Agenda item

Report of Liz Gaulton, Director of Public Health and Wellbeing

The Board considered a report of Liz Gaulton, Director of Public Health and Wellbeing which provided an overview of the Coventry Physical Activity Framework 2019 – 2024, the consultation findings and the proposed implementation. A copy of the framework was attached as an appendix to the report.

The report referred to the aim to make sure that Coventry was a far more active city by 2024 with everyone moving more and levels of inactivity reduced. Currently only just over half of the city’s adult population undertook regular physical activity with almost two thirds classed as obese. Lifestyle indicators such as smoking, alcohol and healthy eating were also below the England comparators. Collective action was required to improve this. The draft Coventry on the Move framework 2019 – 2024 had been developed by stakeholders across the NHS, voluntary sector, Universities, WMCA, sports and culture organisations as well as City Council officers. It aimed to involve residents in a collective campaign to increase movement and physical activity and to support stakeholders in recognising their role in enabling and promoting this. The ambition was to ignite a social movement that made physical activity and getting involved in local communities a part of daily life in Coventry.

The Board were informed that the four key priorities in the strategy were defined by the stakeholders who were engaged between July and October last year to scope and test the priorities and objectives as they developed. Public consultation during February and March 2019 had confirmed support for these priorities as the focus going forwards as follows:

·  Enhance our places and spaces for all

·  Improve how we communicate

·  Movement for life

·  Develop leadership and skills at all levels 

The report detailed the areas highlighted for further development which has arisen during the public consultation.

The Board noted that feedback from Sport England was that the framework would benefit from setting out stronger leadership and advocacy for physical activity both within the sector and the wider (influencing) system. Community empowerment, social action and a clear call to action were also areas that Sport England felt could be strengthened. The background data and information were seen as one of the strongest elements of the framework and it was recommended that this be used further not only to ‘paint the picture’ of physical inactivity but to identify targeted action and then grow the momentum based on the first tranche of achievements.

West Midlands Combined Authority had echoed their support for a clear leadership and governance structure and the need to particularly focus on the levels of physical inactivity and inequalities in those who take part. A recommendation was that Coventry sought to develop the data and information report to understand residents and their barriers and motivations to take part.

The framework was not intended to be a standalone programme, it was developed to provide an overarching set of priorities that brought together existing work on sports, culture and destination that would support Coventry in becoming a more active City by 2024. Through the development of the framework a number of gaps and areas for development had emerged. It was proposed that a delivery plan would be drawn up during 2019 that identified where existing programmes were being implemented and owned, and that a task and finish approach was taken to developing actions with partners to address key gaps. The oversight of the delivery plan was to sit within destination management and the Health and Wellbeing Board governance structures. The public health team would provide the organisational support. 

RESOLVED that:

(1) The Coventry Physical Activity Framework 2019-2024 be approved.

(2) The implementation approach be approved as follows:

  (i) To align governance, reporting and delivery of the objectives with planning already underway around sports, culture and destination, infrastructure, travel and greenspace.

  (ii) To establish an overarching work programme that combines existing delivery with new requirements identified in the framework.