Active Local

Active Local supports targeted communities to tackle inequality and reduce physical inactivity across Hertfordshire.

What is Active Local?

Active Local is Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership’s (HSP) collaborative place-based initiative. It supports targeted communities in highlighting their strengths, whilst also responding to local need and identifying where support, intervention or extra capacity could help create a more joined-up approach to tackling inequalities and reducing physical inactivity.

Adopting Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) principles, we seek to use sport and physical activity to address inactivity, social disadvantage, and health inequalities within a targeted community in each of Hertfordshire’s 10 District and Borough Council areas. Those areas have been selected using key data and insight, in conjunction with the respective Local Authority, Hertfordshire County Council’s Public Health team and Sport England’s Place Need Classification Tool.

Please see the below table displaying the Active Local Areas:

District	Active Local Area
Broxbourne	Waltham Cross
Dacorum	Bennetts End
East Herts	Sele
Hertsmere	Cowley Hill
North Herts	Jackmans
St Albans	Sopwell
Stevenage	Bedwell
Three Rivers	South Oxhey
Watford	Holywell
Welwyn Hatfield	Peartree

Sport England's Supported Places

(April 25 - March 27)

As of April 2025, two of HSP's Active Local areas have been selected as Sport England's Supported Places under Sport England's Place Universal Offer (PUO) Phase of their Place work across England, in line with their commitments to their 'Uniting the Movement' strategy.

Waltham Cross (Broxbourne) and Cowley Hill (Hertsmere) have been highlighted as the two Sport England Supported Places and will receive a range of support, tools, and resources that promote systems thinking, drive system change, encourage collaborative leadership, and catalyse behaviour change in individuals and communities. The project will run for two years, from April 2025 - March 2027.

This systemic place-based approach prioritises universal actions rather than targeted interventions, adjusting the intensity of support based on the level of disadvantage. Using the principles of proportionate universalism, the PUO helps places develop the skills, knowledge, and capacity needed to adopt a whole-system approach - ultimately increasing physical activity and reducing the inactivity gap.

Waltham Cross and Cowley Hill as Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOA's) were selected as being in the top 20% of need across the Country via the Sport England Place Need Classification and the highest in need MSOA's in Hertfordshire with a focus on Children and Young People.

Sport England's Place Need Classification looks at datasets of health inequalities, inactivity levels and the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

Our Supported Places Approach

A core team member will be deployed in each of the 'Active Local Supported Places' to conduct a comprehensive mapping of community assets - including both places and people - while facilitating extensive consultation with the local community.

In partnership with a steering group - comprising representatives from key local organisations - each officer will be responsible for creating and delivering a local Sport and Physical Activity Action Plan tailored to best meet the needs of local residents.

Through place-based test and learn approaches, each area will have access to programmes and funding to be used within its target community. While certain restrictions may apply to some funding, it will ultimately be up to the local community to determine how these resources are best utilised for the benefit of residents.

We will prioritise co-design and, wherever practicable, co-delivery of local interventions.

Please see the below contact details of the Active Local Supported Places Officers:

District	Active Local area	Officer	Email
Broxbourne	Waltham Cross	Matt Ridley	m.ridley2@herts.ac.uk
Hertsmere	Cowley Hill	Jane Parker	j.parker20@herts.ac.uk

Active Local Universal Offer

The HSP Team are committed to supporting all Active Local communities through support, services and targetted project and programmes. Please see the below for further information:

Sport England's Online Support Tool

Sport England have pulled together a number of resources to help support place-based work, including their Place Change Makers podcast.

Sport England's Movement Fund

Apply for up to £15,000 for physical activity projects to remove barriers for communities to be active. Submit an application here.

Funding

HSP have a wide range of funding support available:

Funding Page / Funding Newsletter / Funding Catalogue / Bid Writing Support - Contact Claire Stratford to find out more about this offer: c.stratford@herts.ac.uk

Local Insight Platform & Moving Communities

We have access to a number of web-basd insight tools where we are able to create localised and personal reports for you.

Projects & Programmes

Responding to local need we are able to help support areas with specific provision. These will change throughout the year but to name a few: ParkPlay, Summer Parks, HAPpy Camps, Strength & Balance Classes, Live Longer Better Hubs.

Workforce Development

HSP are committed to offer continous learning and skill development and throughout the year have a wide range of workforce development opportunities. Here you can find our Training Providers page, but please also reach out if you have any particular needs as we might have other offers available. As part of specific projects we have additional opportunities available such as:

Coach Education Week / Health Care & Physical Activity Training / HAPpy Provider Training /

Visit our Events Page to see what the lastest offers are!