Doncaster is one of twelve Local Delivery Pilots (LDPs) working with Sport England to test ways in which to make activity an easy and accessible choice for everyone. To do this we need to connect the policy, places and people who can support it to happen. My role is to lead the Pilot and support residents and partners to get involved in Doncaster's approach.

What do you do to keep active?

I have a dog, so walking him every day gets me out of the house in all weathers. I like to run in my local area; I usually listen to a podcast to keep me entertained. I am also quite competitive and love sport, so I play hockey at my local club; it's a great excuse to take time out of a busy week to see my friends.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Starting is the hardest part, especially if it's not something we haven't done for a while. I think my advice would be:

1. Start with small and manageable changes

2. Make a plan for where you're going to move more during the day or week

3. Make it enjoyable, it doesn't have to be boring – stick some music on, get family and friends involved, make it a game.

A large part of my role is about encouraging and supporting local residents to move more. This often takes the form of campaigns, and sharing the amazing stories of local people who are finding that moving more has benefited them in a number of ways. An important part of this work is to also understand why people often feel unable to be more active, and really understand these very real barriers, and communicate potential solutions to overcome or reduce them.

I also work closely with our partners, in particular around influencing decision makers to make positive changes to reduce the barriers that people face when it comes to physical activity, and creating the conditions to make moving more an easier, more accessible and attractive option for all. And last but by no means least I work to support Doncaster's sports clubs and groups to raise awareness of what is on offer in Doncaster and celebrate our sporting achievements.

What do you do to keep active?

My two kids and my Ladbrador Ted make sure that I'm never sat down for too long! I love going on family walks, it's a great way to get the kids off their screens and connect with nature and find the time to chat away from distractions. I've also got quite into running over the past year - I don't think I'll ever run a marathon, but I'm quite happy with a 5K!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

I would never have stuck at running if it wasn't for a couple of my friends – we started running together. We don't cancel if we've committed to a run even if we really don't feel like it because we don't want to let each other down, we have a laugh and a chat and support each other when it gets tough, which it often does! So my advice would be – consider starting to move more with a friend, and/or join a group (there's loads of local walking groups across Doncaster for example). It might help you stick at it and make it more fun.

I manage and work alongside dedicated teams and partners who provide opportunities for Doncaster's residents to take part in physical activity and sport. This includes liaising with Local, National and Regional Partners such as Sport England and Yorkshire Sport Foundation, enabling us to access support and funding.

Within my role, I ensure we have connectivity with these organisation and those you may not consider as promoting physical activity such as transport, planning, parks. This ensures we have a linked approach enabling teams and partners to make best use of these service areas and help influence future design and delivery to maximise opportunities.

What do you do to keep active?

I have spent a lot of my earlier carrier working and leading groups in the outdoors kayaking, walking and cycling. Although now desk based I still love to spend time taking part in these activities and try to cycle at least once a week with friends.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Don't think you have to rush into hours of activity. Take time to build up and build on what you feel comfortable with and you will soon start to feel the benefits.

My role is to help embed the priorities and learning from the Get Doncaster Moving Strategy into wider policy, practice and research. This includes across Doncaster Council, the Team Doncaster partnership and within individual partner organisations.

What do you do to keep active?

I particularly enjoy cycling, walking and playing football in the back garden with my son (with window-friendly foam footballs!). I like to set myself challenges, like increasing the number of miles cycled and walked in a year, or completing long-distance walking trails. My 'smart' watch has really helped with tracking progress. I've been surprised how much walking you can do without really noticing, even in a working day.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

I would suggest being guided by your personality and passions – to do something you enjoy that also involves being active.

For example, it could be gardening or a group dance class. Perhaps extending the daily dog walk or walking with a group of friends, stopping at a café on the way.

It doesn't need to involve pre-planned exercise sessions - there are many ways to be active throughout the day.

This website has some great top tips to help people to get started and feel the physical and mental benefits that physical activity can bring.

I am working to develop and strengthen ways of working which cover a range of aspects of parks and open space provision. Parks offer freely accessible recreational space to residents of Doncaster and are a valuable part of so many residents' lives. Through Future Parks, we are not just looking at the physical make up of parks, but also developing partnerships and how we can support the communities around the parks to animate and create active spaces that they want to see and use.

What do you do to keep active?

