Investing in Facilities and Infrastructure 2018

Two thirds of adults and one third of 11 to 15-year-olds in England are either obese or overweight! By 2034, the proportion of adults overweight or obese is set to reach 70 per cent.

Since the introduction of the Sporting Future and Towards an Active Nation strategies, people working in the sports and leisure sector have responded with gusto, working towards common outcomes to the alarming rise in inactivity.

Facilities and infrastructure are at the heart of encouraging people to move more. Location, design, layout, branding of our spaces affect our mobility and are often the cornerstone of our physical and mental wellbeing. To accommodate our 21st century lifestyles, we have consciously 'designed out' easy ways to be active. This coupled with the financial climate, the growing demand on public services and competing opportunities for our time, we are more sedentary than ever before. This has to change and facilities and infrastructure are a key pillar to enabling the shift.

The Why Sports 'Investing in Facilities and Infrastructure' conference will provide an inclusive platform to promote positive debate around the importance of delivering inspiring and sustainable facilities and infrastructure. We will seek to understand the background and development of the latest Sport England delivery pilot projects and the wide range of accessible funding opportunities available across the public, private and third sectors.

The Local Government Association, responsible for more than 370 councils in England and Wales, insists that new funding measures into the nations' leisure infrastructure is required to inspire communities to get active. A cohesive and long term financial investment strategy would pave the way for refurbishment and new collaborative build projects to thrive, creating a wealth of opportunities to improve our nation's health, wellbeing and the country's economy. A solid investment strategy in our leisure infrastructure would encourage more people to improve upon their physical literacy and help to tackle some of the major health issues facing the country, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Good design should contribute positively to making places better for people. To create environments that make the active choice the easy and attractive choice for people and communities. The creation of healthy places, which promote and enable participation in sport and physical activity requires the collaborative input of many different partners bringing together different disciplines including planning, design, transport and health and should be informed by local community needs.Separate to the local delivery pilots, Sport England has committed to invest approximately 16% of its £250m grassroots funds in facilities over a 5 year period. With the ambition being to create a single customer facing standard for all sports facilities. Investing in Sport & Facilities, will examine these investment vehicles and related funding opportunities with a focus on the outputs of the existing investments made via the strategic facilities and community asset funds.Our speakers, sponsors and delegates will be encouraged to share ideas regards, estate rationalisation, active buildings, technology driven solutions, workplace activity, 21st century design, sustainable and accessible transport and how positive outcomes can be achieved. Secure your place now!

More information: http://investment2018.whysports.co.uk/index.php?alias=why-sports-investment-conference-2018&option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=134