Sunderland has secured funding from Sport England to help increase physical activity levels among people who need it most, particularly in the city’s least active communities.
The city is one of more than 90 areas across England to benefit from Sport England’s £250 million investment aimed at tackling inactivity and reducing inequalities by making sport, physical activity and movement more accessible to everyone.
Sport England research calculates that active lifestyles save £8 billion a year through illness prevention. This relieves some of the NHS burden, preventing more than 3.3 million cases of chronic health conditions a year – including 1.3m cases of depression, 900,000 cases of back pain and 700,000 cases of type 2 diabetes.
To tackle these stubborn inequalities and break down barriers to a more active life, Sport England is taking a ‘Place-based approach’ – partnering with local organisations and leaders who understand both the specific needs of their communities and the local assets that are available – to support people to play sport and get active.
In Sunderland the money will be used to support neighbourhood‑led engagement through local voluntary and community sector organisations, helping gather insight into what stops people from being active and what would make a difference in their area. It will also create new Neighbourhood Learning Leads and Learning Networks, ensuring residents’ voices shape solutions. This programme will strengthen partnerships across Sunderland, empower local organisations, and create the foundations for long‑term, community‑led change—helping make Sunderland a place where everyone can be as active as they can be.
Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England’s Executive Director, Partnerships and Place, said:
“We want everyone, no matter where they live or who they are, to have the chance to be active and healthy. To do this, we’re focusing on places, towns, cities, and communities, where people face the biggest challenges. We are proud to announce Sunderland as a new Sport England place partnership. We are committed to working with local partners and communities to break down the barriers to physical activity so that everyone has equal access to a more active life. We are excited to see what we can achieve together in Sunderland.”
Councillor Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities Culture and Tourism said this is fantastic news for Sunderland. Sport England’s investment gives us a real opportunity to work differently with our communities, listen to local voices and remove the barriers that stop people being active. By supporting neighbourhood‑led insight, testing new ideas and strengthening our partnerships, this funding will help us build healthier, more active and more connected communities across the city. It’s a huge step forward for Sunderland and we’re excited to get started.
