Get Cheshire West Moving
National and regional approach
A number of national and regional strategies have been used to inform the Get Cheshire West Moving Strategy, these include:
Sport England: Uniting the Movement
Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy (2021) focuses on tackling inequalities in physical activity, targeting older adults, women, people with disabilities, and lower socioeconomic groups. Aligned with Local Government Association guidance, it promotes tailored approaches to increase participation.
NHS England: Harnessing the benefits of Physical Activity
The NHS, in collaboration with national and local partner organisations, can harness the full potential of physical activity to help people live healthier, longer, and more independent lives. They have identified four ways forward:
All health and care professionals should be equipped with the skills and confidence to discuss the importance of taking up appropriate physical activity with patients who have health conditions. This includes:
- Signposting patients to physical activity opportunities and events.
- Promoting rehabilitation.
- Highlighting the importance of maintaining activity levels to prevent deconditioning.
- Removing myths associated with the risk of physical activity (and the need to seek medical approval).
- Empowering people to make informed choices.
By embedding physical activity into clinical pathways, the NHS can support improvements in patient outcomes and deliver evidence-based care across various conditions. This means fewer complications and less use of NHS resources.
The health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce can be supported by holistically promoting physical activity both within and outside of work, such as through the NHS health and wellbeing framework. Examples include the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) active practice charter, promote healthy workplace environments, encourage active travel, seek to offer flexible hours (if possible), which can support engagement in physical activity, and promote the use of local community facilities and assets, such as gym membership discounts and access to the digital weight management programme. NHS leaders may also act as role models for active lifestyles, thus contributing to a healthier and more engaged workforce.
Collaboration between the NHS and the physical activity sector is essential to embedding physical activity into health and care. Addressing disparities in physical inactivity requires system-level solutions. By supporting collaboration between regions, integrated care systems (ICSs), integrated care boards (ICBs), commissioners (including those in local authorities), and the physical activity sector, the NHS will help to ensure that underserved communities benefit from targeted interventions. Enhanced research and evaluation of interventions that address physical inactivity and their impact will further drive this effort to influence the provision, access to and use of local assets and facilities.
Cheshire and Merseyside: All Together Active Strategy
The Cheshire and Merseyside All Together Active Strategy, led by the Integrated Care Board, envisions a sub-region with fewer health inequalities linked to inactivity. By 2026, its goals include:
- Supporting local places to leverage physical activity to improve population health.
- Embedding movement, sport, and physical activity into health and social care systems.
- Reducing health inequalities measurably.
- Empowering 150,000 inactive residents to become active.
Active Cheshire Strategy
Active Cheshire’s strategy sets out a bold vision for a network of connected system partners working together to create equal access to physical activity and sport, building healthier, more active Cheshire & Warrington where physical activity and sport are a natural part of daily life for everyone.
Active Cheshire will unite, inspire and empower partners to tackle these challenges through three strategic priorities:
- Active Systems.
- Active People and Places.
- Active Environments.
Cheshire and Warrington Sport and Physical Activity Local Skills Plan
Recognising the workforce as a critical enabler of system change, the Cheshire and Warrington Sport and Physical Activity Local Skills Plan identifies priority actions to future-proof the sport and physical activity sector, including:
- Raising awareness of diverse and rewarding careers across the sector.
- Expanding access to inclusive training and progression pathways.
- Supporting small and micro employers with workforce development.
- Strengthening system-wide collaboration and alignment.
Further details on each of these strategies is included in the appendix.
