£7m campaign to get North Yorkshire more active
The Mayor is launching the initiative
A major new investment in community health and wellbeing has been announced for York and North Yorkshire, as Mayor David Skaith launches the £7 million ‘Moving Forward’ campaign. The initiative aims to help people across the region become healthier and more active, while tackling key challenges like rural isolation, inactivity, and men’s mental health.
The ‘Moving Forward’ campaign, unveiled today, focuses on four main areas: Movement, Activity and Sport; Active Travel; Men’s Mental Health; and Connecting People to the Outdoors. The campaign has been developed alongside local partners, including the Sports Steering Group and the Men’s Mental Health Taskforce, to ensure it targets the issues most important to local communities.
The first milestone in the campaign is a £2.75 million Movement, Activity and Sport Fund, which is being delivered by North Yorkshire Sport. This investment is aimed at boosting opportunities for women and girls, supporting inclusive activities for Disabled people, tackling rural isolation, and helping prevent long-term ill health, anti-social behaviour, and crime. Funding will also go towards skills development and training in the sector.
"Sport changed my life"
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
“The health and wellbeing of our communities is at the heart of everything we do and has been my priority since day one. Empowering our communities to create more opportunities to move and be together is a key way we’re going to deliver healthy and thriving communities across York and North Yorkshire.”
He added: “Sport changed my life, and I want as many people as possible to have that same opportunity. I know the impact that keeping moving has on our mental health, but in our region, too many people face barriers to accessing sport and activity, especially women and girls and Disabled people. Over thirty percent of adults do less than thirty minutes of exercise a week, and over sixty percent are overweight or obese. That contributes towards preventable long-term ill health. Moving Forward is about backing people across York and North Yorkshire to build the healthy and thriving communities they deserve.”
David Watson, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Sport and Chair of the Sports Steering Group, described the fund as a “major investment in York and North Yorkshire’s health and wellbeing, reducing inequalities, building stronger communities, and increasing opportunities to be active.”
The ‘Moving Forward’ campaign will continue to develop new projects and partnerships in the coming months, all aimed at making it easier for residents to get active, look after their mental health, and enjoy the outdoors.