Across England, we’re seeing something both encouraging and confronting. Encouraging because more children and young people (CYP) are active than at any point since 2017. Confronting because the system that supports them remains inconsistent, unequal and, in too many places, disconnected.

The latest Sport England Active Lives Children and Young People Survey shows that 49.1% of CYP meet the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines – the highest on record. Yet 28.4% remain less active, and inequalities aren’t just persistent, they’re widening.

Closer to home, our Community Partnership Learning reveals why. The issue isn’t motivation. It’s access, connection, and confidence – shaped deeply by place, people and system design.

Taken together, these two reports give us a clear message: the challenge is no longer about creating more activity, it’s about creating the conditions for activity to be possible, relevant and sustained. This is where Lincolnshire’s place-based approach isn’t just relevant, it’s essential.

The national picture. Progress with a persistent gap

At a national level, the trajectory is positive. Activity levels are increasing, the number of less active young people is decreasing, and there’s a growing understanding of the powerful link between activity, wellbeing and development.

But the data also exposes systemic issues:

• Only half of young people meet daily activity guidelines
• Inequality is deepening – children from the least affluent families are significantly less active (45% vs 58% most affluent)
• CYP with two or more inequality characteristics are the least active (40%)
• Girls, ethnically diverse communities, and older teenagers continue to face participation gaps.

This isn’t a participation problem alone; it’s an equity problem and it has consequences. The survey shows a clear positive link between activity and mental wellbeing, resilience, and social connection. In simple terms, when young people move more, they feel better, connect more, and develop stronger life skills. The cost of inactivity, therefore, isn’t just physical, it’s social, emotional and economic.

The Lincolnshire lens. Place shapes participation

In Lincolnshire, these national trends are magnified by geography, infrastructure and lived experience. What stands out in our Community Partnership Learning is this: people want to be active but too often can’t be.

Across Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland, the findings consistently show that access, not motivation, is the primary barrier.

1. Place matters deeply

• In Boston, parks and green spaces are underused due to safety concerns, poor maintenance and perceptions of risk
• In East Lindsey, rurality and transport infrastructure determine who can participate
• In South Holland, limited transport and dispersed communities restrict access to facilities, particularly for CYP

Across all areas, the insight is consistent: provision exists, but it’s not evenly reachable, usable or welcoming.

2. Systems are fragmented

The system does not yet operate as a connected pathway for CYP:

• Strong participation in schools is not sustained outside school hours
• Programmes create engagement but lack clear exit routes into ongoing activity
• Community, health, education and leisure systems often operate in parallel, not together

The result? Drop-off. Not because CYP lose interest, but because the system loses them.

3. Inequality is embedded in Place

In Lincolnshire, inequality shows up through:

• Transport poverty
• Rural isolation
• Cultural and language barriers
• Cost and affordability
• Safety and environmental quality

In South Holland, for example, participation is influenced by cultural disconnection and language barriers, particularly among Eastern European communities. This aligns directly with the national picture – where ethnicity and deprivation remain defining factors in activity levels.

Inclusivity: From intent to design

Both reports make one thing clear: inclusivity cannot be an add-on. It must be designed into the system. The Active Lives survey shows that CYP who experience multiple inequalities are least active, least likely to volunteer and have the lowest physical literacy.

Meanwhile, in Lincolnshire:

• Individuals with health conditions lack confidence and suitable provision
• Women and girls face disproportionate barriers in certain communities
• Cultural and language barriers reduce participation in diverse populations

Inclusivity isn’t just about who attends, it’s about whether people feel able, welcome and safe enough to engage. This brings us to a critical shift – from offering activity to enabling belonging.

Place-based working: The Lincolnshire opportunity

What’s emerging in Lincolnshire is a clear and compelling model for change: place-based working that’s relational, insight-led and system-focused. This isn’t about rolling out programmes uniformly. It’s about:

• Understanding hyper-local context
• Activating existing community assets
• Building relationships across sectors
• Designing solutions with – not for – communities

Across the three priority places, we’re already seeing this shift:

• Moving from creating new provision to activating existing spaces in Boston
• Bringing activity closer to communities rather than expecting travel in East Lindsey
• Addressing transport and infrastructure as part of participation in South Holland

The learning is clear, Place-based approaches are not a delivery model, they’re a system redesign.

