Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods).

This report highlights the annual (January to December 2023) progress that has been made by Manchester Active in the development and achievement of the Manchester Sport and Physical Activity Strategy and the progress made using sport and physical activity to enable Manchester residents to be healthier and happier.

The committee considered a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which highlighted the annual progress made by Manchester Active in the development and achievement of the Manchester Sport and Physical Activity Strategy. It also provided an overview of the progress made using sport and physical activity to enable Manchester residents to be healthier and happier.  

Key points and themes within the report included: 

·       Providing an introduction and background to Manchester Active and the Sport and Physical Activity Strategy;  

·       The Strategy’s vision, priority themes and enabling themes;  

·       Updates on walking and cycling;  

·       The Physical Activity Referral Service (PARS); 

·       Facilities and opportunities for young people and Holiday Activity Funding (HAF);  

·       Major sporting events held and scheduled to be held in Manchester; 

·       How residents are informed about sport, physical activity and health; 

·       An overview of completed projects that created new or improved existing built sports facilities; and  

·       Next steps.  

Some of the key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussion included: 

·       Welcoming the promotional video and querying whether this could be displayed on advertising boards across the city; 

·       Highlighting positive developments in Withington parks and at Hough End Leisure Centre and House of Sport;  

·       The role of Neighbourhood Sports Officers;  

·       Noting statistics that 32% of children in Greater Manchester were inactive, and querying whether this included PE lessons in schools;  

·       What activities were offered to motivate and increase participation among children and young people; 

·       Take-up rates for free swimming;  

·       Whether free swimming was still offered to those aged over 60;  

·       Whether there would be any additional place-based activities offered through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme;  

·       The impact on HAF if the government did not continue to provide the Household Support Fund (HSF); and  

·       How the Council and Manchester Active could improve access to sports and leisure facilities for those least able to afford it.  

The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure stated that Manchester Active played a strong and vital role in local communities and neighbourhoods in supporting the economy, reconnecting communities and rebuilding a stronger society that enabled residents to be healthier and happier. He stated that 2023 was a landmark year for sport, physical health and activity in Manchester with over 25 major events held in the city. He commented that UK Sport would be providing £1.1m to the city and that Manchester retained its status as a global city of sport which would inspire positive change and ensure a legacy pathway for Manchester athletes to excel. He highlighted how the city had been named European Capital of Cycling for 2024, which would be a strong platform to secure additional funding and investment into cycling provision. The committee was also advised that over 20,000 children benefitted from the free Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme which delivered 150,000 meals. He also highlighted several other achievements.  

The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure acknowledged some challenges and areas for improvement, such as strengthening the digital platform to enable residents to find and easily access activity opportunities. He stated that activities to encourage residents to lead more active lifestyles would be intensified and that work would be undertaken to grow and enhance local health networks.  

The committee also received a video presentation of Manchester Active’s work and key achievements. In response to a question from the Chair regarding whether this could be presented on advertising boards across the city, the Interim Chief Executive Officer, Manchester Active, stated that a digital campaign was being developed with partners and that snippets of the video could be included in this.  

The Interim Chief Executive Officer, Manchester Active acknowledged challenges with inactivity amongst children and noted that PE was not always followed through in the school curriculum. He stated that the HAF programme created a platform for children during school holidays to learn about activity. He advised that Manchester Active worked closely with other organisations to ensure that issues with inactivity were addressed in partnership and that there were also targeted activities in more deprived areas through Making Manchester Fairer and the Winning Hearts and Minds programme.  

The Interim Lead for Leisure, Events and Specialist Markets recognised national and local gaps in activity amongst children and young people and stated that the Council and Manchester Active had increased the number of place-based initiatives and commitments. She commented that many local authorities no longer offered free swimming and that Manchester was proud to have retained this. The committee was advised that a successful marketing campaign had been undertaken to raise awareness of this offer and that subsidised swimming courses were also offered. The Interim Lead for Leisure, Events and Specialist Markets also highlighted how the Council extended the government’s funding towards HAF to provide the scheme in every school holiday, which not every local authority did.  

The Interim Lead for Leisure, Events and Specialist Markets acknowledged a focus on girls arising from the Active Lives Survey and explained that work was undertaken with stakeholders, such as schools and sports clubs, to address stereotypes and to keep up to date with new and emerging sports.  

It was also confirmed that free swimming was offered to people 16 and under and over 60s.  

The Interim Chief Executive Officer, Manchester Active explained that Manchester received £4.1m in funding for HAF, which was targeted through free school meals. He stated that this was delivered in collaboration with a number of partners in a range of locations across the city. He stated that the Council and Manchester Active had influence over where partners delivered activities and he endeavoured to work with the member for Higher Blackley regarding activities in his ward.  

The committee was informed that the Household Support Fund had not been confirmed for 2025/26 and that this would be a significant loss to the Council and Manchester Active if not continued by the government. Assurances were provided, however, that Manchester Active would work with partners to ensure sustainability and would seek further funding streams to support the HAF scheme.  

The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure stated that inability to afford access to sport and physical activity programmes was the fault of the government as a result of 14 years of austerity.  

The Interim Chief Executive Officer, Manchester Active stated that his organisation focused on how to impact areas where residents could not afford to access sport and leisure facilities. He cited the Winning Hearts and Minds programme in North Manchester as an example of free, targeted work with families who were unable to access sport and physical activities. He recognised that organisations needed to provide local communities with low-cost options and that Manchester Active could support and provide pathways for residents to access these. He gave an example of work with Sport England to provide approximately £83k to community sports clubs which could be used for equipment, maintenance and running free trials of activities for women and girls.  

He also stated that the HAF programme enabled engagement with children and to create habits amongst them that could be continued. This work included providing healthy, low-cost recipes which could help to reduce reliance on cheaper, less healthy food. The Interim Chief Executive Officer, Manchester Active also explained that the HAF programme allowed organisations to gather information on where service users lived so that more targeted work could be undertaken. He explained that work was underway with FC United on a place-based, low-cost opportunity in Moston to support the Winning Hearts and Minds programme and that similar work was ongoing at Station South.  

The Interim Lead for Leisure, Events and Specialist Markets acknowledged that the cost-of-living crisis had intensified inequalities across the city and explained that the consultation initially undertaken when developing the Sport and Physical Activity Strategy indicated that residents wanted free or low-cost activities. She stated that efforts to encourage walking and cycling would be intensified this year.  

In response to a request from the Chair regarding bike libraries, the Interim Lead for Leisure, Events and Specialist Markets explained that a dedicated website for the European Capital of Cycling was now live and included information on where cycle libraries would be located.  

Decision: 

That the committee 

1.     notes the report;  

2.     requests that the Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure writes to the government to emphasise the importance of the Household Support Fund (HSF) in supporting the Council’s Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme and to request that HSF be continued after 2024/25; and  

3.     requests that an update be provided on the timescale for rolling out bike libraries across the city.