Cardiff to implement physical activity strategy to improve lives

A new strategy, which aims for Cardiff to be the ‘best physically active city in the UK’, will be discussed as part of a plan to help citizens improve their health.

The intention is to make it easier for Cardiff residents to take part in regular physical activity and sport and to help all sectors of the community improve their health.

Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Peter Bradbury, said: “Cardiff is recognised worldwide for sport. We have excellent sporting facilities, state-of-the-art stadiums and have played host to major international sporting eventssuch as the UEFA Champions League Finals, Heineken Cup and Volvo Ocean Race.

“On a community level, we’re incredibly fortunate to have a wealth offacilities and key partners involved in delivering physical activity and sport across Cardiff and I’m delighted to be working directly in partnership with Cardiff and Vale Public Health.

“We have over 400 sports clubs in the city, all who have a motivated and enthusiastic team of volunteers; leisure facility operators providing activities for all generations; a GP referral scheme joining up prescribed physical activity programmes in partnership with community doctors’ surgeries and schools offering community use of facilities and holiday programmes to help deal with holiday hunger.

“This plan will join-up our valuable resources and make sure residents have full access to facilities available to them which will improve habits and health and in doing so, improve lives.”

The Physical Activity and Sport Strategy four key areas include:

1. Active Environments: whichwill include facilitating public sports and non-sports events in parks and green spaces, improved street lighting and active travel networks to increase community safety.
2. Active Societies: Build communities around physical activity and sport and provide support in ‘real life’ and online, regularly promoting the value of physical activity for health, environmental and community benefits for all ages, abilities and communities. 

3. Active People: Develop a wide range of inclusive physical activity programmes accessible to all. Ensure opportunities are free or low cost and that people in Cardiff have access to and are supported to participate in community events and activities.
4. Active Systems: Partners understand the physical activity system, and their part in it, and ensure funding and investment is available for physical activity across the system.

The Physical Activity and Sport Strategy is being developed with key stakeholders including Cardiff Council, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board, C3SC, Sport Wales, Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) and Public Health Wales.

The Physical Activity and Sport Strategy’s vision is for‘Cardiff to be the best city in the UK to be physically active, from walking, cycling and activity in daily life through to internationally renowned sport’.