Development

Active Lives Development team develop links with local clubs, groups, schools, services, businesses, and individuals with the aim of empowering communities, identifying what’s strong and improving and increasing the number of opportunities to be active in local areas.

Club and group development

The Active Lives Development team offer a range of support for clubs and community groups. This may include support to develop mentors, assisting with recruiting volunteers, obtaining funding, making clubs sustainable through club structures or support to gain the Bolton Mark accreditation. One of our main aims is to increase physical activity opportunities in local communities.

Social inclusion

The Active Lives Development team work in targeted areas of Bolton to ensure that people who may experience barriers to participating in regular sport or physical activity, have access to a number of opportunities in their local area.

Partners

The Active Lives team have positive partnerships with a wide range of services, agencies, groups and individuals, locally, regionally and nationally with a vested interest of supporting people to move more and be active.It is important that the work we do reflects the broader issues affecting local people. We ensure that we have strong links with organisations working in the health, education, social services sectors. It is also important that we link with the private and voluntary sector.

Participation

Sport England have highlighted that participation levels are traditionally low among certain groups including women and girls, people with a disability and among BAME communities. There are a number of barriers that exist for these groups which contribute to this low level of participation. Active Lives aim to work with relevant groups and organisations groups to ensure that opportunities for participation are increased and that people are supported in overcoming these barriers.

Clubs and groups

Active Lives work with sports clubs and other community groups to ensure that they are fully inclusive in their membership and their organisation. We will support clubs and groups to make sure that their coaches and leaders are suitably qualified, they have relevant policies and procedures and that the facilities they use are appropriate and suitable.

Social inclusion

Widening access also means that we work towards reducing the impact that social exclusion has on the people’s ability to be physically active. By working in the most vulnerable areas of Bolton and by supporting capacity building within communities, the number of physical activity opportunities available to people will increase.

For more information on Club Development or the Bolton Mark, drop us an email at: activelives@bolton.go.uk