I do a fair bit of walking; I try to walk rather than using the car when I can. I like to get out and escape, you cannot beat the power of a good view, and there are a whole host of amazing viewpoints around Doncaster, some real hidden gems. They give you a completely different perspective of where we live, I think it is healthy to take time and reflect on where we are and what fantastic assets we have where we live.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Do what you feel comfortable with, go find somewhere new to explore, discover, go off the beaten track, turn your phone off and get lost where you can't see any buildings (then turn your phone back on when you truly are lost), turn it into an adventure, pretend you are a kid again. Do whatever, just make sure it's fun.

I ensure that Doncaster's Leisure Centres are maintained to an acceptable standard in terms of health and safety and also customer satisfaction. Therefore I see my role as being important in ensuring customers come back to use the facilities as they have a positive experience. The other part of my role includes incorporating and accommodating findings from industry leading research into how physical activity levels can be increased by hosting major sporting events.

What do you do to keep active?

Though I don't class myself as sporty or as active as maybe I should be, I do like to go on regular walks with my family. It proves to be more difficult during the winter months, however during the spring and summer, we walk around our local neighbourhood, parks and green spaces and even play a bit of football with my young son.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

The only advice I can give is set yourself a realistic target, there is no point working towards something which you are unable to achieve, which then may put you off altogether. Its always possible to increase the amount of Physical Activity later down the line as you and your body become used to it.

I support Doncaster's voluntary sports sector organisations to thrive. I work with national, regional and local stakeholders to develop innovative ways for Doncaster residents to access sport and physical activity opportunities. This varies from liaising with National Governing Bodies to encourage sports delivery locally to supporting Doncaster grassroots sports clubs being creative and sustainable in their day to day operations. I also work to deliver major sporting events that can create long lasting memories and legacy opportunities for local residents.

What do you do to keep active?

I generally keep active by going on walks with the family. Having a 4 year old daughter generally keeps me physically active too but also as we are now working from home more, I have incorporated home works into my daily routine. My goal for 2022 is to start benefiting from the great outdoors and green spaces I have around where I live and going on more regular weekly runs.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

My advice would be to take things slowly and to set small achievable goals initially. Find a form of physical activity that you enjoy and that works for you. This could be going for a walk on your lunch time, starting a couch to 5km or even working out at home. Other informal ways of becoming active can be incorporated into your everyday lifestyle too. That could be starting to walk to work, park your car further away and walking more or taking the stairs instead of the lift. I would encourage to start with small 'steps' which can then be increased as you start to incorporate being physically active into your day to day routine.

As the Doncaster Green Space Network Co-ordinator I spend a lot of my time working with the fantastic volunteer groups that help to maintain and develop our local parks and green spaces. I support them with a range of topics from funding applications to the best time of year to sow wildflowers.

By supporting community volunteers to make parks thriving, welcoming and beautiful spaces I hope to encourage more people to make use of their local green spaces and truly enjoy what our many green spaces have to offer.

What do you do to keep active?

I visit parks regularly with my daughter, but as I'm a bit too big for the slides and swings, I also go hiking around Doncaster and the Peak District. I go Stand Up Paddleboarding on the canals around Kirk Sandall and Barnby Dun during the warmer months and I regularly go open water swimming at Hatfield Marina.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Explore new things. Never just stick to the same old stuff like running or cycling if you don't enjoy it. There are so many ways to get active that a lot of people don't even realise are out there. Find something you love doing and it doesn't feel like exercise. I may be a bit biased, but getting out and doing some volunteer work with a local group is a great way to get more active and make a positive impact.

I am the Place Relationship Manager for Sport England working with the Get Doncaster Moving Local Delivery Pilot. I feel really privileged to be part of this work alongside colleagues in Doncaster to reduce inactivity levels. We want to transform lives with and through physical activity and sport.

Doncaster are part of a Sport England pilot programme (along with 11 other places across England) that look at different ways to support people to be active and change the local conditions to make this a reality. We know that certain groups of people do not have the routes to physical activity that many access with ease and by routine. We realised that we needed a different conversation but one that started from people's lives and the local context and local environment in which they live – working with and alongside people and not doing to.

What do you do to keep active?

I run most days; 20 minutes keeps me moving and refreshes the day. I love being outside generally – often walking, often gardening. Truthfully I'm no athlete – the best description is someone who is an enthusiast but lacks any talent. As someone who is asthmatic being active helps me manage the disease and minimise the days when I can't.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Start small and build. Find things to do that you enjoy. Mix it up until you find a combination you can accommodate within the course of your day. Finally on the days when you don't feel like doing it – do it anyway.

