Physical activity as a preventative

Building Stronger Systems Through Place Partnership

Creating lasting change in Colchester

By uniting two steering groups into a single, cohesive leadership structure, the partnership has gained the collective strength needed to drive long‑term, sustainable change for local communities.

The combined steering group now acts as a powerful platform for joint learning, shared insight and coordinated action across both districts. Partners can pool their experience, resources and local knowledge, ensuring decisions are inclusive and rooted in the real needs of residents. This collaborative approach has already strengthened strategic direction and positioned North Essex to deliver long‑lasting impact.

Active Essex has been central to shaping this partnership and enabling its growth, and our role has focused on:

Bringing partners together - Active Essex facilitated the joining of the Colchester and Tendring steering groups, strengthening relationships between local authorities, health partners and community organisations
Setting the vision - We ensured partners developed a shared purpose, with clear structures and processes that support effective collaboration
Championing inactivity - A key focus has been maintaining attention on residents who are inactive and face the greatest barriers to participation
Enabling coordinated planning - Through system leadership, Active Essex helped partners co‑design targeted approaches that reduce inequalities and support measurable improvements in community health and activity levels

Active Essex has played a pivotal role in shaping and growing the Place Partnership in Colchester, uniting the former Colchester and Tendring steering groups to strengthen relationships between local authorities, health partners and community organisations.

By supporting partners to form a shared vision with clear structures and processes, Active Essex has created the foundations for effective collaboration. Its consistent focus has been championing residents who are inactive or face the greatest barriers, ensuring their needs and voices remain central to local decision‑making.

new roles have been created through the Place Partnership

projects are already underway across North Essex

steering groups in North Essex have been successfully joined into one unified leadership group

Through strong system leadership and coordinated planning, Active Essex has supported partners to co‑design targeted approaches that reduce inequalities and deliver measurable improvements in community health and activity levels.

The Place Partnership brings together a strong network of organisations committed to improving health and activity levels across North Essex. Key partners include Colchester City Council, Tendring District Council, health partners including the ICB, and Active Essex. Working collectively, these partners provide the local insight, strategic direction and system leadership needed to deliver meaningful change for communities.

Working alongside Tendring District Council as part of the Sport England Place Partnerships work in North Essex has given us the ability to share perspective, insight and best practice across our localities. Although Colchester and Tendring each have their own strengths, opportunities and challenges, there are also real commonalities. Using lived experience from officers and residents helps us unpick these and shape more community‑centred approaches. The different ways we work help us reflect, rethink and keep our support relevant and appropriate.

Tom Tayler, Colchester City Council

Key Learnings

Trust takes time

Relationships across partners have steadily strengthened since the LDP began

System differences matter

Understanding how each organisation works has been essential, even with shared goals

Pace is purposeful

Slower progress at times allowed for careful planning and community‑led development

Change brings resilience

Shifts in personnel created challenges but ultimately strengthened the partnership

The partnership is already creating clear ripple effects across North Essex, resulting in a stronger and more connected system. More organisations are choosing to collaborate, inspired by the shared‑leadership approach, and decision‑making has become quicker and more confident due to strengthened relationships and trust.

New connections across teams are reducing duplication and creating smoother pathways for residents, while partners feel more empowered to innovate, share challenges and develop holistic solutions together. A shared language now underpins planning and communication, and the partnership’s increased credibility has opened new funding opportunities and strengthened messaging to communities.

The next phase will focus on embedding new roles and delivering targeted projects that directly address barriers preventing inactive residents from engaging in physical activity. The partnership aims to:

Strengthen cross‑system collaboration between delivery partners, health teams, community groups and local authorities
Create sustainable pathways into physical activity, enabling residents to build confidence and develop long‑term, positive habits