Our Strategy

We're currently working with people who live and work in the district to revise the physical activity strategy.

Every Move Counts!

The Physical Activity Strategy for Bradford District

Our Vision:

Bradford: The Active District; creating a place where it's easier for everyone to move and be active every day.

Active Bradford is Bradford District's physical activity partnership.

We're united by a shared passion and commitment to creating a culture across the district where physical activity is an everyday part of everyone's lives.

This physical activity strategy builds on existing achievements and reinforces our commitment to creating an active District for everyone.

We have taken a whole systems approach which means working with individuals, communities, organisations and policy makers, making improvements to the environment and better connecting up across the system.

It has been developed through extensive co-production with partners, stakeholders, organisations and local communities from across the district.

Why does it matter?

• Low levels of physical activity are a major public health challenge, contributing to demand on health and social care services.
• Being active brings a wide range of mental and physical health benefits for people.
• Being active also benefits communities, the economy and the environment, infact the strategy will help contribute towards achieving net-zero and in our ongoing work on the climate emergency.
• The strategy also includes a focus on reducing sedentary behaviours, such as sitting in a chair while reading or working, or a child sitting in a car seat or buggy which also negatively affect our health too.

The nine priorities for action

Priority one: Active schools, children and young people

The benefits of physical activity on children and young people's health are vast and we can see from the data on physical activity levels and childhood obesity that we still have more work to do. Our aspirations are for schools and early years settings to be active places where leaders and staff recognise that value of physical activity to improve health and attainment. Creating active spaces where physical activity is embedded throughout the day is key and the work of Living Well Schools and the Creating Active Schools framework is trailblazing this priority for action.

Priority two: Neighbourhoods and Communities

Our ambition is to create safe, clean active neighbourhoods that are attractive and foster a sense of community, bringing people together to enjoy being active. In order to achieve this, it's important we ensure that physical activity is embedded in local plans. How we communicate to local communities around physical activity should be bespoke to that community and experience has shown that sharing through local "trusted people" is an effective approach.

Priority three: Sport & active recreation

The consultation shone a light on the strong sporting heritage in Bradford District. We have great links with sports clubs and sporting organisations and people are proud of these long-standing partnerships. Our ambition is to increase community access to local spaces to play sport including schools, sports centres and parks. Promoting informal active recreation such as walking, dance or yoga in addition to sport alone will also to engage those who may be less active, such as women and girls. Bradford's vibrant and appealing mass participation events will continue and new opportunities will be actively sought out.

Priority four: Health and social care

We will work with our key health anchor organisations to integrate physical activity into health and care pathways to support people to better self-manage long term conditions and prepare for medical interventions. We will also support our frontline health and social care staff to ensure that they consistently include physical activity in care plans and consultations and have good access to training on how to advise and motivate patients at every opportunity.

Priority five: Workplaces and workforce

People spend roughly a third of their time at work so we aim to raise awareness across all workplaces of the importance of encouraging people to move more in the workplace. The Living Well Workplaces programme will support employers to create workplaces where physical activity is part of the working day, such as through walking meetings, active lunchtimes or using the stairs. Building links between businesses, fitness centres and public facilities will be strengthened further.

This priority also looks at creating and supporting a representative and diverse voluntary and paid workforce that helps establish, deliver and enable community sport and physical activity.

Priority six: Greenspace

Our ambition is that all communities have access to high-quality, well-maintained parks or greenspace within walking distance of they live and Bradford has developed several new green space in urban areas in the last three years. We recognise the importance of addressing issues of safety and anti-social behaviour in parks and will also continue to promote positive, social activities in parks where our diverse communities can come together and enjoy being active outdoors.

Priority seven: Built environment

Our surroundings play an important factor in our health; people exposed to poor quality environments are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes than those who enjoy good quality environments. Bradford is leading the way in strengthening policy and guidance on housing, streets and neighbourhood design so we create can liveable spaces that enable healthy lives. The ambition is to develop a number of active neighbourhoods where communities can live within easy walking distance of where they work, learn and play.

Priority eight: Active travel

Active travel means cycling, walking or wheeling as a means of transport in order to get to a particular destination such as school, work, the shops or to visit friends. The ambition in Bradford District is to develop a network of high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure across the district, working alongside initiatives to improve safety of cyclists and walkers more broadly. The development of a number of exemplar neighbourhoods that are attractive, liveable places that encourage active travel will help to lead the way.

Priority nine: Communications & campaigns

We will work with our partners to ensure that our communications deliver a strong message to support people of all ages to move more and be active every day. Living Well and JU:MP deliver inspiring messages and campaigns to promote physical activity such as the 20 minute movement campaign they will work with partners to ensure these are communicated consistently.

Underpinning principles

Bradford district partners have committed to 4 key underlying principles which will be embedded in the delivery of the plan:

1. We will tackle inequalities so that is easier for everyone to be active.

2. We will take an evidence led approach using data, insight and research.

3. We will be inclusive and embrace diversity.

4. We will take a behaviour change approach to create sustainable change