Active People Survey - What is it?

Please note – the results of the Active People survey will be published on Wednesday 7 December 2006.

What is the Active People Survey?

• The Active People Survey is the largest single survey of sport and active recreation ever undertaken in Europe and provides more detail on sports participation than any previous research. It was commissioned by Sport England and has been carried out by Ipsos MORI.
  
• It provides statistical information about the levels of participation in sport and active recreation in England. It includes robust data for all 354 local authorities across the country, providing a picture of participation by local authority area for the very first time. The survey also gives a breakdown of levels of participation in different sports and the proportion of people volunteering to support sport.
  

Why has it been commissioned? What will it be used for?

• The Active People Survey gives us a detailed picture of participation in sport across the country – by geographical area, age group, sex, and ethnicity, along with a wide range of other socio-demographic information. This provides Sport England, local authorities and other partners with a new and accurate baseline measure for levels of participation in sport and active recreation, and volunteering.
  
• The survey results will help Sport England and its partners target future investment to areas of greatest need and where it will have the greatest impact. This will help us succeed in the drive to create an active nation through sport. Sport England will work with its national and regional partners, with County Sports Partnerships at the sub-regional level, and through them with local partners to take forward this work.
  
• The Active People Survey will work in tandem with information on sports facility provision available via www.activeplaces.com (public web database) and www.activeplacespower.com (available to registered users in partner organisations). Together this will help us identify gaps in provision and address barriers to access.
  
• The background to the Active People research includes the Government’s Chief Medical Officer’s 2004 recommendation that people should do at least 5 x 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity to benefit health. Sport England has clearly articulated that sport and active recreation can contribute 3 of the 30 minute activity sessions per week; with other activities undertaken as part of an active lifestyle (gardening, walking to work etc) contributing the other 2 x 30 minutes.
  
• The survey results provide an opportunity to highlight the impact of inactivity on health, for the individual and the nation and launch a call to action, encouraging more people to get active through sport. The survey is also a platform for all partners to highlight the role that sport and active recreation can play as part of the drive to combat obesity and improve health.
  
  

How many people have been surveyed? Who was surveyed?

• A total of 364,501 people were surveyed between October 2005 and October 2006. This includes a minimum of 1000 people in each of the 354 local authorities in the country. This is the minimum required to provide statistically valid data at a local authority level.
  
• The Active People Survey surveyed the English population aged 16 years and over – it did not have an upper age limit.
  
  

What level of information will it provide?

• The results of the survey will provide Sport England and its partners across the Delivery System for Sport with the following information:
  
• The percentage of people participating in at least 30 minutes moderate intensity sport and active recreation in England on three or more days a week (‘3 x 30’) including by geographic area, right down to local authority area.
  
• Information about sports participation broken down by age, gender, ethnicity, disabled/non-disabled and by socio-economic group.
  
• The percentage of people volunteering in sport and active recreation for at least one hour a week.
  
• The percentage of the adult population who are members of sports clubs, receiving coaching tuition, taking part in competition and participating in recreational walking and cycling once a week.
  
• Levels of overall satisfaction with sports provision in respondents’ local area.
  
  

When will the results be published?

• The Active People Survey results will be published on Wednesday 7 December 2006. Sport England will publish headline findings on its own website and on www.activepeoplesurvey.com that day.
  
• Designated contacts in partner organisations will be able to access the full results through the Active People Diagnostic. This is a sophisticated online reporting and analysis tool enabling users to access full survey results at the touch of a button.
  
• Registered users will be able to access Active People Diagnostic shortly after 6 December 2006. The precise date will be communicated to nominated users nearer the live date. This site is password protected and only nominated personnel in each local authority and partner organisation will have access to the Diagnostic. After the site goes live, others will be able to register, subject to the terms and conditions of the site.
  
• For more information on Active People Diagnostic, click here: http://www.sportengland.org/active_people_diagnostic_pdf.pdf
  

How will the survey results determine CPA scores for volunteering and participation?

