Small wins in promoting and developing sport and physical activity can sometimes lead to the biggest changes. At Active Essex, we often talk about the big issues such as system change, strategic frameworks and population-level outcomes. But I get great joy out of seeing small ideas take off and really connect with people. I also love unintended consequences – when our clever plans and forecasts are ripped up and something completely unexpected and amazing happens. We call this ‘ripple effects. They often matter more than we realise, extending far beyond physical activity, combatting loneliness, improving health, and bringing local communities together.
The Active Essex campaign ‘Find Your Active’, has a core message stating that for inactive people, the smallest amount of new daily activity can lead to big changes in health and happiness. Similarly in local communities, it can be a local group of friends starting a weekly walk or deciding to reclaim a neglected green space. ‘parkrun’, the biggest physical activity programme in the UK with over 200,000 people taking part every Saturday, started in 2004 with just 13 local runners in Bushy Park in London wanting to run together at the same time every week over the same distance.
We have seen this happen time and time again in Essex. For example, Let’s Keep Moving on Canvey Island started with a few friends and now it is keeping hundreds of older people active in weekly sessions across the south of the county. Bat and Chat events in Chelmsford have reduced isolation and loneliness, Walk&Talk4Men is supporting men with their mental health, and Move it or Lose it classes are helping people with serious health problems with recovery and rehabilitation. All of these great programmes started with a small idea and the courage and determination to give it a try.
The Active Essex team understand the importance of nurturing small changes and trusting local people to make a difference. We are always looking for the ripples and celebrating the small wins. Through our place-based approach, we’re investing in innovation, creating new Community Connectors, and giving the local community greater voice and resources. I believe that this approach should be adopted by all organisations, big and small, working in our sector of community sport, physical activity, and fitness.
A previous boss of mine said to me once, “Jason, let’s throw the seeds and make a thousand flowers bloom”. I didn’t really understand what he was getting at back then, but I do now.
Let’s keep asking one another – what small win today could change a life tomorrow?
