North Yorkshire Sport (NYS) was commissioned to write a report to identify the underlying inequalities in North Yorkshire and to outline the impact of sport and physical activity on health, deprivation, training, education and employment, disability and community cohesion.
Utilising the insight captured in the report, partnerships were established between NYS and the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust (DKHT) and between NYS and North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).
The DKHT delivered a Get on Track (GOT) Youth Mentoring Programme pilot in September 2014. Since the successful pilot NYS have delivered a further 3 funded programmes in 2015 and have further programmes planned for 2016, drawing in funding from the Dept. of Work and Pensions, Police Crime Commissioner, Youth Justice and a small Foundation Trust as well as DKHT.
The report also attracted the attention of NYCC’s Chief Executive who invited NYS to outline how Sport and Physical Activity could help deliver their priorities of Stronger Communities, reduced welfare costs and improved health. As a result of the meeting NYS led on a pilot project known as Primetime, delivering age and ability appropriate sport aimed at tackling loneliness and isolation.
77 older people were engaged across 5 separate communities in 8 week blocks of age and ability appropriate sport which included Boccia and New Age Kurling. The feedback from participants focussed on the ‘social atmosphere and great fun’ ‘more confidence, social, now no fear of falling and helped to recover from an operation’.