The challenge
Bedfordshire’s three councils - Luton, Central Bedfordshire and
Bedford – each identified increasing adult participation in sport
and physical activity as a priority in their local area
agreement.
To help deliver these targets, Team Beds and Luton, the area’s
county sports partnership brought together a range of partners
including the three councils, health agencies and national
governing bodies (NGBs) and created ‘Get Back Into…’
The approach
‘Get Back Into’ is a sport and physical activity participation
project for adults giving lapsed players a gentle re-introduction
to their former activity.
The programme started in 2008 and now runs with over 20 sports
and fitness activities offered across 59 venues throughout the
county. Each activity runs for between six and twelve weeks with
course programmes running three times a year.
People can feel anxious having not played sport for a number of
years and often drop-out when competition is mentioned. Sessions
are designed to start slowly, be fun and with little or no
pressure. Participants are then guided either into further fun and
socially based activities or a more competitive sporting
environment, depending on what’s appropriate for them.
For example, Dunstable Leisure Centre now runs two recreational
badminton sessions as a direct result of ‘Get Back Into’
programmes. While, following a successful ‘Get Back Into’ programme
at Bunyan centre in Bedford, a netball team has been established
and now takes part in local competitions.
Team Beds and Luton coordinates all the partners, leads the
funding bids and manages the programme’s delivery across the whole
county.
It uses Sport England’s Active People Survey and market
segmentation data, combined with local knowledge and participant
feedback, to target activity where it is most needed.
The sessions should become self-financing where possible,
however as one of the objectives is to strengthen voluntary sports
clubs as part of the process; the CSP offers clubs small grants of
up to £500 to cover start-up costs and to act as a buffer for
events with low numbers or high overhead costs.
Clubs are also able to keep the participant fees that they
collect from delivering the sessions. However the aim is not to
generate a profit from the programme but to increase participation
and strengthen community sport.
A cost breakdown for the winter term (2009/10) programme,
providing 50 courses:
- Programme costs were £15,729
- Participant income was £7,140
- Advertising costs were £7,500
- Net cost of the programme was £16,089
- Cost per head was £24.79 (based on cost per course not per
session)
The results
‘Get Back Into’ has delivered over 270 courses to 2800
individuals and generated 4000 course enrolments in just over two
years.
Approximately 50% of adults who take part in a ‘Get Back Into’
project go on to join a local club or group or form their own or
re-book. The project is successfully reaching out to groups who are
traditionally less likely to be physically active:
- 79% of participants have been women
- 25% participants are age 45 and over
- 12% are from black, minority and ethic backgrounds
The lessons
The programme has successfully filled a gap in the market for
“semi-sporty” types by providing excellent value for money, little
up front commitment and a sociable environment. It provides a good
breadth of activity which is instructor led and professional as
well as exit routes into clubs and classes.
Aligning partners behind a common goal has been essential in
generating support and resource to deliver the programme of
sufficient size and scale, as has creating strong branding and
marketing – people must be able to identify with the image and
associate with the ethos behind the campaign. The approach has
included:
- Direct advertising through community newsletters
- Media broadcasting, including features on regional television
and local radio
- Sports centre and venue based advertising and banners
- Links to National Heath Service advertising, including
Change4Life
- A dedicated web-site; www.getbackinto.co.uk
- Incentivised participation rewards, including loyalty cards and
similar promotions; branded clothing and sports accessories
- Simple membership and booking procedures by telephone and
online
Commercial sector buy-in
High street retailer Marks and Spencer is now lending its
support to the Get Back Into movement - offering Spend and Save
vouchers to people who complete Get Back Into sessions. Team
Beds&Luton have created an exciting model for driving up adult
participation, servicing customer demand, brokering and managing an
innovative public:private partnership.
More information