Strategic Priority

The Essex sport and physical activity sector is broad and dynamic, and as set out in the Fit for the Future strategy, it’s important for Active Essex to create a vibrant, relevant and sustainable network of people who understand their role in tackling inequalities and making sport and physical activity accessible at every level.

Active Essex launched their People, Culture, Skills Framework in June 2022, which looks differently at the long-standing people challenges the sector has faced. The key focuses for Sport & Physical Activity work over the past year has been shaped by what we heard from local employers and deployers at this launch event. Raising the profile of the sector, supporting our organisations to thrive, developing our individuals who work and volunteer in SPA and creating a clear pathway to the jobs and opportunities across the sector.

To challenge perceptions and make the sector more attractive, it has been important for Active Essex to work at a strategic level, raising the profile of the sector and building relationships across the skills landscape. With this, Active Essex have worked to connect the sector, fostering a collective effort to tackle wider challenges and foster a culture of people-centred leadership which in turn helps to combat stubborn inequalities.

Working closely with CIMSPA and being part of the East Region Skills pilot, has resulted in more robust data sets and a better shared understanding of the sectors wider contribution to the economy. This has enabled Active Essex to have more mature conversations with colleagues across the skills landscape.

Active Essex’s relationship with the South East LEP has meant that sport and physical activity is now listed as one of the priority sectors in the Essex Skills Plan. This will bring opportunities to leverage in funding and tackle skills gaps. Active Essex are continuing these positive conversations with The Essex Chamber of Commerce and the Local Skills Improvement Plan.

By having stronger links to the Essex Provider Network, it has given Active Essex better connections to Further Education and training providers in the sector, using the data to inform decision making. Active Essex understand that they cannot do this alone, and by setting up a Skills Advisory Panel, it has provided a platform where great knowledge and influence across the sector, can shape future direction and help raise the profile, driving improvement for local employers and deployers.

Active Essex have also been working to raise the profile of the sector with parents and carers. In partnership with the Essex Safeguarding Children’s Board and the NWG (National Safeguarding Charity) they have brought ‘Safe to Play’; a safeguarding in sport campaign to Essex.

Over the past year, Active Essex have invested in building capacity for local organisations, giving the sector the skills and resource to future proof and allow them to thrive.

We developed two capacity building programmes, one which focused on business support and the other on Organisational Development. Working closely with Sporting People, we designed a programme which provides bespoke support and advice for leaders and their teams. A self-assessment diagnostics tool was developed which asked organisations to reflect on strengths and areas for improvement, this data shaped bespoke improvement plans and 1:1 feedback session. This programme was designed to support the sector generate energy for change, fostering collective resilience and people-led leadership.

It’s important to the team that residents express a positive experience of working in the sector and the younger generation should see and reap the rewards of working in physical activity and sport. As set out in the delivery plan, each hub team made a commitment to attend 2 career events/ talks, to highlight the opportunities our sector provides, allowing Active Essex to further connect with local organisations and engage educational settings.

As previously stated, engaging young people in the sport and physical activity sector has been a priority, and as a result of attending various career events, Active Essex were invited to 2 Curriculum Review Stakeholder events at Writtle University College and Chelmsford College. Data sets, training needs analysis (TNA) and intel from the Skills Advisory Panel (SAP) were discussed and helped influence changes to their courses. Work is currently being undertaken to add industry recognised qualifications, aligned to CIMSPA standards to help make young people more employable.

Active Essex created a careers magazine to support schools and colleges to have more informed conversations about careers in our sector. This will give students a better understanding of the opportunities available and the pathway into and through those roles. The magazine sits digitally on the Active Essex website and physical copies have been printed as resource and shared at career events for young people and their educational establishments.

As part of Active Essex's work across the sector, with organisations and individuals, it is important that they also focus on their own team and continuous improvement.

As part of this work, the Inclusion Stretch Group to support their ongoing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work and have made a commitment to report their workforce composition data annually. In the latest staff demographic survey (April 2023) 89% of the workforce provided data.