Headlines
- 27 new Places across England announced to tackle inequalities in activity levels
- Medway and Swale set to benefit
- Each new place is in the top 20% of the country for inactivity, social need, deprivation and health inequality
Active Kent & Medway has received additional funding from Sport England on behalf of Medway and Swale to boost levels of physical activity among those in greatest need, from the most inactive communities.
Medway and Swale are among the 27 new places set to benefit from a share of Sport England’s £250million investment into the heart of communities across England, designed to tackle inactivity and inequalities by making sport, physical activity and movement accessible for everyone. In Kent, they join Thanet and Gravesham who were included in the first phase of investment.
Sport England research calculates that active lifestyles save £8 billion a year for the healthcare system through illness prevention. This relieves some of the NHS burden, preventing more than 3.3 million cases of chronic health conditions a year – including 1.3m cases of depression, 900,000 cases of back pain and 700,000 cases of type 2 diabetes.
Less than half of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for daily physical activity and women, people from lower socio-economic groups and Black and Asian people are still less likely to be active than other adults.
To tackle these stubborn inequalities and break down barriers to a more active life, Sport England is taking a ‘Place-based approach’, partnering with local organisations and leaders who understand both the specific needs of their communities and the local assets that are available, to support people to play sport and get active.
Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England’s Executive Director for Place, said: “We want everyone, no matter where they live or who they are, to have the chance to be active and healthy. We are proud to announce a further 27 new Sport England place partnerships, in every corner of the country, bringing the total number of places we are working with to more than 90. We are committed to working with local partners and communities to break down the barriers to physical activity so that everyone has equal access to a more active life. We are excited to see what we can achieve together in Medway and Swale.”
Liz Davidson-Kennett, Active Partnership Director, Active Kent & Medway said “We are delighted that Swale and Medway have been included in Phase 2 of Sport England’s Place Partnerships investment programme. This significant commitment enables us to work with local partners, listen to local voices to help shape solutions, reduce inequalities in physical activity and create opportunities for everyone to be more active. We look forward to collaborating with Sport England, the local authorities and community organisations to make a lasting impact across Swale and Medway.”
Scott Elliot, Head of Health and Wellbeing Services, Medway Council said “This investment into Medway strengthens our shared ambition to create active, thriving communities where everyone has the opportunity to move more. By working collaboratively, we can ensure this delivers lasting impact for all residents across Medway.”
Emma Wiggins, Director of Regeneration and Neighbourhoods, Swale Borough Council said “Securing Sport England’s Phase 2 investment is a fantastic opportunity for Swale. This funding will help tackle health inequalities and create more chances for residents to be active in ways that suit their lives. By working together, this investment can make a real difference, building healthier, more connected communities.”
Published: 27 November 2025
