Our strategy
Individual and collective professional recognition for the sport and physical activity workforce.
20/12/2024
The impact of physical activity professionals in 2024
As we edge towards the end of 2024, I’ve been reflecting on what this year has brought for our sector professionals and the tremendous amount that our workforce has contributed to our nation.
It’s both a privilege and a responsibility to reflect on the strides we have made together as a profession this year.
The past twelve months have continued to test us with challenges such as increasing pressures on household incomes against the rising costs of operating services. And that will continue into the new year, with the added implication of increasing employer NI contributions.
But 2024 has also rewarded us with remarkable achievements that demonstrate the strength, resilience and innovation of our sector workforce.
This year has been particularly significant, marked by the election of a new government, bringing with it fresh priorities and the promise of transformative policy. I welcome the commitments made to greater collaboration and cross-departmental working to address the biggest challenges that the country faces: economic growth, community cohesion, and individual health and wellbeing. However, we continue to see our sector somewhat overlooked, as not all of our policymakers recognise the phenomenal impact that talented and dedicated physical activity professionals have on all three of these core priorities.
More on that shortly.
Across the sector workforce this year, I have witnessed unprecedented collaboration and the continued drive to inclusivity and opportunity for all.
From community-based work to national initiatives, professionals across the country have worked tirelessly to adapt to evolving demands of populations and different cohorts of participants while keeping their vision firmly rooted in delivering excellence and impact for their customers.
In 2024, physical activity professionals are playing a vital role in improving individual health, addressing economic inactivity, fostering community cohesion and tackling anti-social behaviour. Their work extends beyond physical fitness, encompassing mental health support, social inclusion and behaviour change.
Our professionals are no longer confined to gyms or sports pitches. They are now embedded in healthcare, schools, workplaces and community organisations, addressing diverse challenges such as economic inactivity due to ill health, social isolation and fragmented communities. Their work includes designing and delivering interventions tailored to specific needs, from supporting individuals with long-term health conditions to creating inclusive programmes that bring people together.
The sector’s professional standards, managed by CIMSPA but created by employers, ensure that these professionals possess the skills and knowledge to have a sustainable, lasting impact. This year, those professional standards have continued to develop, with new standards focused on diverse populations. This has led to more opportunities for sector professionals to develop their skills and service offer to meet the needs of more people.
Economic inactivity remains a significant issue in the UK, with over 2.5 million people unable to work due to long-term health conditions. Physical activity professionals are at the forefront of addressing this challenge by improving health outcomes, rebuilding confidence and by preventing people from becoming unwell in the first place. Organisations like Sport for Confidence are using the expertise of coaches and occupational therapists to improve physical and mental health, helping people to reengage with life activity including work.
Through partnerships with healthcare providers and social prescribing schemes, physical activity professionals deliver tailored activity programmes for individuals with chronic illnesses such as musculoskeletal disorders, mental health conditions and cardiovascular disease. These interventions help people manage their condition better and enhance their quality of life, enabling many individuals to re-engage with work and/or volunteering.
Equally, for people at risk of developing these conditions which could inhibit their ability to be economically active in the future, physical activity professionals are stepping in with specialist skill sets to design and deliver suitable and sustainable activity programmes which reduce this risk through improved active wellbeing.
Ill health often leads to isolation and a loss of confidence, further limiting employment, social opportunities and other important parts of life. Community-based initiatives such as walking groups, adapted activity classes and peer-supported activities help individuals regain their confidence and rebuild social connections, creating pathways back to fulfilling pursuits.
Collaborations like that between Abbeycroft Leisure and Active Suffolk are using specially skilled practitioners to deliver activity sessions for older people to reduce their risk of falling. This is not only reducing injuries and the associated treatment costs, but also helping the participants to feel more confident about going about their daily lives by improving both their physical and mental health.
