Agenda item

To consider a report of the Director of Public Health.

The report provides the Board with a progress update on the outcomes of the ONE Stockport Active Communities Strategy – branded as Stockport Moving Together.

The Board is asked to:-

(1)  Comment on the progress outlined to date.

(2)  Note the ongoing and future opportunities to improve population and individual health outcomes through Stockport Moving Together.

(3)  Note and endorse the continuation of a whole systems methodology for the ONE Stockport Active Communities Strategy 2022-2030.

Officer contact: Russ Boaler on 07891949016 or email: russ.boaler@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Public Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) which provided the Board with a progress update on the outcomes of the ONE Stockport Active Communities Strategy – branded as Stockport Moving Together.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The Board welcomed the excellent work that was taking place across the borough.

·         It was noted that the data referenced in the report related to 2020/21 which was during the Covid-19 pandemic where there was a notable increase in physical activity and queried whether more recent data was available to draw comparisons in the trends of physical activity.

·         In response, it was stated that the service was looking at more recent data from the active lives survey which included both a children’s and adults survey and there was evidence of a change in people's physical activity habits during the pandemic with more people exercising in nature more. It was noted that some of those improvements had been maintained following the pandemic and there were changes in behaviour around active travel, continuing to build on and embed the walking and cycling infrastructure around the borough.

·         It was commented that physical activity was an individual choice and queried the work taking place to educate the population and encourage physical activity.

·         In response, it was stated that there was ongoing work to highlight the benefits of physical activity and a key message was that physical activity did not need to involve going to a gym as a lot of peoples faced various barriers including economic and psychological in the consideration of a gym environment. It was commented that some of the work in Brinnington had broken down some of those barriers and encouraged Board Members to visit the Life Leisure facilities to understand the community work that was taking place and how those spaces were being used.

·         It was noted that Life Leisure was a vital part of the infrastructure to deliver the strategy and queried the sustainability of Life Leisure as an organisation.

·         In response, it was commented that the sustainability of Life Leisure was part of a live conversation in recognition of the difficult market around viable provision for physical activity and traditional leisure services. It was noted that the service was looking to reimagine the leisure provision to put population health outcomes first in terms of physical activity and the health benefits in terms of literacy, wellbeing and social connectedness and design the system in a fresh, holistic way giving consideration to the inequalities that exist across the borough.

·         It was noted that there were examples of Life Leisure going into care homes and supported living accommodation to support people to reduce the incidences of frailty and falls and queried whether this work was still taking place.

·         It was queried what additional work in collaboration with partner organisations such as GP practices, the NHS and Sector 3 could be considered to further the work that was taking place and communications that were being shared, using the opportunities around social prescribing.

·         In response, it was commented that primary care was a key partner due to their interactions with a large proportion of the population. In relation to social prescribing, it was noted that there was exercise on prescription and the wellbeing prescription that had been developed and piloted which the service was intending to build on and scale up in the future. It was also noted that a programme of focus across the council was making every contact count to enable front line workers to signpost residents to local provision such as social prescribing and opportunities for physical activity.

·         It was commented that Life Leisure was part of the Family Hubs that were being set up in each of the localities and representatives were in attendance at the recent launch of the new Family Hub in Heatons and Reddish.

RESOLVED – (1) That ongoing and future opportunities to improve population and individual health outcomes through Stockport Moving Together be noted.

(2) That the continuation of a whole systems methodology for the ONE Stockport Active Communities Strategy 2022-2030 be endorsed.