Jason’s Reflections
I was delighted to see that the latest Sport England Active Lives data shows that Essex is now more active than ever, with over 63% of the adult population meeting the Chief Medical Officer guideline of 150+ minutes of physical activity a week.
I believe that a major reason for this positive trend is that Essex is so community spirited, with thousands of community organisations and volunteers providing the sport and activities that interest and motivate so many local people.
Every week I hear about the dedication of these organisations, and I am always inspired when I visit to see them in action and chat with the staff, volunteers, and participants. At Active Essex we call them ‘locally trusted organisations’, or LTOs, a term that has caught on with Sport England and many other leaders in our sector. There is a strong commitment across Essex to grow ‘place-based working’, which Active Essex has been trailblazing for nearly 10 years now. It works. And a major part of place-based working are the LTOs who are trusted by their local community, building pride, identity, and the unique strengths of their place. Without them, the upward trend of Essex becoming more and more active would not being doing as well.
Braintree has seen significant improvements, with activity levels rising from 50% to 71%. The number of adults who are inactive in Tendring and Southend (less than 30 minutes per week) has declined for a second year in a row.
An LTO in Southend called Blue Therapy Active provide a year-round offer of a variety of activities to enjoy in or near the sea. At the heart of everything they do is bringing local people together and creating memories. A great example of how the instructors at Blue Therapy Active respond to the needs of local people is the fact that they have learnt sign language to support people with hearing challenges.
Another great example is Dave Smith, an Essex Activity Award winner, who leads an LTO called Flexfityoga, who provide beach yoga and an outdoor gym in Tendring. The weekly sessions are specifically designed to be accessible and inclusive for older adults, individuals with specific health needs, learning disabilities, and those with neurological conditions like stroke, brain injury, and dementia.
The progress we’re making in getting more adults active is bringing communities together, reducing loneliness and poor mental health, and improving overall health, which in turn eases pressure on GPs and hospitals. All our LTOs across Essex meet the needs of so many diverse people, and we are determined at Active Essex to give them all the support that they need to continue their great work.
