Overview

Sport England National Lottery funding is enabling Active Lincolnshire to take a long-term, place-based approach to improving physical activity across South Holland, Boston and East Lindsey. The funding is not simply supporting the delivery of activities; it is helping to build stronger communities, develop local leadership, remove barriers to participation and create lasting systems change that will improve lives across Lincolnshire for years to come.

The Challenge

Where a person lives, and the environment around them, has a significant impact on how likely they are to be physically active. Too often, people living in low-income communities do not have access to the same opportunities, facilities or support as those in more affluent areas. Barriers such as transport, affordability, confidence, accessibility, health inequalities and rural isolation can all prevent people from embedding physical activity into their everyday lives.

Our Approach

Over the past 18 months, Active Lincolnshire has immersed itself within targeted Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) across the three districts, identified by Sport England as priority areas. This has involved listening to residents, working alongside local stakeholders and building a deeper understanding of the lived experience of communities. By taking a ground-up approach, the programme places local people at the heart of decision-making and supports the development of community-led solutions that address the root causes of inactivity.

Activity to Date

• Recorded more than 641 engagement interactions in South Holland, including 521 with children, young people and families.

• Engaged with more than 200 children and families in Boston.

• Engaged with residents and stakeholders in East Lindsey, including through an in-depth study focused on supporting individuals living with diabetes.

• Built partnerships across health, local government, schools, charities and community organisations.

• Identified key barriers to participation, including transport, affordability, confidence and accessibility.

• Begun developing community-led solutions that respond to the root causes of inactivity.

• Created Theories of Change for Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland, supported by delivery plans that identify specific areas for immersive community work.

These delivery plans focus on themes including children and young people, anti-social behaviour, activating community assets, embedding everyday activity in rural places, supporting shift workers to be active, long-term health conditions, communication, connection and awareness, and building confidence and inclusivity among older adults.

Emerging Impact

The Place Partnership programme across Boston, South Holland and East Lindsey is enabling Active Lincolnshire to target resources and effort towards communities experiencing the greatest levels of inequality and the highest need for support. By strengthening relationships across sectors and listening directly to communities, the work is helping to build the conditions for long-term change rather than short-term intervention.

Next Steps

As the programme moves into the full award stage, Active Lincolnshire will continue to collaborate with local people, partners and decision-makers to build a shared understanding of each place from the perspective of those who live and work there. This will support the co-creation of local solutions that reflect each community’s unique needs and circumstances, helping more people to become active in ways that are accessible, meaningful and sustainable.

Find out more about our work in place here.