In an era of increasing social isolation and inequality, physical activity professionals are central to improving community cohesion. Their programmes create opportunities for individuals to connect, build relationships and strengthen community links.
Through initiatives like local sports teams, fitness classes and activity cafés, professionals create safe, welcoming spaces where people from diverse backgrounds can come together. By addressing barriers such as cost, accessibility and cultural considerations, these programmes promote inclusivity and trust within communities.
BBX Fitness provides training in delivering community programmes based on bhangra dance. These programmes bring together people from a range of backgrounds; of different ages, ethnicities and experience; who get active and have fun through group exercise classes. The classes take place in venues that are accessible and because it’s not a traditional ‘fitness class’, participants from all parts of the community find it very approachable. and it brings together members of the community that wouldn’t otherwise engage with each other.
Unstructured activities held in parks, leisure centres and community facilities, led by physical activity professionals, have become hubs for social interaction. These environments not only support physical health but also combat loneliness, particularly among older adults and other vulnerable groups.
Wellness Warriors have created running groups specifically targeted at people facing significant life challenges including those recovering from addiction, domestic violence survivors and those undergoing cancer treatment. Through a combination of informal activity and peer support, they are engaging with individuals who are benefiting both physically and mentally.
Physical activity professionals also play a significant role in addressing anti-social behaviour, particularly among young people. Anti-social behaviour often stems from a lack of positive outlets and role models. Structured physical activity programmes offer young people constructive ways to channel their time and energy, plus a safe alternative to some other interactions that they may become exposed to, providing mentorship, discipline, a sense of belonging and purpose. Organisations like Coach Core and StreetGames are providing both opportunities for young people to engage in positive activities and offering skills development and training that is leading to successful careers.
So with all this fantastic work, why are we seeing levels of inactivity remaining stubbornly high, particularly in communities which would benefit the most?
Quite simply – it’s about scale. The impact that we see in those examples highlighted above, while very strong, is not being replicated across enough communities, with enough people.
And this is where I come back to policymakers.
The government that was elected at the start of the summer has the opportunity to really address those big issues of economic inactivity, health and wellbeing, and social cohesion by making a firm, and real, commitment to embedding our sector and its workforce across all areas of policy.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a change of government, so what can we realistically expect to see in terms of this type of commitment and, more importantly, the action to back it up as we go into 2025?
Well, amongst the flurry of policy intentions, consultations, announcements, white papers and departmental reviews, there is reason for optimism.
Let’s take the much fanfared five missions. With the exception of the mission relating to Great British Energy, the government will not be able to achieve those missions without our sector and its workforce.
The mission: Build an NHS fit for the future with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers, where everyone lives well for longer.
Everything points to the importance of stopping people becoming ill, which improves lives and reduces demands on healthcare services. How do we do that? We get more people more active, more often, particularly those who are most at risk of developing long-term conditions.
Not possible without our sector workforce.
The mission: Kickstart economic growth with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country.
Underpinning this mission is the need for a population that is able to work and be economically active in order to ensure that businesses and industries can grow. How do we ensure that? We make sure that we have a healthy, physically active population who are able to carry out roles that employers need.
Not possible without our sector workforce.
The mission: Take back our streets by halving serious violent crime.
A significant proportion of crime is committed by people who have become disenfranchised. What starts as anti-social behaviour can often escalate with very serious consequences. How do we stop that? We provide opportunities for people to engage in positive activities which reengage them in society and develop confidence and self-value.
Not possible without our sector workforce.
The mission: Breaking down barriers to opportunity to make sure there is no glass ceiling on the ambitions of young people.
Learning, training and career opportunities that appeal to and engage young people, particularly those that may have disengaged with traditional, academic learning or who have faced barriers to finding a career pathway, must be more visible and accessible. How do we do that? We showcase great careers where everyone can find their place, regardless of their perceived ability alongside learning and training, that result in fulfilling job roles.
Not possible without the roles in our sector and the high-quality learning that has been created.
