London Sport has announced that Sport England has awarded an additional £1.2 million to the Barking and Dagenham Place Partnership, known as ‘B&D Moves’, a community-led collaboration in the borough focused on tackling physical inactivity and improving public health.
- The new funding will help ‘B&D Moves’ develop its community-led work and continue supporting local people to move more.
- The investment will focus on tackling inequalities and removing barriers that stop residents in Barking & Dagenham from being active in their everyday lives.
- By taking a long-term, whole-systems approach, the partnership will work with partners, local organisations and residents to test and co-design practical solutions that reflect local needs.
Whole systems approach
Barking and Dagenham (B&D) has a significant opportunity to improve residents’ health and wellbeing by enabling more people to be physically active. If we can increase levels of physical activity across the borough, we can help prevent and manage long-term health conditions, improve quality of life and reduce health inequalities.
There is real potential to make a difference: currently, 32% of B&D adults do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week and almost half (43.7%) are not active enough for good health. With more than 1 in 4 patients (26.7%) living with a long-term health condition — and more than 1 in 5 (22%) developing one before the age of 40 — increasing physical activity could play an important role in helping residents stay healthier for longer.
Rather than operating like a grants scheme to fund short-term projects, the funding, awarded through Sport England’s Place Expansion programme, will enable partners to instead work together over several years to change the conditions around people, including services, spaces and how decisions are made. This will support the ongoing work being done across the borough, building on partners’ existing priorities – including the It Starts Here campaign and Pride in Place – and emphasise their long-term commitment to community-led change.
Bringing partners together around a shared vision: building together
B&D Moves brings together a range of partners: Barking and Dagenham Council, London Sport, Barking and Dagenham Council for Voluntary Service (BDCVS), B&D Giving, Barking Sports 4 Change, as well as community and faith organisations, health services, schools, sport and activity providers, housing providers and local volunteers.
The partnership will develop this work in four phases:
- Strengthening local governance and networks;
- Listening to residents about the barriers they face;
- Testing community-led initiatives; and
- Scaling successful approaches across the borough.
Listening to residents about what gets in the way of being active runs through all of it. Their views, alongside the knowledge of partners across health, education, housing and transport, will shape how the funding is used, so it goes on what residents need and want.
Councillor Maureen Worby, Cabinet Member, Adult Social Care, Health Integration and Housing at Barking and Dagenham Council, said:
“Barking and Dagenham has a proud sporting heritage, from Olympians and World Cup winners to the pioneering footballers who helped shape our national game. This investment gives us an exciting opportunity to build on that legacy and help more residents enjoy the benefits of being active.
The programme aligns with our wider ambitions through Pride in Place and Live Well Barking and Dagenham to create healthier physical and social environments, while supporting our commitment to ensure every resident can achieve their potential. Working with local partners and communities, B&D Moves will help make physical activity a more accessible part of everyday life for everyone in our borough.”
Emily Robinson, Chief Executive, London Sport, said:
“Where you live in London still has a big impact on how likely you are to be active. In Barking and Dagenham, the barriers residents face, from cost and time to health, safety and access to spaces, are rooted in wider inequalities. No single organisation or short-term project can solve them. That’s why place-based working matters: it starts with the people who live here and brings together everyone who shapes their day-to-day lives to change the conditions around them.
“I’m delighted that through working closely with local charities, sports organisations and the council, London Sport has been able to secure this vital investment from Sport England to benefit the residents of Barking and Dagenham. This programme gives partners the time to test what works, learn together and scale up what makes the biggest difference, so that being active becomes easier, and an everyday part of life in the borough”.
Sport England spokesperson, said:
Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England’s Executive Director for Partnerships and Place, said:
“We want everyone, no matter where they live or who they are, to have the chance to be active and healthy. To do this, we’re focusing on places, towns, cities, and communities where people face the biggest challenges.
“We are committed to working alongside local partners and communities across Barking and Dagenham to break down barriers to physical activity and ensure everyone has the opportunity to lead a more active life. We look forward to continuing this work together and seeing what we can achieve.”
Community voice, said:
“Real and lasting change happens when communities are not just consulted, but have a meaningful role in shaping the decisions and solutions that affect their lives. This investment allows us to put that principle into practice.
Through B&D Moves, we want to bring residents, grassroots organisations and partners together, build on the strengths already within our communities and make sure local voices help shape what happens next. By working in this way, we can create change with communities, rather than doing things to or for them.”
Find your move
Residents can find free and low-cost activities near them at www.banddmoves.co.uk, including sessions for beginners and women-only sessions.
Local groups and organisations that want to get involved can contact: [email protected]
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Notes to editors
- London Sport’s place-based approach focuses on building long-term partnerships with local organisations across sectors, including councils, the NHS, neighbourhood groups, schools and charities. Together, place-partnerships are working hard to create the conditions that make movement and physical activity easier.
