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Active Withernsea investment announced

Date
Tue, 11 Aug 2020
Article

Sport England has confirmed a £1.4 million investment to Active Withernsea as part of the pilot's funding extension to benefit the lives of those living in the town.

The Withernsea-focused pilot Active Withernsea, which aims to create a happier and healthier community, has welcomed a five-year investment agreement from Sport England after it was announced that the pilot would receive additional funding.

The news is warmly received by the team and includes the agreement of phased funding until 2025. This increased timeframe recognises the ambitions and scale of the pilot as well as the need for increased certainty to plan for challenges ahead following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding will enable Active Withernsea to continue exploring the areas of interest that have been collected by the team through discussions with the community which were developed into an investment plan. The investment plan outlines an innovative approach, putting people's stories, relationships and connections at the heart of all activity.

Active Withernsea has identified five areas of interest which are; ideas to increase opportunity for walking and cycling, developing open spaces, increase activities for young people (aged 8-25), a community "Kickstarter" fund for new, innovative ideas to be tried and tested and an opportunity for the community to learn and share new skills through adult development training.

The full programme is designed to be moulded by the community by delivering outcomes in a different way. Active Withernsea will be focusing on the learning through experiences rather than the traditional model of funding which would usually be a predetermined programme of outcomes.

Active Withernsea will be community-led and will focus on the co-creation and co-development of projects with the aim that skills and connection will be developed allowing all ideas and projects to belong to the community and will thrive and continue well beyond Active Withernsea's reach and tenure.

Councillor Jonathan Owen, chair of the East Riding health and wellbeing board, said: "Everyone at Active Withernsea is thrilled to hear about the support Sport England has offered Withernsea.

"We are passionate about the town and the people who make it a special place and we are delighted that we will be working together with the community to co-create something special for the future."

Councillor Shaun Horton, portfolio holder for culture, leisure and tourism at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "The way the programme is structured means that there is so much potential for the community to shape their activities and plans and importantly there is scope for individuals too.

"Our first step is to share as much information about the investment plans as we possibly can and start a conversation about how we can do things differently, think creatively and look at the innovative ways we can foster a happier and healthier Withernsea."

Joel Brookfield, strategic lead for local delivery at Sport England, said: "As a nation we need to break down the barriers people face in getting active, many of which have just got harder with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We've seen the power of bringing local people and organisations together in the response to the pandemic and it is just as critical to keep this spirit going to drive change.

"We are delighted to award further National Lottery funding to Active Withernsea to tackle inactivity head on by working alongside those who know what will work best for Withernsea.

"This valuable pilot work will really help us to better understand how we can increase physical activity levels for everyone across the nation".

A webinar outlining the Active Withernsea programme and opportunities to get involved is planned for Tuesday, 18 August from 10am-12noon and Wednesday, 19 August from 5-7pm. To book a place please search "Active Withernsea" in Eventbrite or find the team on Facebook @ActiveWithEY. To learn more about the Active Withernsea pilot, please email active.withernsea@eastriding.gov.uk or visit www.activewithernsea.org

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