Bringing Programmes Together

In the early days of Together an Active Future (TaAF), we worked closely with the Childhood Obesity Trailblazer Programme (2019-2022), a Local Government Association (LGA) initiative. Blackburn with Darwen Council was the lead authority for both programmes, which operated across a Pennine Lancashire footprint.

At the time, TaAF had dedicated resource but as a newly established local delivery pilot, relatively few connections across the system. In contrast, the Childhood Obesity Trailblazer Programme was well known, with strong relationships and credibility but limited capacity. Recognising the complementary strengths of both programmes, it was suggested a collaborative approach that would allow us to maximise our individual impact.

Listening to Elected Members

The Childhood Obesity Trailblazer Programme was led by Beth Wolfenden in Blackburn with Darwen’s Public Health Team, supported by Nicola Calder at Food Active, the local delivery partner.  Together, they organised six weekly Health and Wellbeing meetings for elected members from across Pennine Lancashire. These meetings provided an opportunity to share updates, discuss local health priorities and most importantly, listen to what councillors needed to support their decision making. During one of these sessions, we asked elected members a simple but critical question: “What can we do to help you understand the health of your communities better?

Identifying the Need

Councillors informed us they were time-poor and had limited time to read multiple lengthy reports.  Instead, they wanted a simple, accessible and engaging resource that would help them quickly understand the health challenges within their communities. And so, the idea of health and wellbeing infographics was born.

From Data to Design

Beth and Nicola compiled public health data, and we worked with councillors to identify the most important indicators. TaAF commissioned a design agency to bring the data to life, creating easy to understand district-level infographics using adult health and wellbeing data.

The response to the infographics was extremely positive and the project quickly expanded. We went on to develop Children and Young People infographics and in response to further feedback, created Assets and Opportunities infographics which highlights community spaces, facilities and opportunities where people can be active within their local area.

Widespread Impact and Use

The infographics were shared widely across the public, voluntary and community sectors. Feedback demonstrated that they were helping organisations better understand local need and being included as supporting evidence with funding applications.

What began as a simple request from elected members evolved into a sustainable system resource. Over the subsequent years, the infographics were reviewed and updated annually, ensuring partners continued to have access to current and relevant data.

Impact of the infographs

Evaluation of the Pennine Lancashire Trailblazer identified the infographics and wider training and support offered within the programme to elected members as key mechanisms of change. This supported the system leaders’ role and health and wellbeing priorities locally and across Pennine Lancashire.

Scaling Across Lancashire

Nicola Calder, now supporting the Lancashire Healthier Places Programme on behalf of Lancashire County Council, is now engaging with districts across the whole of Lancashire.  Aware of the positive feedback the infographics had received, she approached TaAF to explore whether we could create infographics for all districts in Lancashire.  Although our remit focuses on Pennine Lancashire, we agreed.

Ensuring Sustainability

At that point, we learned that Active Lancashire’s Evaluation team had developed a comprehensive dashboard covering the whole county. To avoid duplication and ensure sustainability, we invited them into the conversation. Today, Active Lancashire hosts the infographics on its website and has taken responsible for updating them as new data becomes available, ensuring the resource remains accessible, relevant and useful for partners across Lancashire.

The infographics represent far more than a set of data visualisations. They are an example of genuine system collaboration, where organisations aligned their resources, listened to the needs of elected members and worked together to create a solution. It shows how co-production, partnership working and a willingness to build on each other’s strengths can create a resource that not only meets an immediate need but continues to deliver value and support decision making years later.

In addition to Active Lancashire dashboard, the infographics can be found on the TaAF website in the resources and toolkits section.

To learn more about how we engaged with elected members,  please read the LGA case study and Food Active blogs below:

LGA Case Study: Pennine Lancashire Consortium of Local Authorities: Engaging and empowering system leaders to influence health and wellbeing in their communities

Food Active Blogs:

The Importance of Local System Leaders in Enabling Positive Change for Health

Pennine Lancashire Healthier Place, Healthier Future Programme, was one of five Childhood Obesity Trailblazers 

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Young girls at Burnley High School are stepping into a more active future thanks to a generous donation of over forty pairs of trainers from the Sweaty Betty Foundation as part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Let’s Move! Campaign.

The Let’s Move! campaign encourages children across Lancashire aged 7-11 to be more physically active by breaking down the barriers that prevent them from taking part in sport and exercise. The campaign aims to help children and young people achieve the NHS recommendation of 60 minutes of daily activity, which can start with 10 minutes.

The trainers were awarded to Together an Active Future with a clear purpose: to help remove barriers that prevent girls from participating in sport and physical activity. Our Active Schools Lead, Helen Newman, quickly identified Burnley High School as an ideal partner.