In my role I look at improving the health and wellbeing of our residents with a particular focus on the most deprived communities in Doncaster. I look to work alongside community organisations to help residents be more active, finding ways to overcome any barriers to physical activity and get people moving.

What do you do to keep active?

Outside of work I have two young children who keep me busy! I also walk 30 minutes to work each day which I really enjoy and it is not only good for me physically but also mentally. I love getting out on my bike when time allows and I would love to find some local exercise classes to attend.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Look at what is going on in your area, start off small and build it up. Exercise is great both mentally and physically and the impact it can have on your overall wellbeing is huge.

My role as a Well Doncaster Officer contributes to reducing inactivity levels in Doncaster by listening to groups and individuals in our local communities and offering advice and support so that people can live a healthy and happy life. I am an advocate for physical activity and can signpost members of the community to different groups and activities that can help to improve their overall health and wellbeing.

What do you do to keep active?

I like to be as active as I can. I am a qualified football coach and this keeps me busy and on my toes during the week. I am the manager of a young girls' team in Scawthorpe and also the manager of Rossington Main women's team. I am proud of the coaching I do and football is something that is a massive part of my life. I like to go to the gym three or four times a week and really push myself to be a fitter and better me each day.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Focus on yourself! A big barrier to physical activity can be the thought of how other people are going to perceive us. Focusing on yourself is the number one thing you can do to start moving. People should be supporting you in your challenges - surround yourself with positive people and maybe see if they want to join you on your journey to being more active!

I work with communities in Doncaster East to improve health and wellbeing, and address any barriers to being physically active. It is important to listen to the voice of residents and use that to shape what services and support is needed to promote active travel, and make best use of our green spaces. For me, physical activity comes in all forms and there is no one size fits all so I am keen to reduce inactivity in different ways.

What do you do to keep active?

I go to gym and have recently started CrossFit, I try to squeeze workouts in where I can. When it gets to the weekend I slow it down and enjoy being out in nature walking. I regularly practice yoga and find the relaxation and stretch important for recovery.
I try to give everything a try (at least once) so occasionally climb, swim, paddleboard and kayak. If there is an opportunity to move and have fun I will give it a go!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Utilise any support that is available. Whether it is friends, family, local groups or organisations – there is a wealth of support and knowledge out there, so don't feel like you have to do it alone. Give everything a try, the unconventional, weird and wonderful. If it is moving and you enjoy it then you're winning.

In my role I listen to the local community to gain valuable insight into the barriers facing people to be more active. I then use this information to work with partners, community groups etc. to find ways in which to reduce or overcome these barriers. I also work alongside the Community Connector in Stainforth to support her role and we work together to support our community to be more active.

What do you do to keep active?

I have a very busy life with three boys to keep entertained but we go on regular walks around the community. Since Covid we have found new walks in the area we live, we like exploring and keep active that way. I am going to start fitness classes as a way of getting a bit of me time as well as being more active!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Just to do little and often at first, then to slowly push yourself to go a little further, and work your way up to more activity from there, one step at a time. When you have achieved the next step the feeling of accomplishment is amazing!

I support community groups and organisations to create opportunities for residents to be active through advice, promotion and access to funding such as the Active Communities Grants. I also share community insight from residents in the south of Doncaster to ensure that community voices are heard on aspects such as the regeneration of green spaces, accessibility or support with events.

What do you do to keep active?

I mostly keep active with the help of my 11 year old daughter and puppy! But I do enjoy going for walks, enjoying natural scenery.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Start small and make it manageable so it can be done over an extended period of time. Whether it's walking to the shop to buy the daily news or taking the bins out.

I am the Well Doncaster Officer for Denaby and Mexborough. The areas I work in have some of the highest rates of inactivity. My role involves regular engagement with residents and local volunteers and supporting them to access or set up local opportunities to be physically active that they otherwise wouldn't have.

This has included a range of support such as local community chair-based exercise classes, to providing a bike rack to allow for volunteers at a local church to cycle to work. I also work alongside our local Community Connectors in helping engaging people to move more.

What do you do to keep active?

I have always been a very active person and played pretty much any sport growing up. Most of my spare time is spent training or playing football for Doncaster Belles and I am very lucky in that I get to keep fit and active by playing a sport I enjoy. Away from football I do enjoy mixing my activities up with whatever I fancy on the day… swimming, walking, cycling, gym or a gentle dog walk around the local park.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

It may seem like a massive mountain to climb when you first start moving more but the smallest of steps will make the biggest differences in the long run. Moving more doesn't have to mean a 5k run or a gym session to have an impact on your health and wellbeing. Taking the stairs rather than the lift or walking down the street rather than driving will slowly but surely provide you with an opportunity that can only benefit your mental and physical health.

