Sport England’s £250million place partnerships investment into the heart of communities across England is designed to tackle inactivity and inequalities by making sport, physical activity and movement accessible for everyone.
In 2025, four places in Kent were identified as beneficiaries for initial phases of investment, Gravesham, Thanet, Medway and Swale, placing them in the top 20% of the country for inactivity, social need, deprivation and health inequality.
Our place partnerships work across these areas is making strong progress with new processes and learning shaping how we and local partners work together to reduce inequalities in physical activity.
Leadership training has supported partners across place partnerships to build shared understanding, strengthen relationships and develop the skills and confidence to lead system-wide, place-based change.
Partnerships are being built on shared principles of co-design, inclusion and learning, while responding to the unique needs of each community.
Progress in Place:
Thanet is showing a shift towards more connected, system-wide working. Test and Learn projects have highlighted the importance of belonging, trust and relationships in supporting people to be active, with this learning now influencing wider partnership approaches.
Gravesham continues to strengthen collaboration through the core working group, local partnerships and delivery, including green space activation in Westcourt, helping partners test new approaches while building stronger relationships.
Medway is focused on building shared understanding and developing strong foundations for future activity, ensuring local insight and community voice shape what happens next.
Swale is in the early stages of creating the conditions for long-term change, with a growing focus on coordination, partnership working and the development of a Place Partnership Board and Delivery Group to support a more joined-up approach.
Sharing the Learning
Learning is being shared across all four areas, helping partners build confidence and develop consistent, place-based ways of working.
“Our place partnerships are built on the belief that lasting change comes from working alongside communities, not delivering to them. We’re committed to strengthening relationships with local partners and ensuring that the voices and experiences of people living in these areas shape everything we do going forward.” Liz Davidson-Kennett, Active Partnership Director