Burnley High School has been on an inspiring journey to develop a stronger culture of physical activity and wellbeing over the past year. The school has recently committed to joining TaAF’s Secondary School Leadership Programme, demonstrating its ambition to further embed sport and physical activity into school life and create positive opportunities for young people.

Helen Newman comments:

“It has always been an ambition of mine to secure funding, donations and opportunities like this and, hopefully one day, even establish a charity that can provide local children with the trainers, clothing and equipment they need to lead active lifestyles.”

What the school said…

The trainers have already had a significant impact on the girls who’ve received them, helping boost their confidence, improve inclusion, and encourage greater participation in sport and physical activity.

Assistant Headteacher Mr Roberts says:

“The girls are absolutely buzzing with their trainers! Things like this can make a real difference to our pupils. Thank you so much.”

And some of the student’s appreciation is shared below:

“Having the right trainers means I can take part in sport and physical activities without feeling different to everyone else. They give me confidence to join in, be active and enjoy spending time with my friends.”

“These trainers will make a big difference to me because I love being active. Having proper sports kit helps me feel comfortable and ready to take part in PE, clubs and activities both in and out of school.”

“Receiving these trainers has made me feel supported and valued. Having the right footwear means I can focus on enjoying sport, improving my fitness and being more confident when trying new activities.”

“Being active is important to me because it helps me stay healthy and feel good about myself. These trainers will help me take part more often and make the most of every opportunity.”

“Sometimes it’s the small things that make the biggest difference. Having a new pair of trainers means I can join in with confidence, stay active and not worry about whether I have the right kit.”

The initiative highlights the power of partnership in tackling inequalities and ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to enjoy the physical, social and mental benefits of being active. Through the support of the Sweaty Betty Foundation and DCMS, and the commitment of schools like Burnley High, barriers are being removed and opportunities created for girls to thrive through sport and physical activity.

Millie Pattison from the Sweaty Betty Foundation remarks:

“For too many girls, not having the right kit can be the difference between getting active and missing out. Something as simple as a new pair of trainers can help build confidence and make girls feel like they belong. One girl described receiving her trainers as ‘like opening your new self’ – a powerful reminder of the difference the right support can make.

We’re proud to have partnered with DCMS on the Let’s Move! campaign, helping more girls across the UK get active and enjoy movement.”

Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock responds:

“It’s fantastic to see ‘Let’s Move!’ and our partnership with the Sweaty Betty Foundation making such a tangible difference to these young girls.

Whether it’s targeted initiatives like this, our £400 million of funding for grassroots facilities or the £1 billion we’re investing in school sport, this Government is determined to break down barriers and make it easier for people to lead healthy, active lives.”

Learn more about Active Schools and the Let’s Move campaign

Learn more about our Active Schools workstream, click here

The next phase of the Let’s Move campaign will commence in the Autumn. Find out more about the Let’s Move campaign, click here

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NELP have identified nine ‘conditions’ that may be necessary for place-based approaches to address inequalities.  Each condition is itself made up of a range of activities and ways of working that combine to contribute to positive change.  NELP’s understanding of these ‘conditions’ has derived from explanations of change reflected in the process evaluations submitted by Place Partnerships nationwide, including TaAF.

The System Maturity Matrix provides descriptors of different levels of maturity in relation to these nine conditions and this has helped actors reflect on the extent to which conditions are present in the place-based system in which they are working.  If you’d like to learn more about the System Maturity Conditions for Place-based Systemic Approaches to Physical Activity Inequalities click here.

Following analysis based on these conditions, TaAF is proud to be regarded as a ‘mature system partner’.  In addition, each of our network leads have received feedback for their individual areas.

“Thanks again for the time and effort that you [TaAF] and your partners and colleagues have put into responding to the NELP CCA surveys and moderation process over the last few months”, NELP comment.

The NELP moderation process is extremely thorough and designed to ensure they have consistency of interpretation of the system maturity levels across different places. To achieve this our NELP lead Rachael McHugh, has participated in a series of meetings to discuss the individual conditions with other Place Partners across the country (click here if you’d like to watch the recordings), attended moderation meetings and provided further information where required.

TaAF developed a helpful set of questions to guide colleagues through the NELP Systems Maturity Matrix Survey — check them out here.

In this blog we share the nine ‘Conditions for Change’ against which we TaAF, have been measured:

The conditions for change and their definitions are:

Identifying the barriers and enablers of physical activity

There is process for developing a deep understanding and (shared) knowledge of what supports and/or prevents people being physically active, within the local context.

Actions which are based on a deep understanding of the barriers and enablers of physical activity are more likely to lead to effective and sustainable outcomes. Sharing knowledge of barriers and enablers can help drive a common purpose and common strategy – increasing likelihood of collective impact on what matters most.

