Beat the Street Braintree
Creating active communities through behaviour change
A community‑wide game inspiring more active, connected and healthier lifestyles across Braintree District
Beat the Street Braintree District used a fun, gamified approach to encourage people to move more, travel actively and reconnect with their local community. The free programme turns whole towns into a real‑life game, motivating residents of all ages to walk, cycle, run or scoot as part of their daily routines. By using simple technology and a competitive format, it makes physical activity enjoyable, social and easy to integrate into everyday life. More than 10% of the district’s population took part, showing strong community engagement.
Commissioned by Braintree District Council and funded by Essex County Council, Active Essex, the Active Braintree Foundation and Sport England (National Lottery), Beat the Street was delivered by Intelligent Health to increase activity levels, reduce inequalities, support active travel and improve mental wellbeing. Analysis of participant data and lived experiences showed significant positive outcomes, including increases in walking and cycling, reduced sedentary behaviour and improved mental wellbeing, demonstrating the programme’s value as an effective population‑level prevention initiative.
Active Essex played a key role as part of the multi‑agency steering group, helping to guide and shape the programme. The group worked collectively to identify community assets, support resident engagement with existing services and plan for sustainability beyond the game phase.
Active Essex also supported place‑based engagement through the Find Your Active Place Navigator, Callum, whose established relationships were instrumental in connecting with youth groups and wider community organisations. This helped maximise reach, particularly among children and harder‑to‑reach groups and strengthened links between the programme and ongoing local activity opportunities.
Beat the Street Braintree District was delivered through a strong multi‑agency partnership approach. The programme was commissioned by Braintree District Council and funded by Essex County Council, Active Essex, Active Braintree Foundation and Sport England, with delivery led by Intelligent Health.
Strategic and community‑level support was provided through the Mid & South Essex Integrated Care Board (Mid Essex Health & Wellbeing Alliance), alongside local cultural and education partners including the Braintree Cultural Education Partnership and Braintree Museum Trust. Engagement and activity delivery were further strengthened by Essex Professional Coaching, ensuring high‑quality, place‑based involvement across schools, community groups and local assets.
Key Learnings
Inclusivity
Gaps remain for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
Community Involvement
Nearly all primary schools and 37 community groups took part.
Data Driven
Registration and survey data provided valuable insight into demographics and behaviour change.
Behaviour Change
Adults increased activity levels while children showed substantial reductions in sedentary time.
The programme also contributed to the strengthened relationships between schools, community groups and physical activity providers, creating clearer pathways for residents to stay active beyond the programme. Increased awareness of local assets and services will support longer‑term behaviour change.
What’s next?
Local partners will continue working with schools and communities to maintain momentum, support ongoing activity and explore further initiatives in priority areas. A follow‑up survey will assess longer‑term impact on behaviour and wellbeing, while the steering group will reconvene to share learning, plan sustainability and build on the Beat the Street legacy across Braintree District.
