RESIDENTS in Exeter and Cranbrook participate in more physical activity now than they did before Covid, according to a new report released today.

The report, produced by Live and Move, the Sport England supported programme that operates in the city, says that fewer people in Exeter class themselves as ‘inactive’ than in previous years, and that the number of those classing themselves as ‘fairly active’, has increased.

And to support residents to continue with their healthy lifestyles, Sport England has today announced it will support the programme for a further three years from 2025 with a funding commitment of £2million.

The annual survey, which has been carried out since 2019, asked 1,843 residents how much physical activity they participate in, and whether they find it easy to be physically active.

The report also states that women are now back to pre-Covid activity levels, following a decline in physical activity during lockdown.

The same is true for culturally diverse residents across the city, who now report similar activity levels to white respondents (39% of ethnically diverse respondents saying that they are inactive, compared to 53% in 2023, and 38% of white respondents versus 42% in 2023).

Live and Move, which is part of Exeter City Council and delivers its work through collaboration with partners across the city, has worked with Inclusive Exeter to support diverse communities in the city with a programme of physical activity, including a badminton club, a volleyball club, and yoga sessions.

The report also states that people living in Cranbrook are considerably more active than in previous years, with only 20% of residents in the town classing themselves as inactive, compared with 37% in the 2023 survey.

But Live and Move says that whilst these statistics are to be celebrated, they also mask barriers to physical activity that many people still face, and that there is still considerable work to do to ensure that everybody in Exeter and Cranbrook has the chance to be more physically active.

These results coincide with the announcement that Sport England has announced that they will support the Live and Move programme for a further three years from 2025. 

Olympic gold medal cyclist, and Chair of Sport England Chris Boardman, who visited Exeter last week says that this data provides robust evidence to ensure that the communities who need it the most stand to benefit from this work and Live and Move will continue to contribute to this ambition.

He added: “Sport England wants to support people from all walks of life in Exeter and Cranbrook to be more active, and having visited Exeter this week I can see very clearly the impact that this work has had on the community to date.

“We know that an increase in physical activity has so many benefits for a person’s overall physical and mental health, which is why I’m thrilled to announce that Sport England has agreed to extend the partnership with Live and Move for a further three years.”

Exeter City Council CEO Bindu Arjoon said that the organisation is proud to be asked to deliver this important work for the city.

“The Live and Move programme aligns perfectly with the council’s vision of a healthy and active city, and we are very proud to be chosen as one of Sport England’s place partners. We are excited to continue to work with committed partners across the city who will help us to deliver this work.”

Councillor Duncan Wood, portfolio holder for Leisure Services and Healthy Living at Exeter City Council, says that this funding will take the programme to 2028, and will make a huge difference to the communities that most need the support.

He said: “Overall, Exeter is a thriving, healthy city but this masks the fact that some of our most vulnerable communities have the poorest health outcomes. Live and Move has worked with many of these communities since 2019, and we’re so proud that this work will continue to make a huge difference to the lives of residents in the city.”

Councillor Nick Hookway, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for Culture, Leisure, Sport and Tourism, says that this report shows that much progress has been made in Cranbrook and that residents there find it relatively easy to be fairly or very active.

“As a new town, Cranbrook has had to start from scratch in creating its community and infrastructure. We know that being able to participate in physical activity is important to residents in the town, and it’s wonderful to see that the efforts that we’ve made in the past ten years, are starting to pay off.”

One of the key partners for Live and Move is CoLab, a multi-agency community hub who deliver the Wellbeing Exeter and Cranbrook community-based support programme.

Chief Executive Fiona Carden said that continuing this programme is of utmost importance to Exeter and Cranbrook.

“This partnership is absolutely crucial to the thriving voluntary sector in Exeter, and through Wellbeing Exeter and Live and Move, CoLab is thrilled to be one of the key partners that will help even more of those residents who most need support.”

Devon County Council contributed towards the successful bid and see the work as of great value to residents. Roger Croad, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities and Equality said:

“As long-term partners of Live and Move, Devon County Council was pleased to support this successful bid which will see this valuable work extended to benefit local residents. The Council remains committed to increasing physical activity, given the long-term benefits to health and wellbeing, across communities”.

Further information about Live and Move, and the results of the local active lives survey in Exeter and Cranbrook, can be found at liveandmove.co.uk/our-learning.