Basingstoke & Deane 'Get Active'

Basingstoke Voluntary Sports Council continue to interact with the local community to further develop Sport & Health locally in partnerships with key organisations to 'Get More people more active'.

Over the past ten years we have continually been picking up new initiatives relating to Sport, Exercise, Health, Nutrition, Fitness, Volunteering, and Participation plus awareness and opportunities for Schoolchildren right through to Older Persons. These have been in liaison with a range of local organisations and these initiatives are linked to Sport England ‘Active Lives – Children & Young People’, ‘This Girl Can’, ‘Community Pilots’, plus ‘Health & Activity’ alongside National initiatives to get more people more active and healthier within their communities.

The Voluntary Sports Council will be co-ordinating the ‘Basingstoke & Deane Get Active’ initiative via interaction with Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, Basingstoke Voluntary Action, Energise Me Hampshire, Sports & Physical Activity Alliance plus Basingstoke Sports Trust, Community Leisure Trust, Queen Mary's College and School Sports Partnership. Also, the majority of local Sports Clubs and Leagues plus local Senior and Junior schools will all be encouraged to be involved in activities relating to the project.

Activities planned include -

1. Encourage local groups to utilize ‘Join in’ and other similar Volunteering websites to encourage more participation in Volunteering, Coaching and Officiating to get people active with a focus on encouraging 16+ to stay active
2. To increase awareness, establish a suitable agreed Facebook presence and awareness & Ensure Quarterly interaction with Gazette/Observer/Hampshire TV/Breeze FM/etc
3. Signpost to National Initiatives, Campaigns and Major events to link to local Sport and Exercise and promote the existence of any opportunities locally for all residents to get physically active in addition to promoting active/healthy lifestyles working in partnership with external partners
4. Focus on out of hours learning opportunities for Junior School Children (Extended school Programme) and after school clubs, Increase School/Club links & Encourage increased participation in Inter School Games and general ‘get active’ activities
5. Encourage increased participation across activity target groups ‘50+, Disabled, Disadvantaged etc’
6. Explore small projects which can be delivered by to encourage increased participation
7. Review the mix of opportunities for sport and physical activity across all facilities, Interact with Community Centres, Community Schools and Village Halls plus Community plans plus raise awareness of activities in the local Sport and Fitness Centres Promotional events will be linked to Volunteers Week, Sports Coaching Week & School Sports Week plus interactions with the School Sport Partnership.

Social Media should be utilised alongside Meetings, Emails and Newsletters. We will also focus on interactions and partnerships with the local community to increase knowledge and awareness of process, procedures, information and guidance to ensure that clubs, leagues, schools and the community are in a better place. Local clubs can offer taster sessions for new members and encourage new Volunteers, Officials and Coaches to join. As well as sports clubs, interaction will be undertaken with Schools, Colleges, Sport and Health facilities, Community Centres and Village Halls.

Basingstoke plan to encourage more people to be more active in Basingstoke & Deane, activities and opportunities planned for Half Terms and School holidays when local clubs can offer taster sessions for new members and encourage new Volunteers, Officials and Coaches to join and be trained where required. As well as sports clubs, interaction will be undertaken with Schools, Colleges, Sport and Health facilities, Community Centres and Village Halls. Please interact with Basingstoke Voluntary Sports Council via basvsc@outlook.com to raise awareness of activities.

If not already receiving the Sports Council monthly news updates please let us know and it would be really appreciated if every organisation could add the ‘Basingstoke & Deane Get Active’ logo to their website etc with a link to this page.