Nottingham Place Partnership

Nottingham City Place Partnership

Our work in Nottingham focusses on building connections that give children, young people, and families the confidence to move more in ways that fit their lives and improves their health and wellbeing.

We do this by building trust. This trust allows us to better collaborate and align priorities. This then enables local people and organisations to work together in new ways.

By starting our work with people, assets and existing networks, we leaned how to create opportunities for everyone to connect and move more.

Sustaining this collaboration will reduce inequalities and create a system that supports children and young people to thrive.

Why Nottingham?

According to Sport England’s Active Lives survey, there are neighbourhoods in Nottingham where one third of adults are completely inactive.

Using Active Lives data and other local information, we identified nine areas where support and action could have the greatest impact. We then grouped them by location and community.

In North Nottingham: Bulwell North and Top Valley East
In East Nottingham: St Ann’s
In South Nottingham: Clifton South
In West Nottingham: Aspley, Broxtowe and Cinderhill, Bilborough North, Beechdale, and Bilborough South

View how Sport England identify areas for Place Partnership work

About Nottingham’s Place Partnership communities

North
Bulwell North and Top Valley East

61–75% of children live in poverty

47–49% of children and young people are inactive

East
St Ann’s

65% of children live in poverty

46% of children and young people are inactive

South
Clifton South

54% of children live in poverty

48% of children and young people are inactive

West
Aspley, Broxtowe and Cinderhill, Bilborough North, Beechdale, and Bilborough South

58–74% of children live in poverty

47% of children and young people are inactive

What’s been done so far in Nottingham Place Partnership?

In 2024, Nottingham City received Phase 1 Place Partnership funding from Sport England. We used this to lay the foundations for physical activity to become an easily accessible way for local people to improve their wellbeing, confidence, social connections, and aspirations.

We established a Place Lead role hosted within the Public Health team at Nottingham City Council. This enabled us to build new relationships with policymakers.

We collaborated with local people and services to conduct a System Maturity Matrix assessment. This examined the local assets and systems involved in creating opportunities for physical activity. It identified what is working well and where improvements are needed. We plan to repeat it each year to track the changes being made through our Place Partnership work.

With a better understanding of how local organisations work together, we were able to focus on how to respond to what communities were asking for: more opportunities for children, young people and families to come together and be active.

By learning and working alongside communities and local organisations, we agreed that our Place Partnership work would be most effective if it was led by local people. So in each target area, we built relationships with established organisations and funded them to become our community ‘Anchor’ organisations. They now bring together local people, groups, and services, helping everyone work collaboratively.

Introducing Nottingham Place Partnership’s community Anchor organisations

Evolve Nottingham CIC

Working in Aspley, Broxtowe and Cinderhill, Bilborough North, Beechdale, and Bilborough South

Evolve Nottingham CIC is as a community-embedded hub.

They have deep roots in areas facing complex, interconnected challenges.

Evolve aims to reduce inequalities, strengthen communities, and improve quality of life, with sustainable systems change.

Visit Evolve’s website

The Bestwood Partnership

Working in Bulwell North and Top Valley

The Bestwood Partnership is a local community organisation that provides numerous services and support to local residents.

They are a charitable company that is owned, governed, and run by the community.

The Bestwood Partnership promotes regeneration through a range of projects addressing unemployment, promoting training and education.

Visit The Bestwood Partnership’s website

The Renewal Trust

Working in St Ann’s and Clifton

The Renewal Trust is a local charity with a mission to nurture happier, healthier and more connected local communities.

They champion working together and sharing knowledge, expertise, and relationships.

They work closely with and listen to local communities to offer inclusive and accessible opportunities.

Visit The Renewal Trust’s website

What are we doing now in Nottingham Place Partnership?

In 2026, Nottingham received Place Expansion funding from Sport England. Below are a few select highlights of the work we will be undertaking.

Because communities want more quality activities and young people need opportunities to thrive…

Young people

…we’re training and employing young people as sports leaders.

A Walk Derbyshire walking group in the countryside near Ashbourne

Because staff want to strengthen their support for vulnerable young people…

Workforce

…we’re providing education in youth work, neurodiversity, trauma-informed practice, and more.

Because local people want more activities for children, young people and families…

Collaboration

…we’re funding our Anchors to co-design and co-deliver new provision with local organisations.

Because we’ve heard from community organisations, local people, clubs, groups, and schools…

Insight

…we’re sharing what they learn with the council and other partners to help shape ideas and decisions.

Stories from Nottingham

From individuals to whole communities, our work is helping create positive change. Explore some of the stories below.

Nottingham City Place Partnership

Why Nottingham?