New £250,000 funding pot aiming to get people on low incomes more active

Sport England has announced new funding for community groups which help people on low incomes become more physically active.

A total of 26 projects have been given up to £10,000 each, with activities ranging from ‘Dad Dancing’ exercise sessions to cricket and badminton lessons for refugees.

Other projects to receive funding include The Booth Centre Sports Programme in Manchester, which will offer free sports sessions to the homeless, and the Community Renewal Programme in Newham, which will provide fitness sessions for ethnic minority women who do not currently exercise.

According to Sport England figures, physical inactivity (doing less than 30 minutes of moderate exercise a week) among people on a low income is twice that of people on a high income.

Sport England executive director, Mike Diaper, said: “We know that people on a low income can face many pressures which make it difficult for them to be as active as they would like to be.

“We’re working with community-focused organisations across the country to find ways to help people fit physical activity into their lives in ways that work for them.

“All the groups have a strong track record of working with their local community and we’re very excited by how these projects could make such a positive difference to people’s lives. The lessons we learn will help to shape our work across the country.”