Get Doncaster Moving is not one single organisation or project. It is the name of Doncaster's approach to tackling inequalities in physical activity. It involves a wide range of stakeholders working together to achieve our shared vision of healthy and vibrant communities through physical activity and sport.

Physical activity and sport contributes to healthier people. But it is about more than just physical and mental health. Physical activity and sport can and should be fun and enjoyable; often bringing groups of people and communities together, raising aspirations and helping people to achieve them. This all adds to the vibrancy and energy of our place.

Despite this, about a third of us in Doncaster find it harder than others to be regularly active in our day-to-day lives, and we know that there are people in Doncaster's communities who currently face a disproportionate number of barriers and have an unequal chance/choice to be active. Increasing the levels of activity will not simply be addressed by encouraging or educating our residents to do more exercise or sport. We need to collectively provide the right support, policy and environments so residents are able be active as part of their daily lives.

Doncaster residents have the right to be able to walk safely to the shops; play in the park; cycle to work; have access to good quality leisure centres; and be in walking distance from local and affordable activities. Everybody can play their part in activating those rights of our residents while also challenging our decisions on what might negatively impact on the health and vibrancy of our communities.

When we say everybody, we mean everybody. This means that there is an endless list of valuable stakeholders, and our approach requires collaboration and leadership across four main groups:

Residents

Residents have a leading role in Get Doncaster Moving. We live, work and play in a large number of unique communities across the borough, and it is in these communities where opportunities to be active will be created and maintained. Our community-centred approach, in partnership with Well Doncaster, means that we are working with communities to co-create long-term, sustainable change. We are working hard to listen to what residents are saying and understand what matters most to people so that we can take action and tackle our opportunities and challenges together. You can read more about this and how you can get involved: Well Doncaster

Get Doncaster Moving Network

The Network includes any individual, group, business, department or organisation who is committed to taking action and playing their part in supporting residents in Doncaster to access physical activity. Read more about the Network and how you can get involved: Join the network

Get Doncaster Moving Board

The Board is made up of senior representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors who share a common vision. The Board represents and advocates Get Doncaster Moving at a strategic level. Read more about the Board: Advisory Board

Get Doncaster Moving Team

The small central team is based mainly within Doncaster Council. They help to co-ordinate the partnership and drive themes of work. Read more about the team here: Meet the team

The Get Doncaster Moving Principles are driven by what we have learnt from communities, what we know about Doncaster and the ethos of 'doing things differently' to test new approaches.

We are committed tackling the stubborn inequalities in participation. In Doncaster, we have identified that the people who need the most support to make small increases in their activity levels are families and children, people on low incomes and people who are regularly inactive.

We are taking an evidence-based and community-led approach. We are adamant that the work that we do now must be sustainable, and bring about a generational journey, to change our population inactivity levels.

Communities have told us that they want and need opportunities to last. Our approach focuses capacity and resources on changes that will have a long lasting impact on improving the conditions for residents to be physically active.

We strongly believe that unless we stick by our principles, Get Doncaster Moving will become a short-lived project or programme which fundamentally doesn't change inactivity in Doncaster.

We understand and enjoy sport in Doncaster. We're home to the St Leger, Doncaster Rovers, Doncaster Rugby League and Rugby Union, an award-winning rowing club, an iconic leisure facility in the Dome, a huge number of community sports clubs run by dedicated and passionate people. And, of course, access to some wonderful countryside to explore and enjoy.

Despite this, as a population, we are simply not physically active enough. Too many of us don't build being active into our day-to-day lives. Too many people, young and old, are sitting for far too long. Too many of us don't move fast enough to make any gains in our health. As a result, too many of us are not living a healthy life to the full and are dying too young.

The Get Doncaster Moving Strategy was developed over a twelve-month period; using the latest local and national data, and through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. It sets out a framework for how we can get more people moving and has commitment from a range of organisations that form the Get Doncaster Moving Network.

We hope many others will join our quest to encourage everyone in Doncaster to enjoy the benefits of being physically active in their day-to-day lives.

Strategic framework

We will prioritise:

• Inactive people – Often the greatest health gains are made when people move from inactivity into activity and we know we have one of the largest number of inactive people in the country. One of our priorities over the coming years will be on understanding patterns of inactivity better, recognising that many people flip between being active and inactive at various points of their life, and even throughout the year. We will target the groups that we know are under-represented and most likely to be inactive.
• People on low incomes – We know from national and local data that the gap between those on higher incomes and those on lower incomes participating in sport has been increasing over the last few years and assume this is the case for broader physical activity.
• Disabled people and people with a long-term limiting illness – National and local data tells us that disabled people are much less likely to take part in sport and physical activity, than any other groups. Women and girls – are less likely to be physically active than men
• Keeping children and young people active – We recognise the importance of establishing good habits for life at an early age.
• Communities - In setting out these priorities we will focus some of our efforts on specific geographical areas in Doncaster where we will work with communities to provide long term opportunities to be active. Initially, these will be: Balby, Bentley, Conisbrough, Denaby, Mexborough, Moorends, Stainforth and Wheatley