Strategic Priority

This year’s Active Lives Children and Young People Survey saw the first full year’s data following the removal of most legal restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Whilst the findings paint a promising picture, it was apparent that a child or young person's ethnicity, gender and family affluence, all impact how likely they are to be physically active.

With their initial two-year implementation plan drawing upon the foundations to level the playing field across the county, Active Essex set out to support those who are already active, and tackle the root causes that currently prevent every child and young person from the life changing impact of an active lifestyle.

As physical literacy levels still haven’t recovered pre-pandemic, Active Essex have focused on providing positive experiences of physical activity, by involving children and young people in decisions around the design and delivery of opportunities.

Through the Find Your Active (FYA) campaign and by working with locally trusted organisations, 62 grants have enabled providers to deliver children and young people programmes that offer positive experiences of being active.

The annual PE Conference, which took place in June 2022 had a keynote speaker from Active Essex Chair, Dr William Bird, who discussed the impact physical activity has on children’s health. Attended by headteachers and primary and secondary teachers, sessions covered PE assessments, PE sport premium, wellbeing, targeted interventions and Teach Active.

Ensuring our sector is desirable for young people, highlighting our training and apprenticeship pathways is essential, and Active Essex’s Leaders in Training (LIT) programme has taken place for the second year running. Active Essex funded this programme through delivery at Writtle University College. Young people had the opportunity to complete courses, such as Boing, First Aid, Level 1 Coaching and Youth Mental Health, as well as hear from guest speakers including the team at Essex Professional Coaching.

A key initiative adopted by Active Essex, has been the Daily Mile. As a free and simple initiative, it aims to increase physical activity levels of school children by getting them out of the classroom for 15 minutes every day, to run or jog at their own pace.

Active Essex recognise schools and education establishments who go above and beyond, to ensure children have fun and engaging experiences of physical activity and sport. Every year, the Key Stage 1 Awards are held to celebrate schools and children who use innovative methods to stay active during KS1.

The improvement of mental wellbeing and resilience of children and families through physical activity has been enhanced by Active Essex working collaboratively with partners who share the same vision. By holding various activity training modules such as Trauma Perceptive Practice (TPP), they hope to develop the mental wellbeing opportunities for those who need additional provision.

Listening to children and young people, and involving them in decision making is a key priority for Active Essex. Through the Essex School Games, School Games Organisers have been awarded funds to create local mechanisms that empower young people in their area to develop leadership skills and feedback views, opinions and ideas from children in their school. This insight has been used to directly influence how the local school games programmes are delivered, and opportunities are given to children and young people to deliver their ideas and events.

Working with partners in Sustainable Travel, Active Essex co-designed a new grant scheme for schools, following RideLondon-Essex 2022. This enabled schools to solve any barriers relating to children and families travelling actively to school.

Working in partnership with the Essex Safeguarding Children’s Board and the National Child Safeguarding Charity, Active Essex launched ‘Safe to Play’; a safeguarding in sport campaign for Essex, providing guidance and support to parents and carers on how to identify safe places for their children to be active.

As a result of the Cost of Living crisis, the Active Essex and Essex ActivAte team created resources, which supported families in need over the winter. Signposting included, place level solutions utilising community spaces for parents, carers and young people to still remain active. Department of Education funding to deliver holiday and food programmes, also helps to support families in the school holidays.

Upon reflection, since becoming further embedded in the Essex ecosystem, it became apparent to the children and young people team that Active Essex needed to contribute to the outcomes set out within the Essex Children and Young People’s Partnership Plan. After making positive strides towards strengthened relationships, the team gained a seat at the Children’s Partnership Board. Therefore, the next implementation plan will prioritise the four outcomes and build positive opportunities and attitudes towards physical activity and sport, in turn aligning to system outcomes for our children and young people.