Through connecting Well Doncaster with Get Doncaster Moving I help to ensure residents voices are at the heart of all GDM do and that solutions to help residents to move more are co-produced with communities. I co-ordinate the Active Communities Grants, providing opportunities for individuals and organisations to try new things to help their fellow residents move more. Through supporting organisations to host GDM Community Connectors we have residents supporting other residents within their communities to be more active. I also offer training for walk leaders and co-ordinate the Ramblers Wellbeing Walks programme in Doncaster.

What do you do to keep active?

I got into the routine of going for a daily walk during the first lockdown and I still go every day now. I notice a big difference in my mood if I don't manage to get out even for just 15 minutes. I've also recently started playing football again recreationally for Adwick Ladies which I'm loving as it takes me back to playing like a carefree child.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Ask people you know if they would also like to start moving more and see if you can do something together, it can be more fun (and easier to stick with) if you do it with someone.

Get in touch with us! Our Community Connectors and Well Doncaster Officers know of a range of different activities and groups across Doncaster where you can meet other people and have fun whilst being active.

My role involves regular interaction with Doncaster residents. I first started doing this with Active Dearne Project and one of my biggest achievements is setting up my strictly sequence Dance Group. Whilst physical activity is important, I too encourage residents to access groups with a view of combatting social isolation and improving their mental/physical wellbeing.

What do you do to keep active?

I class myself as an active person, I always seem to be 'on the go'. However, I am not a gym goer or regular exerciser as such, but realise how important it is to keep going and maintain movement.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Move slowly and often at first, to keep your body strength and joints flexible. My motto is 'use them or lose them!'.

As the Community Connector for Balby, my role is to encourage local residents to move more. I actively go out into the Balby community to encourage people to take part in physical activity. It has been recognised that in Doncaster, there is a great deal of physical inactivity and my role is to encourage people to be more active in their daily lives to help reduce this.

What do you do to keep active?

I have been taking part in Pedal Ready training, where we learn to ride a bike and take our proficiency test and I am also in the process of starting up a walking group. To keep active myself, I take part in a squash group with colleagues and I have also joined a gym. I like walking and I enjoy being active in groups.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

The advice I would give to someone who wants to start moving more is that they should start off with gentle exercise and progress from there and it always helps to get advice from professional instructors. I find doing physical activity in groups more enjoyable and more motivating, but most of all I would say do something fun!

As Community Connector for Bentley, I encourage the local community to take part in a variety of activities to be more active such as walking or taking part in fitness classes. I hope to spread the word that fitness is fun, you just need to find the right activity for you.

What do you do to keep active?

I personally teach 13 classes a week and walk my dog everyday along the Trans Peninne trail and surrounding parks.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Just start small, try lots of different activities first and then see what you are drawn too. Sometimes overdoing it can be painful so start little and often to build up stamina, strength and smiles.

As the Community Connector for Intake & Wheatley I encourage local residents to be more active. I share my own personal experiences with people to encourage them to be more active too. As an asthmatic, arthritic, diabetic and having a heart murmur, joining Fit Rovers has really improved my own fitness and wellbeing.

I am the Community Connector for Edlington. My role is to engage the community to move more and become more active. This can be through setting up local groups, having discussions with residents, letting people know what activities are currently available and finding out what is needed here in Edlington to improve physical fitness and wellbeing.

What do you do to keep active?

Recently, I've started doing walks at least once a week to build my fitness up and try to increase the distance as each week moves on. I also like walking my dogs and playing a game of badminton.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Making positive lifestyle changes can be intimidating at first but making good habits like scheduling a day or time to do a certain activity can be really helpful. Any exercise is better than none. It could be something as simple as walking to the shops instead of taking the car. Whatever you decide to do to get active, make it fun!

I am part of the Senior Leadership Team for Yorkshire Sport Foundation, the Active Partnership for South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. The organisation is committed to creating a vibrant, healthy and prosperous Yorkshire through everyone moving more. We believe physical activity and sport has a big role to play in improving the physical and mental health of the region, supporting the economy, connecting communities and rebuilding a stronger society for all.

What do you do to keep active?

