Neighbourhood Health: From Policy to Practice

Neighbourhood Health is about bringing care to where people live and strengthening prevention. So, understandably, it has sparked a lot of conversation about the role physical activity plays in this, as well as what it actually looks like locally.

In a new blog for Sport England, our Deputy CEO, Helen Fisher, explores how physical activity, community voice and local partnerships are already helping to improve health across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

While Neighbourhood Health may be a new term, the ambition behind it are familiar to many organisations working in communities every day. With the NHS 10-Year Health Plan setting out the role of regular movement in reducing the risk of major health conditions, the approach focuses on bringing health, local authority and voluntary sector partners together to support people closer to home, with prevention, early intervention and community-led solutions.

Helen’s blog highlights some great examples of what this can look like in practice, from falls prevention, cardiac rehabilitation and community exercise initiatives. It also explores the important role that physical activity plays in a more broader sense of wellbeing, like building social connections and a sense of belonging.

The piece is an important read for the physical activity and health sectors. It makes the case for sustainable investment, stronger partnerships and greater recognition of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector’s contribution to the system.

Helen writes, “by continuing to invest in people, places and relationships, we have an opportunity to ensure physical activity sits where it belongs – at the heart of healthier neighbourhoods.”

Read Helen’s full blog on the Sport England website.