Colchester locality
Colchester has a population of over 190,000, making it the largest local authority area in Essex in terms of population size, with 81% being adults with a median age of 39.
Colchester has fewer low-income families compared to the national average, but socio-economic factors remain, that significantly impact health outcomes, associated with poorer health and reduced life expectancy.
Measuring impact in Colchester to improve outcomes for residents
52% of children living in Colchester are participating in 60+ minutes of activity a day
The North Hub team are working with partners to integrate physical activity into children’s services across Colchester through the Place Partnership Deepening programme.
7.2% of adults in Colchester face multiple inequality factors in addition to being inactive
Bridging social connection and increasing activity opportunities for residents living in Colchester Borough Homes accommodation is supporting the physical and mental health of residents.
34.2% of adults living in Colchester are leading an inactive lifestyle
Sport and physical activity are integral to the wider Colchester system priorities and Active Essex have worked with partners to embed governance into existing structures across the district.
Making movement a priority in Colchester
In October 2017, Sport England chose Essex as one of their 12 Local Delivery Pilots (LDP), and due to high levels of physical inactivity and deprivation, Colchester was selected as one of the three pilot areas in the county. Following further Place Partnership investment from Sport England, Colchester has since received additional funding to deepen the work and create the conditions for transformational change to tackle physical inactivity.
There is a huge disparity between the number of active adult’s vs active children in Colchester, and this gap highlights the urgent need for effective youth engagement strategies. As a result, the North Essex Children’s Partnership Board and children’s service partners are collaborating to support this ambition and Active Essex are highlight how sport and physical activity can impact multiple agendas.
Colchester is united by ambition and driven by movement, the following case studies show how the district is contributing to the Fit for the Future Strategy.