• The participation and volunteering indicators within the CPA are derived from the Active People Survey. To generate the CPA scores, the Audit Commission uses the participation and volunteering rates from the Active People Survey, and applies an adjustment for levels of local deprivation based on a statistical formula. Additional information is available on the Audit Commission website http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/cpa/index.asp?page=index.asp&area=hpcpa
  

Nov 06 Monthly Blog

Advise
DEREK MAPP TO CHAIR SPORT ENGLAND
Derek Mapp has been named as the new Chair of Sport England. With London 2012 on the horizon, interest in sport is at unprecedented levels. The Chair will play a crucial role in ensuring we capitalise on this huge opportunity to create a lasting community legacy for 2012 and beyond.More

MORE NEW STARTERS IN THE EAST
World Bowls Champion Ellen Falkner has joined Sport England East, leading on work with clubs and education. Ellen joins Sport England from Living Sport where she was the Workforce Development Manager. Spencer Harris took up his post of Head of Improvement on October 30th.

Jenny Negus has started as Sports Partnership Development Manager for Sport and Crime as part of the Sports Equality East team. Information on the project and Jenny's contact details can be found here (foot of page).

OLYMPIC HERO BACKS SPORTESSEX
Derek Redmond, World, European and Commonwealth gold medallist in athletics has put his backing behind the drive to increase participation in sport across Essex.The Holiday Inn, Basildon was the venue for the launch of “Building a winning future together in Essex”, a strategy to take forward sports development in Essex. With just 22% of Essex residents actively participating in sport, the strategy and its action plan will seek to increase participation in the coming months and years. More

ACTIVE NORFOLK UP AND RUNNING
Sky Sports News and ex-Blue Peter presenter Simon Thomas was one of the many guests on hand at the launch of the new County Sports Partnership for Norfolk, Active Norfolk. Active Norfolk will focus on raising awareness about the benefits of an active lifestyle with the aim of increasing participation in sport and active recreation in the county by one per cent year on year.

The intention is that this will have a significant impact on the health of the county and lead to a reduction in health problems due to stress and sedentary lifestyles, lower absenteeism rates, lessen obesity, bring about a higher utilisation of leisure, sports and health facilities and develop the realisation that we all need exercise of some kind in our lives. More


Invest
REGIONAL FACILITIES STRATEGY
Sport England, in partnership with the East of England Development Agency and the Herts Sports Partnership, has commissioned a project to prepare a regional Facilities Strategy for the East of England.
The Strategy will be prepared by Strategic Leisure Limited with a completion date of March 2007, and will be a two Phase study. Phase 1 will constitute an audit and assessment of existing sports facility provision within the region, with Phase 2 developing a 10 year strategy for facility development and options appraisal for delivery (ie up to 2016), taking into account the regional growth agenda, projected rises in sports participation and key external factors such as the 2012 Olympics.
The process will involve comprehensive consultation with key regional stakeholders such as local authorities, County Sports Partnerships, NGBs and regional agencies. Further information on how to get involved in the proposed stakeholder workshops, which are scheduled to take place in January and February 2007, will be released shortly.

Further information on the aims and objectives of the study can be obtained from Philip Raiswell on (0207 273 1824)

LATEST PLAYING FIELDS STATS SHOW INCREASED INVESTMENT IN SPORT AND BETTER PROTECTION THAN EVER BEFORE IN THE EAST
Figures released by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport show that better protection in place for playing fields is reaping rewards for sport, bringing in substantial investment and improvements in the East.

Of 197 applications for development in the East region in 2004/05, the figures show that 64 outdoor and 18 indoor new or upgraded sports facilities were created. This includes two brand new playing fields.

ED MILIBAND PLEDGES £1.1 MILLION TO PROMOTE VOLUNTEERING AMONG HARD-TO-REACH GROUPS
Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, has pledged over £1million of funding to spread the best ideas for recruiting and retaining volunteers from hard-to-reach groups. More

Promote
COUNTY SPORTS PARTNERSHIPS HONOUR THE EAST'S UNSUNG HEROES
Suffolk Sport, Living Sport and sportessex have all run successful sports awards within the last month, with all three awards schemes being jointly hosted by BBC local radio. To find out who won in each county, please click the links below:
Suffolk's winners
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's winners
Essex, Southend and Thurrock's winners