Organisational policies, processes, and structures enable place-based working

Policies, administrative systems, structures and processes effectively enable and encourage place-based ways of working to address inequalities.

The ways in which organisations work together, and how they engage with communities, are often shaped by their organisational structures, policies, and practices. This includes the ways in which information is captured, used, and shared, or not. For example, how team structures align with communities and partners, the ways in which success is measured, and who is able to make or influence decisions. These processes affect how we view and relate to people and communities, with real impacts in people’s lives, but they often go unnoticed or taken for granted. Effective Place-based working requires us to proactively identify, challenge and change these systemic factors.

Capacity and capability across the workforce, volunteers and in communities

Action to develop capacity and capability across the workforce, volunteers, and communities to work in a place-based systemic approach to enable physical activity.

Specific skill sets and attributes are needed to for this type of responsive working. (E.g. to identify barriers and enablers, distribute leadership and collaborate). These skill sets and attributes are not inherently present amongst the existing workforce, volunteers, and communities. Alternative skill sets and attributes can actively block progress. Strategies for building capacity and capability, tailored to the local context, can increase competence and motivation to act in ways which are conducive to tackling physical activity inequalities.

Collaboration

There is productive partnership working around a common purpose.

Working with different organisations can help to drive innovative physical activity policy and practice by drawing on different skill sets, and increase impact by reducing duplication and/or pooling resources. Working with different organisations can support shared problem solving and unravel contradictions in local systems which prevent physical activity or contribute to inequalities.

Leadership

Policymakers, workforce, volunteers and residents act together to build on strengths and remove barriers for tackling physical activity inequalities.

When decision making, resources and initiatives are less centralised, people in all roles can contribute towards enabling active lives. Everyone’s contribution is equally valued. Established leaders can use their power to legitimise physical activity (alone or as a recognised aspect of wellbeing/thriving/prevention), challenge prevailing views and structures which create inequalities, and prioritise whole system and place-based ways of working.
Individuals across multiple layers of society, including people who are inactive, can shape decisions about what works to enable physical activity; this can lead to better strategies and outcomes.

Community Led Action

Action is shaped and led by communities and supported by community-focused strategies.

When community members engage at their pace and in spaces that they can shape, they are more likely to engage and collaborate. This approach often leads to more appropriate actions that enable physical activity. Where there is community-led action on wider inequalities then the this may contribute to a sense of ownership and control over their own lives.

Cultures and practices that enable physical activity

There is a culturally inclusive social environment for physical activity which enables people to move more in ways that suit them.

How physically active we are is shaped by the cultural contexts of our lives; what behaviours we intuitively feel are normal and expected for ‘people like us’. This may vary with the contexts of our lives, whether we are at work or school, with family or engaging with wider interest groups and communities around us.

People may not relate to those they see engaging in physical activity, due to identity or culturally based differences, including gender, (dis) ability, social class, sexual orientation or ethnicity. These feelings maybe reinforced by practical barriers, such as clothing or equipment needed, or past experiences of exclusion, humiliation or shame. By working respectfully and constructively with people within less active communities and groups, we may find ways to enable changes in perceptions, beliefs, practices and values.

Built & natural environments that enable physical activity

Local natural and built environments are attractive, accessible and safe, encouraging movement and physical activity.

Actual and perceived characteristics of the natural and built environment affect physical activity behaviours. Accessible, appropriate, affordable and safe environments are unequally distributed in society, but appropriate design and/or management of such spaces can help to address this. This may include access to blue and green spaces, urban planning, and workplace design.

Cycles of learning and action

There are appropriate methods in place to learn from experience and, over time, improve place-based working to address physical inactivity.

Physical inactivity inequalities are the result of multiple interacting influences, which makes it difficult to understand cause and effect in simple terms. We have to accept that some degree of uncertainty and partial knowledge.

We can, however, build better understanding of how particular actions and ideas work and the contexts in which they typically do or do not.  Gathering and apply this information can provide ‘decision support’ to guide future actions in context.

These conditions represent our current understanding, based on existing theory and emerging evidence; however, they may be refined as our understanding of systemic transformation grows.

The above text has been extracted from NELP’s ‘Overview of the conceptual model and conditions for tackling inequalities in physical activity‘.  To read the document, click here.

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While conferences are often viewed as opportunities to disseminate findings, this felt like something more. It was an opportunity to contribute to a growing international conversation about how we understand, evaluate and learn from complex systems working to tackle physical inactivity and health inequalities.

The conference brought together researchers from physical activity, health, nutrition, education and behavioural science. That convergence matters. The challenges facing communities do not sit neatly within sector boundaries, and neither should our responses. Place-based working is, by definition, cross-sector work. It involves health systems, local government, schools, community organisations, transport, environment, culture and residents themselves.

