Southend locality
With a population size of 182,465, Southend is a Unitary Authority and the closest major seaside resort to London, attracting large numbers of visitors each year.
However, 16% of secondary-aged children in Southend have no access to a park, field or outdoor space, creating a significant barrier to taking part in physical activity and sport. Reflecting this challenge, but not equitable for, activity levels among children have declined in the past year by 3.7 percentage points, with just over half of young people under 16 achieving the recommended 60 minutes or more of daily activity.
Measuring impact in Southend to improve outcomes for residents
Only 51.7% of Southend children and young people are active.
Partners across Southend-on-Sea are rebuilding and revitalising the local physical activity system for young people, identifying what’s strong and creating shared ambitions to address activity levels.
52.9% of residents in Southend, living with a disability are inactive
Understanding resident’s barriers to physical activity has driven the Active Southend Fund to ensure they provide new and sustainable opportunities for residents living with long term health conditions.
64.9% of adults living in Southend are leading an active lifestyle.
Utilising the Thames Estuary and waterways in the district, access to blue spaces with improved diversity and inclusion, have helped improve residents mental and physical wellbeing.
Making movement a priority in Southend
Driven by the community activity network, comprised of Active Essex, Southend City Council and local organisations, strategic priorities have been aligned across the district to improve physical activity and maximise opportunities and resources that support the health and wellbeing of Southend residents.
A significant proportion of the local population live within the highest deprivation group, making this a key area of focus for partners across the city. As a result, there has been an important emphasis on reviewing free or low-cost activity opportunities, and making better use of Southend’s extensive waterways as accessible local spaces for residents to be active.
Southend is united by ambition and driven by movement, and the following case studies show how the district is contributing to the Fit for the Future Strategy.