And then there’s Skills England, the flagship new body that’s being created to oversee skills policy. When you look at the detail behind the plans, local collaboration with employers, civic bodies, education providers and health commissioners, working together to establish and deliver on place-based needs, it’s all in place in our sector through the pioneering local skills project, funded by Sport England, which is developing skills to address local priorities.
The Chamber of Commerce have said that what is happening in our sector in relation to this is significantly ahead of other industries. We must take credit from that and the fact that we’re already seeing significant sums of education funding being repurposed to fulfil employer needs.
We’ve seen the consultation on an industrial strategy that sets out priority sectors for growth but also appears to acknowledge the importance of foundational sectors – those sectors that underpin the priority sectors’ ability to function. Here we can return to the simple fact that without an active, healthy population who are able to serve these priority industries as the workforce, there will be no growth.
This obviously links to the Get Britain Working white paper, which aims to reduce the number of people who are economically inactive. Virtually every aspect of this policy is underpinned by the contribution of our sector workforce.
And we return to health and wellbeing, with the 10-Year Health Plan consultation and its proposed ‘three shifts’ focusing on prevention and a healthier society and more community-based services to treat and manage conditions. Again, scaling what our workforce is already doing is the key to the real change that the government is looking to make.
With all of this clear connectivity between our sector and national priorities, we can be forgiven for wondering why the new(ish) government isn’t knocking on our door and scaling the solution to their many challenges.
In the melee of a new administration finding its feet and coming to terms with the complexities of delivering on its promises, it can be hard to cut through the noise. Every body, every sector, every organisation, every cause will be looking to grab attention and present their solutions to key issues. Equally, those with new policymaking responsibilities will feel under pressure to make early impact, sometimes with headline-grabbing announcements rather than deep, interconnected policy which takes time to develop and create advocacy across government for.
But I’m not excusing what often can feel for many of us in the sector as a lack of understanding of and commitment to the power of our sector. It seems so obvious to us: our workforce provides a solution to so many problems, why doesn’t the government champion us and utilise us better? It’s frustrating, but we must continue to do our bit to make sure they are seeing and hearing us.
While government policies and funding are obviously critical to that scaling of impact, the physical activity sector cannot afford to wait for external direction to showcase its impact.
Part of that work is lobbying with a consistent message, developing relationships with new and evolving departmental and ministerial teams, as we are doing as part of the National Sector Partners Group (NSPG). I know because much of this work isn’t seen or felt immediately, it’s difficult for our workforce to get a sense of impact, but I really believe that we are making progress.
Another essential pathway is alignment with, and allyship from, other sectors who can connect our impact to their work and their challenges.
Collaboration with healthcare providers and commissioners, with local and regional authorities and civic leaders, with the education sector, business bodies and employment services is embedding the potential that our workforce has to make sure more people and communities benefit from their work and skills.
As we continue to build greater recognition for our sector professionals through the introduction of professional status, allied professions will build their understanding of our skill set and the ways in which we can work together to deliver better outcomes for more people.
Professionals must also continue to take the lead in demonstrating how their work transforms lives, communities and economies.
The evidence is clear – our sector is delivering over £100 billion in social value – just think what the value of the impact could be if we apply the great work that our workforce is doing at scale. We must seize this momentum to champion our contributions to health, wellbeing, social cohesion and economic growth.
So, as we head towards a new year, let’s make sure that we continue to talk positively about our sector and our impact. Share success stories, engage with policymakers and collaborate with other sectors to amplify your impact.
Whether it’s improved health and wellbeing, helping individuals return to work, reducing anti-social behaviour in local communities or being the conduit for greater social connections, your work as a physical activity professional is a powerful force for change.
By stepping forward and showcasing your value, you can inspire greater investment, trust and recognition for the vital role you play in shaping a healthier, safer and more connected UK into 2025 and beyond.
Best wishes for the year ahead,
Tara Dillon