Several presentations connected directly to work taking place across Pennine Lancashire and the wider Sport England Place Partnership ecosystem, including for our National Evaluation and Learning Partnership.

Professor Stuart Fairclough‘s presentation, ‘When an Intervention isn’t an Intervention’, explored the challenges of evaluating partner-designed whole-school physical activity programmes. His reflections on balancing research rigour with the realities of implementation resonated strongly with researchers. Schools change, partnerships evolve and priorities shift. In these environments, maintaining the conditions required for traditional intervention research can be difficult. Yet there was a clear recognition that teacher stories, explanatory accounts and learning from implementation still matter if we are to understand what is happening in real-world systems.

Research presented by Mhairi MacDonald explored relationships between children’s movement behaviours and perceived physical literacy. While the findings identified some positive associations with vigorous physical activity, they also suggested that movement behaviours alone may not fully explain how children develop confidence, competence, motivation and connection to physical activity. This reinforces the importance of understanding the wider environments and experiences that shape participation.

Lauren Hall presented findings from the Lifestyle Hub, a referral pathway supporting physical activity and weight management across Pennine Lancashire. The study demonstrated substantial reach, generating almost 16,000 referrals and strong levels of assessment uptake. However, significant inequalities remained in programme outcomes, particularly by ethnicity and age. The findings highlight an important lesson for place-based work: creating opportunities is not always enough. Understanding who benefits, who does not, and why, remains a critical challenge for those in our place facilitating referral pathways.

A poster presentation on Burnley Outdoor Town, sharing four years of learning from a collaborative movement linking physical activity, climate action and community wellbeing, was presented all day Wednesday. What surprised me most was that many researchers were interested not only in the outcomes but in the developmental evaluation approach underpinning the work. Conversations frequently focused on how learning had been embedded within delivery, how partners made sense of complexity together and how tensions were treated as opportunities for learning rather than implementation failures.

Congratulations to Burnley #OutdoorTown and its partners for showing that when learning, collaboration and community are placed at the heart of change, local action can generate insights with international relevance. There was particular interest in the use of realist-informed developmental evaluation and the National Evaluation and Learning Partnership’s Conditions for Change framework and maturity matrix, developed by colleagues who have helped shape much of our thinking within TaAF.

I also presented early findings from my PhD, The River of Utilisation: From Insight to Action, Who Cares and Who Acts on Findings? The research explores how evidence travels through systems and how learning becomes action. Drawing on experiences from TaAF and Sport England’s place-based work, I argued that evaluation use is often relational, emotional and iterative. Learning moves through trust, dialogue, translation and shared sense-making rather than through reports alone. The response was encouraging, particularly from researchers grappling with similar questions about how to bridge the gap between evidence generation and practical action in complex systems.

One personal reflection from the week was just how challenging it can be to occupy the space between traditional research and systems change practice.  Many conferences, including ISBNPA, are built around interventions, outcomes, effect sizes and study designs. These remain important foundations of scientific progress. Yet for those of us working in place-based systems, the reality often looks very different.

“Systems work rarely begins with a neatly defined intervention. It rarely follows a fixed protocol. Boundaries shift as new partners join, communities identify different priorities and opportunities emerge. The work is adaptive by necessity”.

For researchers using realist, developmental and systems-informed approaches, this creates a tension. Traditional research often seeks stability, control and predefined endpoints. Systems research requires responsiveness, adaptation and learning in real time.

Over several intense days of discussion, there was growing recognition that some of the most important changes occurring within places cannot always be captured through conventional evaluation approaches alone. This does not mean abandoning rigour. Rather, it means expanding our understanding of what rigour looks like in complex systems. Rigour can be found in transparent theory-building, systematic reflection, triangulation of multiple data sources, participatory sense-making, realist explanation, and long-term learning cycles.

For TaAF, perhaps the most important lesson is that we are part of a much bigger conversation. If systems approaches are now being scaled nationally, understanding how learning travels, how partnerships evolve, how inequalities are addressed and how local systems sustain change may be just as important as understanding the effectiveness of any individual intervention.

Place-based systems work does not really end. Relationships continue. Learning accumulates. Policy contexts shift. Communities evolve. Success is often less about delivering a single intervention and more about creating the conditions for positive change to continue long after a project has formally closed. It’s true TaAF style: the best conversation happened around the formal program; lots of physical activity, long chats over dinner and even some yoga at the airport help many of us to build and strengthen connections to those in systems research and evaluation; because sometimes research of our work can be seen as outside of the work, and as our National Evaluation and Learning Partner has identified, it’s very much the key ingredient of maturing those conditions for change.