I'm a keen runner, walker and like to dust off my mountain bike every so often. My ethos of 'never stop exploring' keeps me and my family active in lots of different ways.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

I'm keen to ensure that everyone in Doncaster is able to benefit from living active lives and the positive impact this can have for individuals, communities and the district as a whole. Our efforts and resources are focused on working with people and groups who are more likely to be inactive and who can benefit the most.

My role places me at the heart of an organisation that is seeking to use the brand and reach of sport to positively affect the Borough of Doncaster. Inactivity is one of the prominent challenges facing the Borough and we're here to work with people to provide solutions to this, whether that's engaging with young people through schools outreach delivery or bringing people back into exercise through Fit Rovers – we are here to provide an inclusive approach to this agenda.

What do you do to keep active?

Amongst my very average sporting careers in football and squash, I have always enjoyed running and continue to do this on a weekly basis. It's something I can just do with a moments notice when there's a gap in my schedule, which really works for me.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

My advice is to find something that works for you, so try a number of activities and find the ones that fit and that you enjoy. I've met some of my best friends through sport and exercise and I find this community to be one of the most welcoming.

We run leisure venues across the borough and as well as providing gyms, pools and outdoor activity spaces we work in the community to make sure that we are offering people of all ages activities that are suitable to them. We work closely with NHS colleagues and provide rehabilitation sessions for people who are recovering from illness and we strive every year to get even more people exercising and focusing on keeping healthy.

What do you do to keep active?

I find running a great way to clear my mind and order my thoughts. Some of my best ideas come to me as I am running! You see so many people running, jogging or walking, just taking things at their own pace but moving and making an active choice to do something about their health and fitness.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

To quote a famous brand, just do it, you can sit and think about it and think about it some more but actually taking the first step and going for a walk or booking a session in the pool, an induction to the gym or trying a class is the best way to get started, You might have to try a few activities to find the one you love but unless you take that first step and give it a go you'll never know!

BASEM is a membership association for medical professionals engaged in the speciality of sport and exercise medicine, which includes doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths, sports coaches, scientists, and many other disciplines. BASEM advocates physical activity as a means of improving health and wellbeing, and preventing disease and illness.

What do you do to keep active?

I like variety, and as such I often find new activities to keep me interested. However, right now I attend a boxfit class and a Zumba class every week. In between, I enjoy swimming and walking. In good weather, I pretend to know what I'm doing in my garden and I do lots of digging!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Do a little bit more of an activity you enjoy when you can. Find like-minded people to be active with. And not all gyms are full of Lycra clad, well-toned bodies!

As Head of Street Scene for Doncaster Council I am responsible for the maintenance and development of parks, open spaces, woodlands and streetscape – so providing safe spaces for users to exercise, relax and explore.

What do you do to keep active?

Walking the dog and I'm just in the process of getting another dog to walk!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

First and foremost find something that you enjoy doing. Don't choose something that is or becomes a chore. So for example, wandering around parks and woodlands can both help with your physical health and mental wellbeing by being closer to nature.

My role includes keeping the importance of physical activity high up on everyone's agendas, helping to set the strategy together with other local leaders, finding the resources to do the work, ensuring what we do is effective and then making sure we tell people what we are doing.

What do you do to keep active?

Not as much as a could do! I've found building activity into my day is the best way, and that generally means walking. I played a lot of sport when I was younger and run occasionally.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Just do it! There's no wrong way to start moving more, do what you enjoy. I always ask myself if I can make the journey on foot, then I build the time in to my day.

I am the Place Relationship Manager for Sport England working with the Get Doncaster Moving Local Delivery Pilot. I feel really privileged to be part of this work alongside colleagues in Doncaster to reduce inactivity levels. We want to transform lives with and through physical activity and sport.

Doncaster are part of a Sport England pilot programme (along with 11 other places across England) that look at different ways to support people to be active and change the local conditions to make this a reality. We know that certain groups of people do not have the routes to physical activity that many access with ease and by routine. We realised that we needed a different conversation but one that started from people's lives and the local context and local environment in which they live – working with and alongside people and not doing to.

What do you do to keep active?

I run most days; 20 minutes keeps me moving and refreshes the day. I love being outside generally – often walking, often gardening. Truthfully I'm no athlete – the best description is someone who is an enthusiast but lacks any talent. As someone who is asthmatic being active helps me manage the disease and minimise the days when I can't.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start moving more?

Start small and build. Find things to do that you enjoy. Mix it up until you find a combination you can accommodate within the course of your day. Finally on the days when you don't feel like doing it – do it anyway.