Lottery funded project helps people become more active

Yorkshire Sport Foundation has won National Lottery funding to help people in South Yorkshire on a low income become active.

Ative Dearne is a pioneering project to help local people on a low income '“ in the Dearne Valley area between Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster '“ become more active and healthier

The charity has been awarded £365,000 funding as part of Sport England's strategy to improve people's health and mental wellbeing through sport and activity. Sport England research shows that a third of people in lower paid and routine jobs, are inactive, meaning they do less than 30 minutes of exercise that gets them slightly out of breath each week. Inactivity in people in lower paid, routine jobs is twice that of people on a high income in senior and managerial roles.

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Sport England is funding a wide range of projects around the country, using varying approaches to help people to feel healthier, happier, more confident and able to cope with life's 

Active Dearne spans nine coalfields communities of Swinton, Wath, Hoober, Conisborough, Mexborough, Denaby, Goldthorpe, Bolton-on Dearne and Thurnscoe.

It covers seven local authority wards and three local authority boundaries of Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster.

 

The project will work with community activists and deliverers, supporting them with training and development. It will also offer opportunities for new business start-ups that use sport and physical activity delivery to leave a sustainable legacy. Seven part-time Community Activators will be recruited locally to deliver and supporting activity, problem solve and encourage participation.

 

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Active Dearne will also work with the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership, adding value to their heritage lottery funded project to make the area more attractive and accessible to residents taking part in physical activity. This will allow better use of the community's green and blue space, maximising opportunities for walking, cycling, orienteering, sailing and canoeing.

 

Active Dearne also has a workplace focus, targeting those with lower paid employees in part-time, seasonal, routine and semi-routine roles.

 

'We are Proud to be leading this project in partnership with our local authority partners in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster" said Yorkshire Sport Foundation CEO Nigel Harrison. 'This ambitious project aims to leave a lasting legacy for sport and physical activity across the Dearne Valley communities. 'We are working with existing community organisations, groups, networks and leaders as well as employers, and we know physical inactivity will bring positive effects to the community, health and employment.'

 

Sport England Executive Director, Mike Diaper, said: 'Yorkshire Sport Foundation has a strong track record of working with their local community and we're very excited by how their project will make a positive difference to people's lives.

 

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'We know that people on a low income can face many practical and emotional challenges that make it difficult for them to be as active as they would like to be. So we're working with community-focused organisations across the country to find ways to help people fit physical activity and sport into their lives in ways that work for them.

 

'The lessons we learn from this local project will really help to shape our work with similar groups across the country.'

 

Active Dearne is one of 34 projects to receive a share of more than £3.36 million in this latest round of Sport England funding specifically aimed helping people on a low income get active.