Perhaps one of the biggest opportunities ahead is not simply influencing local systems. It is helping influence the systems of research, evaluation and evidence generation themselves. In that sense, sharing TaAF’s learning internationally is not the end of the journey. It is part of the systems change process.

Emily Brady-Young (formerly Research & Evaluation Lead for TaAF)  is now a post-graduate researcher at Hartpury University, working alongside the National Evaluation and Learning Partnership for Sport England. She also works as a freelance evaluation and learning design partner. 

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“What I love about this conference is it’s all about movement…Everyone is really connected; it’s almost like a networking event.  There’s such a buzz in the air” Jamie McDonald aka Adventureman

In a world where learning can happen almost anywhere — online, on demand and at scale — some may ask why face to face learning still matters.

At Together an Active Future (TaAF) we believe system change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when people come together, build trust, and learn with and from each other.

Our Curiosity Conference is a powerful example of why being together in person is irreplaceable.  It’s where human connection, shared understanding and collective insight spark action.

The challenges we’re tackling don’t exist in silos.  People move through complex, overlapping systems every day.  So to create meaningful change, we need space where change can be reshaped together.  The Curiosity Conference was designed with this in mind; to bring people from a range of sectors and places together to build relationships, collaborate, and form lasting partnerships.

Learning together brings systems to life

“We’re required to produce reports, demonstrate impact and show evidence – but where that really travels is when we come together in person.” says Emily Brady Young, Research and Evaluation Lead, Together an Active Future.

Reports, evaluations and evidence are essential, but face to face learning is what brings them to life, connects data to people, places and purpose. Coming together allows participants to experience ideas collectively; ask questions and learn alongside people they may never otherwise meet. This shared experience helps turn theory into understanding and understanding into action.

Breaking down silos across sectors

“You soon realise the connections that fall into place with your own work when you hear from people in different sectors.” Matt Donnelly, Park Play Co-ordinator for Lancashire.

“It’s a really good opportunity for people to come together to share ideas”, Paul Foster, CEO, Burnley Leisure and Culture.

A key benefit of face to face learning is the ability to connect people across different sectors – education, health, local government, physical activity, primary care and community organisations. The conference created space for these sectors to “un-silo” their thinking, helping participants see how their work weaves through a person’s life, rather than in isolation. These connections are more immediate and meaningful when we’re in the same room.

Learning whilst moving

“It was great not to be sat down for too long – you could feel the thoughtfulness that had gone into how people learn.” Kenny Chu, Merseyside Sports Partnership.

We know from research that movement boosts learning by enhancing engagement, memory and focus. The day was designed to keep people moving.  Instead of staying in one room, delegates moved across three different venues in the town, walking and talking as they went. The ‘Place Standard Tool’ session, took form of a walking tour, putting theory into practice.  A number of speakers, including Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, Royal College of GPs Lifestyle and Physical Activity Clinical Champion, encouraged everyone to move during the sessions they delivered.

Relationships matter

“I really enjoy this conference for different reasons, one of those is definitely deepening connections. You might have heard a name before, but you get the chance to put the face to a name and have a chat with them at different points throughout the day” Rosie Fenwick, Project Manager, Active Blackburn with Darwen.

Delegates repeatedly describe the value of informal conversations – walking between venues, sitting together at lunch, or taking part in workshops.  These moments help people put faces to names, make connections and build relationships that continue beyond the event itself.  As Michelle Fletcher, TaAF Comms Manager says “Connections really matter – knowing who to call when you want to learn more or when you need an ally to lean on.” These interactions are harder to achieve in virtual spaces, where conversations are more transactional and time‑limited.

Confidence, capability and culture change

“That gives people permission to test and learn, to try new things and new ideas.” Andrew Whittaker, Strategic Lead – Partnerships Advisor for North West & North East, Activity Alliance.

Sport England gave TaAF permission to test and learn new approaches to physical activity and share these lessons openly.  This conference was a safe space for people to share their stories, not just their successes but their struggles and how they adapted.  When we share our honest reflections, we provide others with real insight and valuable learning.  Hearing real stories of impact from peers helps shift culture and inspires participants to believe that they too, can drive change in their own communities.

Information sharing and knowledge exchange

“I was able to connect with someone about funding and now I’ll be supporting them further with their application.” Dr Lauren Hall, Research Associate, Dept of Applied Health Sciences.

“We’ve built a relationship today, and that’s already led to plans to work together next.” Obed Enningful, Active Travel Officer, Lancashire County Council.

By the end of the day, learning had already started to ripple outward. Delegates didn’t just take learning away for themselves but for their organisations.  Conversations sparked collaborations and face to face learning was the catalyst.

