Norfolk Rugby coach calls for an increase in sport in schools to make children more active
King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth are getting a chunk of £300 million from Sport England to get more people active
A rugby coach in Norfolk is telling us that putting more sport on the school curriculum is key to ensuring the next generation gets into the habit of regularly exercising.
King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth are getting a chunk of £300 million of investment from Sport England - which aims to help more people in deprived areas get active and play more sport.
The money's being dished out to 50 areas of England, where, on average, people aren't being active enough.
"A very good way of fighting social isolation and loneliness"
Eve Dewsnap is director of Active Norfolk:
"If you exercise more you're less likely to get ill, your mental health and well-being can improve, it'll boost your confidence and self-esteem as well.
"Exercising with others is a very good way of fighting social isolation and loneliness.
"It will also make your bones and muscles a lot stronger, which is particularly important when it comes to helping us maintain our independence in later life."
"I don't think there's any quick fix to this"
Darren Clarke is director of West Norfolk Rugby and a retired teacher:
"We need bespoke facilities where people can to come and play a sport in. They are a great way of bringing children and diversity in and then helping us grow from there.
"But, I don't think there's any quick fix to this, at all. You still need to have the volunteers that we go into schools and drum up that enthusiasm."
The report in more detail:
More than a third of adults living in the country's most deprived areas are not getting enough physical activity, according to new research by Sport England.
The public body warned of a "postcode lottery" as its findings showed 34% of less affluent adults fell within the category, compared with only 20% from the least deprived areas.
Women, people from lower socio-economic groups and black and Asian people still remain less likely to be active than other adults, while less than half of children currently meet the Chief Medical Officer's guidelines for daily physical activity.
A Sport England report published last year found healthy, active lifestyles save the health and care system £10.5 billion a year by relieving pressure on the NHS, preventing chronic illnesses and saving money through reduced use of health services such as mental health support.
The body will partner with local organisations and leaders in 53 places who understand what facilities are available to support people to play sport and get active in their respective communities.
It has been testing its "Place-based approach" since 2018 by taking a bespoke approach to each area, identifying the major barriers to activity that each place faces and working to dismantle them.
Recent examples include using football, gardening and walking to integrate refugees into the communities, influencing housing plans in Exeter and providing gentle dance classes for older people to help them rehabilitate after a fall.
"Inequality in activity levels damage health and undermine growth"
Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said: "It is unacceptable that for many children and adults, their postcode, background and income dictate how active and healthy they can be - even affecting how long they might live.
"Inequality in activity levels damage health and undermine growth; we want to end the postcode lottery for physical activity.
"Uniting the Movement's mission is to make sure we all have the opportunity to lead an active life, which is essential for the growth agenda too. Sport and physical activity are not just good for health; they are acts of economic contribution."