A new animation demonstrates some of the barriers that people who need support to be active can face and presents a vision of the impact that change could have on people’s lives.
The animation, commissioned by Active Derbyshire, tells that story through ‘Sarah’ and shows there is another way.
Too many people who could benefit most from being active never get started. The wait for support can be long and what is offered can be too narrow to fit around their life. Momentum is lost before it begins. We can lose the very people the system set out to help.
National guidance is clear. For people living with long-term conditions, the benefits of being active far outweigh the risks. Sport England, Active Partnerships, Moving Medicine and national partners are leading Moving Together, a shift from medical clearance to medical guidance, from asking permission to be active towards empowering choice. The ambition is frictionless pathways that build in support rather than barriers, so activity fits around real lives.
In Derbyshire work is already happening to address these barriers and make this vision a reality. Working together across health, leisure and communities, we are moving from programmes to pathways and from prescription to partnership. We are designing person-centred approaches that start with what matters to someone – not just what is the matter with them – and providing tailored choices.
The animation calls on the wider system – strategic leaders, stakeholders and partners – to make the changes that turn this vision into everyday practice. And it calls on more partners, professionals and communities to join us in delivering it. We hope it will support work already underway and inspire change.
Together, let’s support more people to move in a way that works for them.