Lasting impact

TaAF appreciates how hard it is to step away from busy roles, to make space for learning, to justify time and cost when resource and capacity is stretched.  That’s why TaAF is committed to make the Curiosity Conference a free event to all.

We believe the Curiosity Conference is not just a learning event, it is an active driver of system change.  From the feedback we’ve received, we know that when people are given the time, space and permission to learn together change happens faster.  TaAF has created the opportunity to learn together, enabling others to make connections, increase their confidence in their capabilities to make new ways of working and lasting change possible.

Watch the video to experience conference and hear first-hand from various members of the TaAF team, various presenters including keynote speaker Jamie McDonald also known as ‘Adventureman’ and a host of delegates.

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The national ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, now in its tenth year, aims to continue its success and achieve even greater impact on the behaviour of inactive women by working in a more place-based way.

The campaign’s target audience is:

• Women who are pregnant or with a child under one year old
• South East Asian women

Working alongside the Health & Wellbeing Team, partners, and women in the local community, ‘This Girl Can’ aims to identify the key local barriers to physical activity. They will then choose the problem or opportunity they are going to try to solve.

Feedback from the Expression of Interest stated:

“Your response showed a strong understanding of place-based working, a clear commitment to addressing inequalities and real potential to test how national campaigns and local systems can reinforce one another. We see this pilot as a shared learning opportunity and are grateful for your willingness to lean in.”

The discovery phase has begun, and the national ‘This Girl Can’ team recently visited the borough to build their understanding of women’s experiences of physical activity. During their visit, they met with a variety of partners to gain more context about the local landscape, ensuring the campaign will be co-designed and something that works for the borough.

If you like to find out more about this initiative, please email Kathryn.creech@blackburn.gov.uk

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Published research from Edge Hill University as part of the Ready Set Move Programme shows that children are becoming more active over time, with the greatest increases happening during the school day.

The study followed 250 children across Year 4 and 5, and gives a clear picture of when and how children move more, and why school-based approaches like Ready Set Move matter so much. Read more about the details of the study.

Some of the key findings of the research are explored below.

Children are moving more during the school day

One of the most positive findings from the research is that children’s physical activity increased as the school year progressed.

What’s especially encouraging is that:
• Children moved more over the course of the research
• The biggest increases happened on school days
• Weekend activity stayed fairly steady

This tells us something important: the school day is a powerful opportunity to support children to be active.

Ready Set Move is designed around this idea. By embedding movement into lessons, routines and breaktimes, schools are creating more opportunities for children to move naturally throughout the day, not just during PE.

* The schools involved in data collection have all participated in the Ready Set Move Middle Leaders Programme. They have introduced changes such as adopting more active uniforms, reimagining spaces to encourage active play, and incorporating movement into classrooms. As the Middle Leaders worked to embed and sustain these changes between Autumn 2023 and Summer 2024, it’s encouraging to see signs that these efforts may have contributed to an increase in children’s activity levels.*

The children who needed it most benefited the most

Another finding is that children who were least active at the start of the year showed the biggest improvements. This means:
• Ready Set Move approaches are reaching children who may otherwise miss out
• Activity isn’t just increasing for already-active children
• Schools are helping to reduce gaps

This is a real strength of whole-school approaches. By building movement into everyday school life, through strategies such as active learning in curriculum lessons schools are creating opportunities that work for all children, whatever their starting point.

More movement across the day really adds up

The research shows that children didn’t become more active because activities became harder or more intense. Instead, they moved more because movement was happening more often across the day.

This strongly aligns with Ready Set Move’s core message to schools: ‘move more and sit less’ – reducing sedentary time across the whole school day through adding in, not adding on, whilst making movement purposeful to learning.

Small changes like active learning, movement breaks and transitions, more active breaktimes and better use of space, all add up to improvements in children’s activity levels.

It strongly supports that embedding movement into what already happens makes a real difference.

Why this is such positive news

Tackling physical inactivity in children is a complex challenge and can’t be solved by a single programme or intervention alone. Many factors influence how active children are, but this research shows that the school day plays a critical role.

This is encouraging, because it reinforces how:
• Schools can make a difference every day, through small, consistent changes
• Staff don’t need to do this alone – working collaboratively and aligning physical activity to school priorities creates routines, shifts mindsets and ultimately, culture starts to change
• Supporting schools through programmes like Ready Set Move is a powerful way to create lasting change

This published research adds strong evidence to what schools are already telling us:

Ready Set Move is helping children move more, feel better and engage more in their learning.

Read the full published Ready Set Move research paper here.

Find out more about the Ready Set Move programme and how it has been enabling school leaders to think differently, build their skills and shift school culture.

