Strategic Direction

Encouraging life-long participation in sport and activity across Leicester and Leicestershire

AltSport promotes development and social inclusion through play by delivering sport and activities to children and adults Leicestershire.

Around a third of men and half of all women in England are unknowingly causing damage to their health through a lack of physical activity and for children, by the time they become adolescents, they’re engaging in around one hour less physical activity than when they were 6 years old.

Inactive lifestyles and the complications associated with sedentary lifestyles are unsustainable and cost the UK an estimated £7.4 billion per year. These costs are burdened by the health and social care sector and are expected to destabilise public services if the trend continues – this will limit the quality of life for individuals and communities who rely on these services and not just those who are less active than they should be. This has a knock-on effect on the economy and the environment.

Children are most at risk, physical inactivity poses a serious and growing danger to society at large and whilst it damages the health of individuals, for children these risks are exacerbated. Physical activity has been linked to higher cognitive ability and poor physical activity limits the educational attainment and future lives of children as a result.

With physical inactivity being one of the top ten causes of early mortality in England, it is understandable why AltSport want to make a difference. In Leicester, the percentage of the population who are active and inactive is considerably poorer than the national average and falls behind regional averages. AltSport is committed to turning this around as a member of the sport and physical activity industry. We play an important role in the local economy, contributing to the £86.7 million each year generated by the sector that employs over 2500 people.

Sports England has highlighted that significant progress has been made in increasing participation amongst all age groups since 2005 but further change is needed to reach the least active and under-represented groups in society. National policy and Sport England have determined that approaches based around behavioural change will be central to achieving this goal.

It is important, therefore, that we focus on the development of sport initiatives for children and adults of all age groups, needs and abilities that are grounded in evidence and backed by science and improves the likelihood of life-long participation in sport and activity.

Introducing AltSport

Physical activity and active lifestyles have widespread benefits on people’s lives. Children who are physically active are more likely to achieve more in their academic careers and has a positive effect on employability. Workplaces that regularly engage in physical activity, such as workplace football leagues, are proven to be more product and an active population improves the economic performance of the country. Physical activity improves mental and physical health and wellbeing and it helps people, especially young people, reduce their likelihood of engaging in risk-taking behaviour such as crime or antisocial behaviour and improves community cohesion.

Our strategy prioritises increasing physical activity in a range of groups, including children and young people, women, Asian and Black ethnic groups, individuals from poorer socio-economic backgrounds, older age groups and those living with disabilities. Interestingly, these values are shared by AltSport as some of the key market segments we want to work with.

Increasing the sports provision in a range of areas, AltSport is able to deliver sport and activity sessions to the range of people we and Leicester City Council want to work with.

Community

Our priority is to benefit the community at large, directly helping the specific groups we aim to work with, from children and young adults to adults and older age groups. Working in one-to-one and team settings, devising sessions around the needs of our participants allows us to remain dynamic and versatile whether it’s delivering futsal, dodgeball, boccia Hunted or Fortnite Nerf Wars sessions or any of the other sports and activities we offer.

We work closely with a range of organisations to offer multi-sport and activity sessions for children and adults across Leicestershire. We deliver weekly multi-sport sessions across the city including dodgeball sessions in Braunstone Town and Melton Mowbray, table tennis, handball, futsal and inclusive sessions for children and adults with physical disabilities, learning difficulties, behavioural difficulties and conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and more. Some of the inclusive sports AltSport leads include sports such as boccia, seated volleyball and more. To find out where your nearest club is, please contact us.

Local Authority & Charity

We offer services to the local authority and departments and organisations within local authorities across the Midlands including Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and Coventry City Council; from city and county councils to parish councils. Some of the departments we can offer services to include social services, alcohol and drug services, leisure centres and more. We’re working hard to provide sports and activity sessions as part of our Holidays, Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

We also work closely with various charities and community interest companies to improve social inclusion throughout the Midlands, alleviating food poverty and promoting financial equality within our communities. Our charitable drive is so strong that we incorporated Leicester Active CIC which heads up our food bank and other charitable, non-profit activities.

Contact Details

Want to find out more, book your child’s birthday party, work with us or just ask us some questions? You can contact us at the details below:

Email: andrew.hill@altsport.co.uk

Phone: 07845555766

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/activefutureleicester

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeicesterActive

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/activefutureleicester