active than other adults. To tackle these stubborn inequalities and break down barriers to a more active life, Sport England is taking a ‘Place-based approach’ – partnering with local organisations and leaders who understand both the specific needs of their communities and the local assets that are available – to support people to move more and be more active. In South Holland, Active Lincolnshire will work with residents and local partners to listen, learn and understand the challenges and opportunities. Everyone will then work together to develop a plan for the multiyear investment. Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England’s Executive Director for Place, said: “We want everyone, no matter where they live or who they are, to have the chance to be active and healthy. To do this, we’re focusing on places, towns, cities, and communities, where people face the biggest challenges. “We are proud to announce a further 27 new Sport England place partnerships, in every corner of the country, bringing the total number of places we are working with to more than 90. We are committed to working with local partners and communities to break down the barriers to physical activity so that everyone has equal access to a more active life. We are excited to see what we can achieve together in South Holland.” Emma Tatlow, Active Lincolnshire’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is a really positive opportunity for our communities. We are delighted that Sport England is building on its investment in Lincolnshire, helping us to further support residents of South Holland to be more active. “We know that where a person lives and the environment around them has an enormous impact on how likely they are to be physically active, and that too often people still face barriers and access to opportunities and facilities is inequitable. “This investment from Sport England allows us to target our resources and efforts on communities that experience the greatest levels of inequality. It will enable us to bring together local leaders, policy and decision-makers and organisations with the community to understand the barriers and issues people face to getting active, therefore co-creating local solutions. “If we can galvanise key stakeholders to work together with communities, we can break down the barriers and address the inequalities that are preventing the least active members of a community from joining in, benefiting people’s overall health and wellbeing. We look forward working closely with local partners and communities, going on this journey together.” Cllr Nick Worth, Leader of South Holland District Council, said: “This additional investment in South Holland is fantastic news for our local communities in the District. This funding will help people live healthier lifestyles and in turn lead to improved wellbeing. “We look forward to collaborating with Active Lincolnshire and other partners so people across the district have more opportunities to lead healthier and active lifestyles.”   Image: Wellbeing walk in Spalding. Credit: Chris Vaughan Photography Ltd for Active Lincolnshire via Social Change

After two successful sessions earlier in the month, Birchwood Leisure Centre will again host the Linkage Sensory Bus, with its final visits for this year scheduled for 29 November and 13 December. Offering a unique mobile sensory space for children across Greater Lincolnshire, the bus will be at the Better leisure centre on Birchwood Avenue from 10am until 3pm both days. It provides tailored sensory play experiences, and half-hour sessions can be booked in advance. A space to relax and have fun, the bus is open to children of all ages – from tots to teens – as well adults with SEN (special educational needs). The Linkage Community Trust launched the mobile sensory bus in early October, bringing support to individuals with varying degrees of learning disabilities and/or autism throughout the county. The innovative space can be adjusted to suit an individual’s needs – whether that means creating a calming environment for relaxation and regulation, or an energising, interactive setting for exploration and play. Inside, the bus features a fully customisable sensory room with colour-changing lights, atmospheric sounds, projection systems, aromatherapy diffusers, and a wide selection of tactile and interactive sensory items. Cole Mackinder, GLL general manager at Birchwood Leisure Centre, said: “This partnership brings an accessible, supportive environment directly to families within our community. We’re delighted to host the Sensory Bus. Please do get in contact to book a space.” To book a session on the Linkage Sensory Bus please email Trish.Freeman@linkage.org.uk.