Place-based approach

Our ambition is to take a ‘place-based’ approach to all of our work.

This means we understand that the places where people live, work and play will shape individual and community relationships with physical activity and sport.

The opportunities for people to be active are different from place to place and are affected by the accessibility of local facilities, quality outdoor spaces, geography, and levels of wealth and health. Place based working responds to the unique make up of a place and the people who live there and engages with the opportunities that emerge from understanding the local context, connecting people and aligning purpose and resources.

With a population of over 3.6 million, there are places in different shapes and sizes across our area. This is why we structure our work on three distinct levels.

Focus Communities

Some communities face much greater inequalities than others, so more time and resources are spent in these places. With partners, we identify these communities through data and local intelligence, ensuring the work is aligned with the priorities of local authorities and health bodies.

Our Communities page sets out how we support our partners to create the best opportunities through:

attracting investment
sharing the learning
focussing programme funding, and
providing officer time to help support local organisations and people.

District level

Across South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire there are nine metropolitan districts which have their own political, strategic and delivery structures. The major partners in these areas work together to plan and deliver sport and physical activity opportunities within what we call ‘Place Partnerships’:

West Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

Each has their strategic plan, their own identity and ways of working. Importantly it is at this level where influence on wider strategic health, economic, environment and other social plans takes place. This ensures sport and physical activity is playing its full part in supporting the lives of our population.

We are committed to working with and through our Place Partnerships in our work, and provide support to ensure they are connected, good communication is in place and actions are completed.

County level

We work with major organisations to maximise sport and physical activity’s contribution to the economy and the health of our area, including:

West Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

We also have a role in bringing people together across both sub-regions so that learning can be shared and, where there is added value in doing so, working together on specific issues.

Advocacy reports

We have commissioned reports to bring together the evidence and data we currently hold to build a narrative of the sector’s contribution to wider strategic plans.

Sport and Physical Activity Matters in West Yorkshire (May 2024)

Sport and Physical Activity Matters in South Yorkshire (April 2024)