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More people to Get Out Get Active as programme goes live across UK

Today marks the start of the Get Out Get Active (GOGA) programme following January’s successful funding announcement. Spirit of 2012 is funding the £4.5 million initiative, which brings together 18 GOGA localities in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and numerous national partners. In the first of its kind on such a scale, GOGA will support disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy being active together. Developed to get some of the UK's least active people moving more, GOGA will concentrate on fun and inclusive activities delivered over three-years.

GOGA consortium photo with Spirit of 2012

Earlier this year, Spirit of 2012 - a funding charity, established with a £47m endowment from the Big Lottery Fund, awarded the programme to the UK wide consortium. Spirit fund partners across the UK that provide opportunities in sports, physical activity, arts and culture, volunteering and social action. 

The English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is the lead GOGA partner, teaming up with an extensive range of organisations to help us reach more people, who have the greatest need to get out and get active. These partners offer in-depth local knowledge and national expertise. The other home nation disability sport organisations are backing the programme as well as Volunteering Matters, Disability Rights UK, Women and Sport, Sporting Equals and Age UK. Additional partners include National Governing Bodies of sport and national charities. Recently, one hundred people involved in GOGA met in Manchester for the first group conference to start the programme’s journey.

Get Out Get Active launches today after months of careful planning.  It’s a very ambitious initiative designed to increase physical and mental wellbeing by supporting physically inactive people around the UK to improve their health. We want to make getting active appealing, accessible, fun and inclusive for people of all ages and abilities. Spirit of 2012 is funding Get Out Get Active in response to overwhelming evidence that inactive people need encouragement and support to take those first steps into active, healthy lifestyles.

Debbie Lye, Chief Executive for Spirit of 2012

It is a powerful proposition- to get so many more people out and active and we are proud to be leading on such a major investment. The programme has the potential to change how we encourage, enable and engage more people through active recreation opportunities. For many of those we are trying to attract, these opportunities have been out of reach or unappealing. Changing people’s mindsets is not an overnight solution and that’s why we’ve called upon so many partners to help make it happen. Today marks the start of an exciting journey for all involved.

Barry Horne, Chief Executive for EFDS 

Joint GOGA and Spirit PNG logoStatistics continually show disabled people to be the least active population and two thirds of disabled people stated they wanted to take part with non-disabled people in EFDS’s Lifestyle Report 2013. Inclusion will be at the heart of the programme through activity and volunteering.

Working together, the partners aim to increase the number of people who are able to access and enjoy local opportunities. This could be through local authority or independent provision, sports clubs or perhaps volunteering. Providers want to motivate people by tapping into their values and the things that matter most to them. This includes building friendships, maintaining health, having fun and progressing in life.

Importantly, a large proportion of the investment is for monitoring and evaluation, assessing the impact and allowing for more organisations to learn from the outcomes.

List of Get Out, Get Active locations:

England

  • Bradford
  • Manchester, Greater Manchester
  • Rochdale, Greater Manchester
  • Wigan, Greater Manchester
  • Margate, Kent
  • East Lindsey, Lincolnshire
  • Lambeth, London
  • Wandsworth, London
  • Nottingham
  • Stoke-on- Trent

Northern Ireland

  • Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
  • Derry City and Strabane

Scotland

  • Fife
  • Grampians (covering Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council)
  • Forth Valley (covering Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling council areas)

Wales

  • Pembrokeshire
  • Rhondda Cynon Taf
  • Wrexham

Consortium partners: English Federation of Disability Sport, Disability Sport Wales, Scottish Disability Sport, Disability Sport N.I and Volunteering Matters

National Delivery Partners: Sporting Equals, Disability Rights UK, Women in Sport, StreetGames, Parkrun, England Athletics, Youth Sport Trust, Amateur Swimming Association, Age UK, Play England

English local partners: Bradford Disability Sport and Leisure, City of Stoke on Trent, Greater Sport, Kent County Council, Kent Sport, Lincolnshire Sport, London Sport and Nottingham City Council.

Spirit of 2012 is an independent trust, established with a £47m endowment from the Big Lottery Fund. We fund projects that empower people to get out, be involved and feel better. We fund partners that provide opportunities in sports, physical activity, arts and culture, volunteering and social action. Visit the Spirit of 2012 website here  

Visit the dedicated programme page for more information on Get Out Get Active.

Follow the conversation with #GetOutGetActive.

  • For further information, please contact Kat Southwell, Get Out Get Active Programme Manager, English Federation of Disability Sport. Kat Southwell's email or call 07967 573343.

  • Sarah Marl, Marketing and Communications Manager, English Federation of Disability Sport Sarah Marl's email or call 07764 291671.

  • Neil Rodger Head of Communications, Spirit of 2012 Neil Rodger's email or call 0203 7017440/ 07833470985.

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