Boost for Greater Manchester to help more people get physically active

GreaterSport

Greater Manchester has been chosen by Sport England as a pilot area to work with on a new approach to build healthier, more active communities across England.

National Lottery funding will be spent on 12 pilot schemes over four years, to create partnerships that make it easier for people in these communities to access sport and physical activity.

Latest research shows that a quarter of the general population are inactive, meaning they do less than 30 minutes of exercise that gets them slightly out of breath each week. In Greater Manchester, that figure is closer to 30%, with certain groups more affected such as people out-of-work and those with long-term conditions such as cardiovascular disease and respiratory illnesses.

Sport England and local partners in Greater Manchester want to find ways to try and remove the barriers that stop people getting active such as cost, confidence, transport and access to activities and open spaces.

There will be a focus on:

• Children and young people aged five to 18 in out-of-school settings
• People out-of-work, and people in work, but at risk of becoming unemployed
• People aged 40 – 60 with, or at risk of, long-term conditions: specifically cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory illnesses
• Improving mental health and tackling inequalities