London Sport has joined forces with housing association L&Q and Sport England to bring together the sport and physical activity sector with housing providers, supporting them to create healthier, more active communities. The partnership aims to help housing associations embed sport and physical activity into everyday life for their residents.
A roundtable hosted by London Sport and L&Q brought together Housing Association representatives from across the G15 – a group of London’s largest housing associations, collectively responsible for more than 600,000 homes. G15 members work closely with communities, councils and government to deliver new housing and improve existing homes, with a shared mission to create safe, warm and thriving environments for Londoners.
Alongside discussions about health and wellbeing, the group explored how physical activity can support wider priorities for housing associations, including community cohesion, youth provision, and pathways into employment.
Cherie Blair of The Blair Academy joined the session, leading a seated dance demonstration to showcase the type of initiatives already being delivered across G15 organisations to help residents get active in ways that are fun, inclusive and accessible.
A resident panel offered valuable insights into the benefits of local physical activity opportunities, as well as the barriers that can prevent people from getting active. Their experiences helped highlight where support is most needed and where organisations can work together to make the biggest difference.
Workshops focused on three key areas:
Active Environments
Exploring how housing association assets – such as community centres, green spaces and meanwhile spaces – are currently being used to support physical activity and identifying opportunities to maximise their potential in the future.
Health
Identifying the support housing associations need to navigate the local health system, build effective partnerships, and ensure residents can access the right services and advice to lead healthier lives.
Workforce and Capacity Building
Understanding how well-connected housing associations are with community sport providers, and exploring opportunities for residents to take part in paid or voluntary roles. The discussion also examined the skills needed within the community sport workforce to better support resident engagement.
Chris Donkin, Strategic Lead for Active Environments at London Sport, said: “Housing associations are uniquely placed to shape the environments where people live, connect, and feel supported. By working together, we can unlock the potential of these spaces to make being active an easy, enjoyable and everyday part of residents’ lives. This collaboration marks an exciting step toward creating healthier, more connected communities across London.”