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The Healthy Hearts campaign is a collaboration between Lancashire County Council, Lancs and South Cumbria ICB, the national We Are Undefeatable campaign and Together an Active Future.

Using LCC public health and insight from the British Heart Foundation, the campaign focuses on nine districts in the county where premature mortality from Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) is higher than the national English average.

To help raise awareness locally, partners hosted a match-day activation at Blackpool Football Club to encourage adults to ‘Know Your Numbers’ and have their blood pressure checked regularly.

The NHS ‘HARRI’ van (Health, Advice, Recovery, Resilience, and Information) was parked outside the stadium and offered fans quick blood pressure checks and heart health advice.

Representatives from Blackpool FC Community Trust (BFCCT), Move Together Blackpool, Active Blackpool, Blackpool Population Health Team and Lancs & South Cumbria ICB handed out specially designed ‘z card’ leaflets sharing Darren’s inspirational story, a local man who through attending a range of sessions provided by Blackpool Community Trust and through moving more, has made a remarkable recovery following a stroke.

“We’re so proud of what Darren has achieved. Darren’s story is a real reminder of how important it is to know your numbers and get your blood pressure checked. Small steps into physical activity can lead to life-changing results. Through our programmes and community sessions, every week we see how moving more not only improves physical health but also mental wellbeing and confidence. We are delighted to be working alongside our partners to spread these heart health messages to reach more people and help prevent others going through what Darren did” says Dave Maclean, Active Through Football Manager at Blackpool FC Community Trust.

The z card also includes information from Dr Arif Rajpura, Blackpool Council’s Director of Public Health, on the importance of blood pressure checks and details of Active Blackpool’s exercise referral programme.

The cards were placed on the tables in the corporate hospitality area, in the club shop and campaign promotion was included in the match day programme and on the large digital screen during half time.

Sport England recognise the importance physical activity messaging can play in preventing and managing long term health conditions. TaAF provided the resources and capacity to turn the idea into reality in just four weeks.

The Impact

The match attracted 9858 fans and 25 people took the opportunity to have their blood pressure checked, with two individuals advised to seek further medical advice.  This demonstrates the value of providing accessible health checks and how they can make a difference in early detection and prevention.

This event was the first time the organisations involved have collaborated in this way to boost local awareness of heart health.

Next Steps

Following the success of the event, Vicki Wagstaff, CVD and LTC Prevention Manager at Lancs & South Cumbria ICB has shared the digital ‘z card’ with other football clubs across the county, hoping to encourage similar initiatives.

Over the next few weeks, a targeted social media campaign will reinforce the match-day activation and continue to share important heart health messages:

• Raising awareness of the importance of ‘knowing your numbers’,
• Signposting residents to their local pharmacies and BFCCT for blood pressure checks
• Promoting the role physical activity can play to support people living with heart conditions to improve their health and wellbeing.

If you like to find out more about this initiative, please email alison.whittaker-stewart@blackburn.gov.uk

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A new qualitative research study, drawing on 35 case studies from schools across Pennine Lancashire, explores exactly that. The study captures how schools taking part in the Ready Set Move Middle Leaders Programme are embedding physical activity into everyday school life, and the difference this is making for pupils and staff.

Movement isn’t just for PE or break times. Instead of layering isolated interventions on top of busy timetables, our Ready Set Move workstream is rethinking behaviour, culture, and environments across the whole school. The programme is all about how schools start to think beyond single programmes or interventions and how they adopt and embed a culture of movement across their whole school.

The Ready Set Move Middle Leaders programme has shown that when you invest in middle leaders, schools are better able to embed physical activity into everyday practice in ways that improve learning, wellbeing and inclusion.

The independent research has highlighted that the Middle Leaders Programme has contributed to:

• More active learning embedded into everyday lessons
  “Teachers were provided with training; a bank of resources and equipment was created to support the delivery of energiser breaks.”

• Improved pupil focus, behaviour and readiness to learn
  “There are less behaviour disruptions… leading to more learning!”

• Stronger staff confidence and consistency in using active approaches
  “We have moved away from ‘brain break’ videos in class. Teachers thought this was active learning, but now realise that active learning can be linked to the curriculum topic.”

• More inclusive opportunities, particularly for pupils with SEND and those previously less active.
  “Children enjoy active learning opportunities and ALL children participate in the learning.”

These findings show how Ready Set Move is helping physical activity become part of how schools work, a lasting cultural shift led by those within the school itself.

What the research tells us

The full research report draws on qualitative synthesis of case studies from 35 schools across Pennine Lancashire and explores what change looked like in practice, what helped it happen, and what difference it made for pupils and staff.

