Report of Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report highlights the annual (January to December 2022) progress that has been made in the development and achievement of the Manchester Sport and Physical Activity Strategy (MSPAS) which includes an update on the strengthened governance arrangements of MCRactive and identified areas of focus for 2023. An update has been provided against the refreshed strategic themes of the strategy (Appendix 1) that were endorsed by Executive in September 2022; the amends were made to respond to the cost-of-living crisis and climate emergency and to ensure that the city builds back fairer from the impacts of the global pandemic and remain on target to deliver a sustained increase in participation levels.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which highlighted the annual progress that had been made in the development and achievement of the Manchester Sport and Physical Activity Strategy (MSPAS) which included an update on the strengthened governance arrangements of MCRactive and identified areas of focus for 2023. An update had been provided against the refreshed strategic themes of the strategy (appendix 1) that were endorsed by Executive in September 2022; the amends were made to respond to the cost-of-living crisis and climate emergency and to ensure that the city built back fairer from the impacts of the global pandemic and remained on target to deliver a sustained increase in participation levels.

Key points and themes in the report included:

• Progress on the Manchester Sport and Physical Activity Strategy against the strategic themes, which were:
  • Encouraging residents to move more;
  • Positive experiences for young people;
  • Active adults increasing and sustaining activity levels;
  • World class sport that inspired positive change;
  • Active place and neighbourhoods;
  • Communicating with and connecting communities;
  • Realising the potential of the workforce; and
  • Contribution to a Zero Carbon City; and
• Next steps.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

• Whether more could be done to promote events held in Manchester, such as the Rugby League World Cup;
• Was there any monitoring of whether events and activities led to an increase in people’s longer-term levels of activity;
• Lighting for outdoor sports facilities, particularly in parks;
• Work to reinvigorate the 16 and Under Free Swim Offer; and
• Making more school sports facilities available for community use.

Yawar Abbas from MCRactive acknowledged the Member’s comments in relation to the Rugby League World Club, noting that Manchester did not have a strong Rugby League Club network; however, he reported that the Super League Grand Final would be held at Old Trafford in future years, with the women’s and wheelchair finals held in Manchester venues over the same period, and that Rugby League was now based at the House of Sport in east Manchester.  In response to a Member’s question about the definition of “active” in the Active Lives Survey referred to in the report, he advised that this was based on the Sport England measure of 150 minutes of activity during the week which raised the heartrate.  In response to a Member’s question, he agreed to provide figures on numbers who were active broken down by age, including figures for children and young people.  In response to a Member’s question, he reported that it had been identified that more coaches were needed to meet demand in breakdancing, skateboarding, sport climbing and other emerging sports.  In response to a question about community alliances and how Ward Councillors could be involved, he offered to progress this outside of the meeting. 

The Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) reported that a major event did not on its own trigger a significant increase in participation in sport so in Manchester every event bid had to include a legacy programme and for the Rugby League World Cup this had included a community development programme. 

Nicky Boothroyd from MCRactive reported that, in relation to activities in leisure centres, they could monitor whether an event had led to people continuing to engage in physical activity; for example, she advised that, when families signed up for family activity days, this information was used to monitor whether they then joined any further activities.  She reported that free swimming had to compete with other activities that were available to children and young people but that an update would be provided at a future meeting on the marketing campaign to promote free swimming.  She provided an update on work taking place with schools to make sports facilities available for community use outside of school hours and offered to provide further information at a future meeting.  She outlined work with the Parks Service, through the Capital Development Programme, to provide lighting for sports facilities, including using LED lighting for carbon reduction.

In response to a Member’s question, the Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure acknowledged that there was an issue with the booking system app, that work was taking place to resolve this and that an update could be provided at a future meeting.

In response to a question from the Chair about encouraging more women to be physically active, Nicky Boothroyd reported that there were a number of women-only gym and swimming sessions and that the design of the gym was important, with the heavy weights being located at the back of the gym.

In response to a question from the Chair, the Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure noted that the Committee had asked a number of questions at its September 2022 meeting, including a question on the response to the cost-of-living crisis, that a written response had been prepared to these questions and that these would be circulated to Members after the meeting.  The Chair asked that these be circulated to all Councillors.  The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure suggested that the email to all Councillors should also include a copy of the report presented to the Committee, to which the Chair agreed.

The Chair thanked everyone for their work.

Decision

To request that the written response to the Committee’s previous questions be circulated to all Councillors by email and that the report considered at today’s meeting be attached.

[Councillor Ogunbambo declared a personal interest as the Chair of Blackley Football Club of Manchester]