increasingly active, healthy and successful communities mark thornewill, director sport across...
TRANSCRIPT
Increasingly Active, Healthy and Successful Communities
Mark Thornewill, Director
Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent
Meeting : LectureDate : 6 December 2007Location : Staffordshire University
Introduction
• Understanding the challenges faced by Local Authorities in developing Sport and Leisure Polices
• The environment they have to be developed in
• Some of the main challenges faced
• Importance of developing a strategic local strategy
• The picture in Staffordshire – what a good strategy should look like.
Challenges to local Sport & Leisure Policies
Changing national political agenda for sport
Early 70’s• Sport for all• Sport for sports sake• Competition and developing performance pathways• Massive investment in facilities
Early 80’s• Sports development focus
Late 80’s• Compulsory competitive tendering
Challenges to local Sport & Leisure Policies
Changing national political agenda for sport – cont.
The 90’s• Sports contribution to the wider agenda• Game Plan• Health• Community Safety• Education – decline in PE
2000• Partnership working across the wider agenda• Staff structures changed eg. Health Officers not Sports
Development Officers• Local Strategic Partnerships• Local Area Agreements• Youth Sport Trust school sport• Sport England – community sport and participation – Active Sports then onto 16+ age group
– Active People• UK Sport and elite level development
Challenges to local Sport & Leisure Policies
Changing national political agenda for sport – cont.
2008
• Sport matters in itself• Competitive sport matters• Government to clarify roles and responsibilities
of different departments and organisations to meet the aim of 2 million more people active by 2012
Challenges to local Sport & Leisure Policies
Non statutory function
• Easy hit for Local Authorities to reduce funding
• Cultural Strategy – a requirement one year then dropped
Resources
• Capital – facility development
• Revenue – sports development and facility management
• External funding very often directed at wider agenda issues
• Local authority aligned to these to access funding
• Ghershon Efficiencies
Corporate Priority• Merged departments• Leadership:- Political
Officer
Partnership Working• Engagement• Sharing of resources• Timing• Trust
Role of County Sports Partnership• Effective delivery system for Sport and Active
Recreation through partnership working
Challenges to local Sport & Leisure Policies
Importance of Developing Sport & Leisure Policies
Vision and Rationale
i. Provides the vision for sport and active recreation in the local area
ii. Purpose of the strategy clearly explainediii. Strategy has a city or borough-wide applicationiv. The grounds for public investment in sport are clearly
stated
Leadership and Organisation’s Core Values
i. The rationale for the lead organisation’s involvement in sport
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
National and Regional context
i. Strategy relates to and utilises appropriate national policy and funding relevant to sport
ii. Links with the Regional Plan for Sport
iii. Takes account of the relevant changes in the external environment
iv. Synergy with regional non-sporting agenda• Regional Cultural Strategy• Regional Development Framework• Regional Spatial Strategy• Regional Economic Strategy• Regional Framework for Health
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
Local Context
Ownership
i. Strategy is shaped by involvement of community partners, staff and others
ii. Recognition of the power and potential of sport and its contribution to the achievement of local objectives
iii. Addresses the issue of widening access for all
iv. Audit of existing infrastructure and land use planning – open space, playing pitch and facility plans
v. People resources, structures and finance
Importance of Developing Sport & Leisure Policies
The picture in Staffordshire Findings of the Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-
Trent mapping exerciseStrategy Overview Combined Results Number of current Sport and Active Recreation Strategies. 1 Number of Sport and Active Recreation Strategies that finished in March 2007. 3 Number of Sport and Active Recreation Strategies currently being developed to be launched 2008. 7
Number of Local Authorities with no specific Sport and Active Recreation Strategy or strategy development. 2 Duration of current and past Sport and Active Recreation strategies. 5years
Duration of Sport and Active Recreation strategies that finished in 2007. 5years
Duration of new Sport and Active Recreation strategies being developed. 3-10years
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
Key Local Policy Drivers of Sport and Active Recreation Strategies Recorded
‘Community Strategy, Corporate Plan, Community and Safety Strategy, Health Improvement Plan, Local Development Plan and Economic Strategy, Cultural Strategy, Local Strategic Partnership Strategy, Health and Environment Service Plan, Open Spaces and Playing Pitch Strategy, Sports Facilities Strategy, PCT Exercise Strategy Choices for a More Active Life’.
Key Sub Regional Policy Drivers of Strategies Recorded
Sports Across Staffordshire, Active Sports Partnership Development Plan.
Key Regional Policy Drivers of Strategies Recorded
‘Sports Life - A regional Plan for the development of sport in the West Midlands (2001-2006), Sport England Regional Sports Board, Sport England West Midlands’.
