Our key priorities for sport and physical activity in Hertfordshire are:
- To increase and sustain the number of people taking part
- To increase people volunteering and receiving coaching
- To develop the sporting infrastructure and widen access
- To contribute to wider community well being
We offer services and support at all levels to those who:
- Take part or would like to take part in sport or physical activity
- Deliver sport or physical activity
- Are involved with the strategic development of sport and physical activity
A few examples of the services and support offered include: planning schemes to encourage and increase participation, such as school-club link programmes and ‘Get Active’ campaigns; workshops and seminars for clubs, coaches, officials, administrators and volunteers; supporting community sports networks, providing advice and guidance on funding applications; coordinating and implementing countywide projects, such as a ‘Workforce Development Plan’ and the Hertfordshire Sports Facility Strategy.
It is increasingly acknowledged that sport, as part of a wider solution, can contribute to the well being of local communities, and help achieve a number of wider priorities such as:
- To improve physical and mental health
- To foster community cohesion and improve crime reduction
- To support economic vitality and workforce development
- To support the governments’ objectives for young people included in the ‘Every Child Matters’ and ‘Youth Matters’ plans.
In order to support these wider community priorities, the Herts Sports Partnership is constantly forging new partnerships across a range of sectors and organisations to provide help in achieving their agendas. For example, the use of specially designed sports schemes to tackle anti-social behaviour and working with the Primary Care Trust to increase activity in the 45+ age group in order to improve their health thus reducing their need to use health care services in later life.
Sports Equity
The Partnership will strive to ensure that sporting opportunities are available to all, irrespective of gender, ethnic origins, age, socio-economic status or disability. The Partnership will ensure that sports equity is and remains a fundamental and integral part of all its work and will adopt and maintain individual policies and action plans to maintain this principle.
The Partnership will also adopt necessary Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult policies to ensure equitable access to sport for all.