Schools: The foundation, not the finish line

The national data reinforces the importance of schools, with 46% of CYP meeting activity guidelines during school hours. In Lincolnshire, schools are consistently identified as key assets, but there is a challenge. In Boston, participation is strong in schools but drops significantly outside of them. This isn’t a failure of schools, it’s a failure of the system around them.

We need to reposition schools as:

• Anchors within a wider ecosystem
• Connectors to community activity
• Gateways to lifelong participation

That means clearer pathways, stronger partnerships, and shared accountability.

Workforce and skills: The system enabler

Behind every opportunity is a person, a coach, volunteer, teacher, community connector. The workforce is the connective tissue of the system, but both reports highlight pressures:

• Volunteer reliance is high, particularly in rural areas
• Leisure and community providers face increasing cost pressures
• Confidence and capability gaps affect inclusive delivery

At the same time, the national data shows that 48% of CYP volunteer in sport and physical activity, gaining skills that carry into adulthood. This presents a significant opportunity.

We need to think differently about workforce:

• Developing local capacity, not just professional delivery
• Embedding youth voice and youth leadership
• Building inclusive skills across all sectors, not just sport
• Supporting volunteers as a strategic asset, not a fallback

This is about creating a workforce that reflects communities, understands place, and enables participation for all.

Physical literacy: The missing link

One of the most powerful insights from the Active Lives survey is the concept of physical literacy – a young person’s relationship with movement.

• 90% of CYP report positive experiences
• But only 37% strongly agree across all domains

Strong agreement matters. It signals confidence, belonging and long-term engagement.

In Lincolnshire, this connects directly to what we hear:

• Young people disengage when spaces feel unsafe
• Confidence is a major barrier in rural communities
• Lack of inclusive provision limits participation for those who need it most

Physical literacy provides a framework for action, It’s not just about activity levels, it’s about:

• Confidence
• Enjoyment
• Connection
• Identity

If we focus only on output (minutes of activity), we miss the deeper drivers of behaviour.

A system challenge and a system opportunity

The combined insight from both reports leads to a fundamental conclusion – we don’t have an activity deficit, we have a system design challenge.

A system where:

• Assets are underused
• Pathways are unclear
• Access is uneven
• Inclusion is inconsistent

But also a system with enormous potential, because the building blocks already exist:

• Schools
• Community organisations
• Green spaces
• Volunteers
• Local insight

The task now is to connect, align and activate them.

What needs to happen next

If we’re serious about changing the trajectory for children and young people, the response must be bold, joined-up and sustained.

1. Design for access, not just provision

Focus on proximity, affordability and connectivity. If CYP cannot reach it, it doesn’t exist.

2. Build connected pathways

Link school, community, health and leisure into a coherent journey, not isolated experiences.

3. Embed inclusivity system-wide

From facilities to workforce, inclusion must be intentional and visible.

4. Invest in Place-based leadership

Local insight and relationship-building are critical to unlocking change.

5. Strengthen workforce and community capacity

Support volunteers, develop skills, and empower local delivery.

6. Prioritise physical literacy

Shift from activity as an outcome to relationship with movement as the goal.

A positive future – if we act together

There’s real optimism in both reports. Activity levels are rising, young people value being active, communities want to engage. The opportunity is there.

Lincolnshire is already demonstrating what happens when we listen to communities, understand place, and work across systems. This isn’t just local learning, it’s a blueprint for national change, but it requires us to think differently. To move beyond programmes, to move beyond siloed delivery, to move towards a connected, inclusive, place-based system.

Ultimately, this isn’t just about sport or physical activity. It’s about giving every child and young person, wherever they live, the opportunity to thrive.

And that’s a system worth building.