Key National Policy Drivers of Strategies Recorded
‘Game Plan (2002), World Class Initiative, Running Sport, Volunteer Investment Programme, Facilities Planning Model, Active Programmes: Schools, Sports, Communities (Sport England), Policy Action 10, A Sporting Future For All (DCMS, 2000) Sport England, GO - SRB, National Governing Bodies, Sport England 'More people, More Places, More Medals'’.
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
Key Themes in Current Sport and AR Strategies· Tackle equality issues · Develop sporting pathways, club, coach and volunteer development· Raise profile of sport· Improve Health and quality of life through participation · Strategic coordination and planning· Facilities· School sport and education· Partnership working· Community safety· Economic regeneration· Community capacity· Targeted opportunities including 50+ Key Partners of Local Authorities Identified within StrategiesPolice Staffordshire Youth Offending TeamStaffordshire Youth Service Sports Coach UKStaffordshire County Council Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke On TrentHousing Associations Colleges, UniversitiesConnexions Staffordshire Local AuthoritiesChildren’s Fund Parish CouncilsFamily Focus Groups Forestry CommissionSchool Sport Partnerships Partnership Development UnitPCTs and Health Authorities Young Carers Associations National Governing Bodies of Sport Local CharitiesSport England Able Too ForumSports Councils BarnardosSport Across Staffordshire
Strategy Title Number adopted Duration
Number being developed Duration
Allotments 1 2007-2011
Playgrounds 1 2005-2010
Equestrian Strategy 1 2005-2010
Playing Pitch Strategy 5
2006 2002
2003-2018 2005 2004 2
2008 2008
Arts Strategy 2 2007
Tourism Strategy 4
2004-2014 2004-2014 2004-2014 2004-2014 1 2007
Local cultural Strategy 1 2001-2008 Museum Strategy 1 2007
Parks, Green Spaces and countryside Strategy 4
2005x2 2006 2004
Leisure Needs Assessment and Playing Pitch strategy, 1
2003
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
Complementary Strategies
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
Strategy Number adopted Duration
Number being developed Duration
LDF 4
1996-2011 2007-2022 2006-2016 2007-2021 1
Play Strategy
9
9x2007
LSP 7
2003-2020 2006-2021 2005-2015
2005 2003-2010
2006 2004-2014
LAA 9 2007 x 8 2006 x 1
PPG17 3
2005 2005 2004 6
2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008
Facilities strategy 1 2007-2017 3
2008 2008 2008
Complementary Strategies
i. Resources – people – expertise and experience
Practioners
Time – part of the day job
– Financial – cost of consultants
ii. Corporate Priority – where does sport sit in the Political agenda?
Sport is not a statutory service
Utilise requirement for LDF and possibly LAA
iii. Leadership –
iv. Engagement with Partners – effective consultation and delivery. Justification for establishing a Community Sports Network
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
Challenges to preparing robust sport and active recreation strategies
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
What are the main barriers to achieving strategy objectives?
What changes need to be made in future Sport and AR strategy?
What has been the hardest objective to achieve?
Why has this been hard to achieve?
How have you over come this?
Engaging with hard to reach groups, voluntary and private organisations
Lack of trust understanding of sporting structures, Different agendas, pressures and priorities
Establish effective network of partners and be written into their plans,
Providing pathways of sport.
Limited elite level promotion of all sports. Insufficient performance clubs in locality
Raise profile locally such as hold prestigious award evenings.
Partnership working, Vacant posts/ Frozen posts, Lack of volunteers, Strategic profile of sport Strategy, Change in population demographics
Clearer delivery and monitoring framework, Reduce duration of strategy to allow for changes in political agendas,
Child protection Lack of corporate lead
Pushed issue forward as a corporate risk, used SASSOT Child protection policy in interim
Challenges to implementing
Conclusion
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies
Development
i. Clarity of vision – strategic choices and priorities established
ii. Development supported by evidence – Active People
iii. Issues identified are strategic in nature and reflect the internal and external environment
iv. Shared ownership from a range of partners – developed in consultation including non-sporting partners as appropriate
v. Leadership responsibilities identified
vi. Aligns supply with demand. Sets out plans for change based on assessment of need and sustainability
What does a good Sport & Active Recreation Strategy look like?
Importance of Developing Sport & Active Recreation Strategies
Implementation
Action Plan
i. Resources identified
ii. Phased planning and timescale for delivery
iii. Lead responsibility for delivery identified. Partners identified
iv. Objectives are SMART
Sport England Fit for Purpose Assessment FrameworkProducing a Sport & Active Recreation Strategy
www.sportengland.org
Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-TrentStaffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Sport & Active Recreation Strategies mapping exercise – August 2007
www.sportacrossstaffordshire.co.uk(see Sport & Leisure Policies lecture under Resources for a copy of this presentation)
Importance of DevelopingSport & Leisure Policies