New strategy invites local people to re-imagine physical activity

We Can Be Active is a joint mission to inspire and support active lifestyles so we can all be active in a way that suits us.

“Imagine if we could all be happier, healthier, and stronger.”  That was the future we invited people to think about when we started work on We Can Be Active last year. It was a future we knew physical activity could help deliver. Up to 30% reduced risk of depression, 50% reduced risk of major illness and 30% reduced risk of premature death are no small contributions to that vision. Little did we know back then just how urgent, important, and distant health and happiness would feel all these months later.

And so we launch We Can Be Active with a sense of urgency. COVID has devastated lives and livelihoods. Physical and mental health conditions have worsened. Physical activity has been disrupted, restricted and forced to adapt. Inequalities have widened once again. But through all of this chaos a sense of togetherness has emerged and become the driving force behind We Can Be Active.

We Can Be Active was created by over 800 individuals and organisations across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It began with an online conversation and focus groups to find out what would make it easier for local people to be active. The experiences and ideas shared in that conversation became the focus of a big planning session. And from there we developed 5 broad goals that summarise what local people need to be active:

• Positive early experiences for our children and young people
• Opportunities that meet our needs and interests and are accessible and easy to find
• Places and travel routes where we all feel safe and are encouraged to be active
• Support to help us get started or keep moving when we feel like we can’t do it alone
• Bold leaders working together to create happier and healthier communities

Behind each of these goals are personal stories and experiences that highlight things that need to change if we are all to be active in a way that suits us.

The complex issues and inequalities that prevent people from being active cannot be solved by any one organisation or individual. We all have a role to play in re-imagining physical activity and making it easier for everyone to be active.

Alongside the strategy, we’ve published a broad outline of what Energise Me will do to inspire and support active lifestyles for all. Reducing inequalities in physical activity and sport will be our priority.

We will work with physical activity, health and community partners to embed movement into healthcare, education, planning and transport systems. We will listen to and advocate for inactive communities, ensuring their voices are heard in policy discussions. And, through our role on Health and Wellbeing Boards, we will encourage others to use their influence to enable active lifestyles.

We will be honest and open about our progress and we hope you will be too. There’s as much for us all to learn from what goes wrong as there is from what goes right.

We Can Be Active is a call for us all to join forces to make it easier to be active. We can all be active and help others to be active. The question is, what will you do to inspire and support active lifestyles?

Whether you plan to add a 10-minute walk to your day or launch an exciting project, we’d love to hear your pledge.

Share your #WeCanBeActivePledge on social media or submit one via the We Can Be Active page.

Read the strategy and find out more about Energise Me’s role and We Can Be Active events over on the main strategy page.

Read the We Can Be Active strategy.