Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1       Relevant Background Information

 

          At the meeting of the Parks and Leisure Committee on 6th December, 2011, the Committee noted the progress the department had made in developing the Active Belfast approach, working alongside the Belfast Health Development Unit (BHDU) and senior officers from the Public Health Agency (PHA), Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) and Belfast Healthy Cities (BHC).

 

          The Active Belfast approach is a key strand of the council’s developing Active Belfast and Open Space Strategy.  The work undertaken by Strategic Leisure Limited in 2009 to support the development of the strategic approach identified the need for better partnership working to get more people active more often.

 

          The establishment of the Active Belfast Partnership as part of the framework for action of the Belfast Strategic Partnership which is chaired by the Director of Parks and Leisure provides a real opportunity to work with key partners in the city to develop joint initiatives and projects to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for people in the city.

         

          This report summaries the key actions taken between December 2011 and March 2012 and highlights for Members several priority areas for the development of Active Belfast.

  

2        Key Issues

 

          Active Belfast Workshop (Stakeholders)

 

          On Thursday, 16th December, 2011 an Active Belfast workshop was held in Grove Wellbeing Centre. Stakeholders from a range of statutory, community and voluntary organisations were invited to attend.

 

          The purpose of the workshop was threefold:

 

·       to bring together key stakeholders in the city involved in the delivery of an Active Belfast

·       to explore strengths and improved ways of working for the future of an Active city

·       to influence the development of an Active Belfast Partnership

 

          In total 73 delegates attended the workshop representing over 40 different organisations. The key messages fed back from those attending the workshop were:

 

·       positivity about the commitment shown by the lead partner organisations;

·       a commitment to partnership and joined up working;

·       the need for co-ordination of delivery and promotion of opportunities;

·       a focus on community led change; and

·       the need to pool resources across organisations.

 

          Partners of Active Belfast

 

          Following the December workshop senior representatives from a range of organisations linked to the thematic areas of Active Belfast (Active Living, Active Leisure and Active Sport) met to discuss and agree a way forward in improving the co-ordination, promotion and provision of physical activity across the City.

 

          At this meeting it was agreed that:

 

·       a partnership would be established to build on the commitment shown by the lead organisations and workshop participants;

 

 

·       the partnership would provide a ‘direction of travel’ for physical activity across the City, by identifying key priorities and actions required to increase participation; and

·       the partnership would direct the development and implementation of a citywide physical activity plan.

 

          Community representatives have also been identified and approached to become partners of Active Belfast.

 

          Active Belfast planning workshop

 

          On Thursday, 8th March, 2012 the partners of Active Belfast met to discuss and agree immediate actions, both internal and external to the partnership, which are required to be taken forward in order to develop and provide visibility to Active Belfast.

 

          The following agreed themes for the mission of Active Belfast began to emerge from the partner discussions. Active Belfast should be:

 

·       people centred;

·       complementary to existing strategies;

·       concerned with improving health and wellbeing;

·       outcomes focused;

·       create visibility;

·       signify change; and

·       demonstrate positivity.

 

          To continue the development of the Active Belfast approach, the partners have identified several priority areas which are currently being progressed.

 

          These priority areas include:

 

·       a single ‘hard’ launch event of Active Belfast under the theme of Active Living, to take place in May;

·       the launch of Active Belfast being supported through a co-ordinated physical activity programme and marketing campaign to take place during the summer;

·       the branding of these programmes to fall under the Active Belfast logo;

·       to undertake an ongoing process of mapping and scoping all physical activity opportunities available in the city;

·       to agree on ‘quality control’ issues for the use of the Active Belfast logo by other organisations / groups;

 

 

·       to reach agreement on the role of the partnership in relation to commissioning funding to other organisations / groups; and

·       the creation of an Active Belfast Fund.

 

          Proposals for an Active Belfast Fund

 

          Historically the Public Health Agency and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust have allocated funding to a range of organisations including voluntary and community organisation to undertake projects to improve levels of physical activity in Belfast.  There is currently £180k available for investment in 2012/13 financial year.  Approximately £80k of this is already committed by the Public Health Agency to the Healthwise and Cardiac Rehab programmes.  The Public Health Agency would like to make the remaining £110k available to the Active Belfast Partnership to assist with the creation of a fund to enable a targeted call for applications for schemes that deliver outcomes within the Active Living and Active Leisure areas of the Active Belfast Approach.

 

          The Council has been asked by the partnership to consider contributing some match funding to help support a greater number of schemes.  A possible framework to target calls for applications to the fund is attached.

 

          The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee has agreed in the 2012/13 revenue estimates a budget of £100k to support the health and wellbeing thematic area.  Discussions with the Director of Health and Environmental Services have indicated that £70k of this could be made available from that to the Active Belfast Investment Fund in the 2012/13 financial year.  It is proposed that an additional £20k is provided from the Parks and Leisure budget to create a joint fund of £200k.

 

 3       Resource Implications

 

          Financial

 

          The provision of match funding to the Active Belfast Investment Fund will require £70k from the council’s thematic budget and £20k from the Parks and Leisure revenue budget.

 

          Human Resources

 

          None.

 

 

          Asset and Other Implications

 

          None.

  

4        Equality and Good Relations Implications

 

          None. 

 

 5       Recommendations

 

          It is recommended that Committee note the current position regarding Active Belfast and agree to match fund the Active Belfast Partnerships investment fund by agreeing to provide a total of £90k as outlined in the report.”

 

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to adopt the recommendation.