A consortium headed up by the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) has bagged a £4.5m (US$6.4m, €5.9m) grant to get people active across 18 locations in the UK.

The initiative, titled Get Out & Get Active, will benefit from the money provided by the charity Spirit of 2012, and will focus on increasing participation in “fun and inclusive” physical activity.

Funding will not be provided for new activities, but will instead go towards increasing demand for, and the accessibility of, existing local authority schemes, sports clubs and the voluntary sector.

Barry Horne, EFDS chief executive, said the programme “has the potential to change how people can be encouraged and enabled to become more active”.

“EFDS has learnt so much through our research with disabled people about new approaches to engage many more people into active recreation, and over the next four years our local and national partners will put that thinking into practice right across the UK,” he added.

The consortium comprises Disability Sport Wales, Scottish Disability Sport, Disability Sport N. I and Volunteering Matters. National delivery partners for the scheme include Sporting Equals, Disability Rights UK, Women in Sport, StreetGames, Parkrun, England Athletics, Youth Sports Trust, Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), Age UK and Play England.

Bradford Disability Sport and Leisure, City of Stoke on Trent, Greater Sport, Kent County Council, Kent Sport, Lincolnshire Sport, London Sport and Nottingham City Council are the initiative’s English local partners.

“This initiative can help all of us who are concerned about health and wellbeing to learn lessons that will support delivery of the government’s new strategy for an active nation,” added Debbie Lye, chief executive of Spirit of 2012 – the £47m (US$67.1m, €61.6m) foundation set up through the Big Lottery Fund.

Spirit of 2012 board member and former chief medical officer of Scotland, Sir Harry Burns, advised on the programme.

List of Get Out & Get Active Locations

England

BradfordManchester, Greater Manchester

Rochdale, Greater ManchesterWigan, Greater Manchester

Margate, KentEast Lindsey, Lincolnshire

Lambeth, LondonWandsworth, London

NottinghamStoke-on- Trent

Northern IrelandArmagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon

Derry City and StrabaneScotland

FifeGrampians (covering Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council)

Forth Valley (covering Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling council areas)Wales

PembrokeshireRhondda Cynon Taf

Wrexham