Evidence of good practice in schools
Across the schools involved, Ready Set Move supported practical, real-world changes, including:

• More opportunities for children to be active across the day, particularly through active lessons, lesson transitions, and break and lunchtimes
• Increased staff confidence and capability, supported by training and professional development for teachers, teaching assistants and lunchtime staff
• Improvements to equipment and outdoor spaces, creating more accessible and engaging environments
• Strong use of pupil voice, with children helping to design activities and taking on leadership roles such as Play Leaders or Sports Ambassadors
• A clear focus on inclusion, ensuring pupils with SEND, girls and children from minority backgrounds could participate fully

What enabled change to happen

The research shows that activities alone were not enough. Change was most successful when key conditions were in place, including:

• Increasing awareness – Staff and leaders developed a clearer understanding of how physical activity supports learning, behaviour and wellbeing. Tools such as pupil surveys and activity mapping helped schools identify where change was most needed.
• Sharing learning – Observing practice, taking part in CPD and learning from other schools helped staff build confidence and move beyond seeing activity as an “add-on”.
• Collaboration – Working across roles, year groups and with pupils helped build shared ownership and consistent practice.
• Senior leadership support – Headteachers and leadership teams played a critical role by protecting time, providing resources and legitimising the work.
• Champions and change teams – Middle leaders and motivated staff helped drive momentum, model practice and support others.
• Bravery – Schools that were willing to challenge routines, try new approaches and learn from what didn’t work were more likely to embed lasting change.

“Protected time out of the classroom to meet with the Ready Set Move network has been given with the full support of SLT. This has allowed the changes to be embedded across the whole school.”

The difference it has made

Schools reported clear benefits for pupils and staff, including:

• Learning outcomes – improved focus, engagement and behaviour, with some schools reporting measurable gains in attainment
• Physical activity outcomes – pupils moving more and sitting less across the school day
• Health and wellbeing outcomes – happier pupils, stronger relationships and a more positive school climate

Read the full Ready Set Move Middle Leaders Research Report

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What we heard was consistent across the participants and their schools: This isn’t just about getting children more active. It’s about developing people who can lead change across the whole school system.

Across the interviews, four consistent themes emerged:

1. From awareness to everyday practice

Many Middle Leaders started the programme already passionate about physical activity, but without the awareness that they could be doing more, and with uncertainty about how to embed movement consistently across the school day.

While many schools initially viewed themselves as active, often based on strong PE or sports provisions, the programme has helped them to identify gaps in whole-school consistency, reach and integration.

“From a PE perspective, we’re very hot on that… but definitely not wider school… it wasn’t really on my radar that whole school approaches were out there.” 

What’s changed is not just how much movement is happening, but how it shows up in the school day. It’s not something extra to add in, but has become part of how learning happens.

“So every classroom is having activity now… lessons are a lot more active and they’re enjoying that.” 

“My day is very ‘get up and go’… if learning is applicable it will have some kind of movement element.” 

From active lessons to rethinking lunchtimes and classroom environments, schools are creating more opportunities for children to move, engage and learn differently.

2. Growing confidence to lead change

Another consistent theme across all interviews was the shift in confidence.

Middle Leaders spoke about moving from uncertainty to clarity, developing the knowledge, language and belief to influence others.

“My knowledge has developed and that’s given me the confidence to speak about it. I actually feel like I know what I’m talking about now.”

“Before the programme I would have rated myself about a two or three. Now I’d say nine or ten.”

This growth in confidence is critical. It’s what enables leaders to move beyond their own classroom and start shaping wider practice.

3. From classroom change to system change

What stands out most is how quickly this work moves beyond individual practice.

Middle Leaders are influencing:

• teaching approaches across subjects
• staff training and CPD
• school policies and expectations
• conversations with senior leaders and governors

“We’ve written active learning into our teaching policy, appraisal and recruitment… that wouldn’t have happened before.”

There’s a clear shift from “what I do in my lesson” to “how our school works.”

4. A different approach to leadership

The programme’s focus on strengths-based leadership has also played a key role.
Rather than focusing on gaps, middle leaders were supported to understand and use their strengths to lead change.

“The training focused on our strengths… it really empowered us as middle leaders.”

This has helped leaders build relationships, navigate resistance and bring others with them.

What we’re taking forward

The learning from these interviews reinforces our core belief at TaAF:
When you invest in people, by building skills and capabilities or changing beliefs and attitudes, you can change the systems they work in.
While experiences varied depending on school context, leadership support and available capacity, the overall direction of change was consistent.

Through Ready Set Move, Middle Leaders are:
• embedding movement into everyday teaching
• improving engagement, behaviour and inclusion
• building confidence to influence beyond their role
• creating sustainable, whole-school change

And perhaps most importantly, they are starting to see themselves differently.

“It’s given me the belief that I can make a difference.”

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