The aim is to provide social No strings badminton activities in each of Herts’ 10 deprived local authority (LA) areas for people over 50 years old who are inactive to increase their physical activity levels, maintain health, and to reduce and mitigate against the conditions that the NHS states are improved by physical and social engagement; https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/;
Herts Badminton Association were, and are, the project leads with devolution to our 4 CBNs to manage the project in their bailiwicks.
We worked with Herts Sports Partnership (HSP), particularly, Will Slemmings, Strategic Lead for Health, his Active Local team, our 4 Community Badminton Networks, and the LA’s sports delivery agencies to define the project. HSP provided free Sport England bid-writing resource for the successful bid for £10,360. HSP also committed to facilitating links via their 10 Active Local officers who work in the subset deprived ‘Active Local Area’ in each LA. Active Local officers, work particularly with GPs surgeries, their Social Prescribers, and other health, sport and physical activity officials.
Badminton England support came from: Coaching (particularly Lee Bent), Regional Managers, Julie Pike, briefly in the concept stage, then Liam Cooper, and Sarah Darragh, Clubs & Programmes Manager.
Commitment was essential from:
- Herts Badminton Association and our 4 CBNs, and this required attending their meetings to discuss the project, address concerns, and gain their input: each CBN had considerably different environments
- Engaging with, and obtaining support from, HSP and their Active Local officers, LA Healthy Hubs, and the GP’s Social Prescribers.
The start date had to be delayed from our initial planned start of 1st September 2023, to 2nd January 2024, owing to SE delay due initially to ‘so many applications’, and then, again, their delay in providing the money. However, it is ‘full steam ahead’ now’.