The Living Well in Warsop study, funded by Sport England and Mansfield District Council, was conducted last year by sports and leisure consultants Strategic Leisure Ltd on behalf of the council, working in partnership with Warsop Parish Council, Vibrant Warsop and Active Notts.
The report reviewed community sports and leisure provision and suggests improvements that could lead to the right mix of activities, services and facilities to meet the community’s needs.
It recommends investment in people, programmes, projects and places and puts the community at the heart of decisions about future investment. The district council and its partners will now look at the recommendations and do further work to ensure any plans are achievable and sustainable.
The study’s report identified the key issues preventing people from being more active. They include a need to improve awareness of what activities are currently available, and recognition that they do not always meet local need.
There were also issues with the quality of available facilities and a lack of a joined up approach to provision. Residents also expressed problems accessing activities due to travel issues, cost, time and not wanting to take part on their own.
Among the priority areas it identified are:
- The need to identify additional resources to enable Vibrant Warsop and community groups to proactively support the development of activities
- Improving access to current facilities
- Improving awareness of current activities and facilities
- Exploring the possibility for further development of activity programmes and potentially a free community bus service to other facilities and swimming pools.
- Potential work on a range of facility developments.