IMPACT REPORT:
LET’S PLAY,
GREATERSPORT
MAY 2015
It’s never too early to start an
exercise habit. Active
children are more likely to
grow up into active adults.
That’s why GreaterSport
supports parents and
carers become more active
with young children.
This initiative is
part of Target:
Wellbeing.
Let’s Play provides physical activity sessions for parents and their babies/toddlers in
various areas of Greater Manchester. These support parents to make informed lifestyle
choices about their young children’s health and their own. It’s all about making sure that
physical activity becomes an everyday part of family life.
Target: Wellbeing
aims to help
people live
healthier and
happier lives.
Let’s Play is delivered across Greater Manchester by the GreaterSport (Greater Manchester Sports Partnership).
The initiative has been part of ‘Target: Wellbeing’ – a regional portfolio of health and
wellbeing projects funded by the Big Lottery Fund. Target: Wellbeing projects have been
monitored and evaluated by a central management team at Groundwork UK
independent of the delivery organisation.
Funding has come
from the National Our main findings show that:
Lottery through
Let’s Play has enabled parents to make informed choices
the Big Lottery
with 99% of respondents reporting new skills or
Fund.
knowledge gained.
The social aspect of the sessions have proved
particularly valuable to participants who have developed
new support networks and friendships.
Focusing on the physical activity needs of young children
can have a positive knock-on effect on parents and the
wider family.
2
INTRODUCTION AND FINDINGS
About GreaterSport
GreaterSport is Greater Manchester’s County Sports Partnership. It is a registered
charity working with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public,
private and voluntary sector. Covering a range of roles, all centred on getting Greater
Manchester residents more active.
We inspire, we provide, we fund, we deliver and overall encourage the growth of
Sport & Physical activity for this region..
We work closely with Sport England, the ten Greater Manchester authorities, National Governing Bodies of sport and a wide range of other organisations to achieve
our collective aims.
“My confidence
has grown in so
many ways...
talking to other
parents, getting
more involved at
classes, making
new friends and
also learning so
much about my
own child!”
– Participant
Project description
Let’s Play aims to increase awareness of the need for physical activity from an early age
and increase uptake to create lifelong participation within local communities.
The project runs sessions where parents of 0-3 year olds can bring their children for activities focused around physical activity. The aim is to support parents to make informed
future lifestyle choices for themselves and their young children.
It’s about empowering behavior change to deliver legacy of increased physical activity
in every day family life. Greater social interaction with peers results in potential improved
mental health for new parents, increasing motivation and reducing anxiety as a result.
The project has focused on creating a strong evidence base demonstrate the importance
of this kind of early years provision.
Target audiences
The project focuses on communities with the lowest child development rating across
each local authority in Greater Manchester. These children are at greater risk of rbeing
assessed as ‘school ready’ at age five, and therefore being on a poor life trajectory from
the outset.
These communities often demonstrate high birth rates, poor lifestyle choices and high
levels of obesity, post-natal depression and mental health issues.
A partnership with the National Football Museum has proved particularly beneficial in
helping to reach fathers and enabling them to share their experiences and learning.
3
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
How the project fits with
local strategy
The Manchester Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2014-19) calls for:
Getting the youngest people in our communities
off to the best start
“Our mission is to ensure that every preschool child gets off to a good start... There
is a clear intention to develop a range of local high quality early learning and day care
provision”
Let’s Play specifically targets 0-3 year olds who may be at risk of not being ‘school
ready’. The project is providing early learning provision that is focused around physical activity, using a family-centred approach that has the potential to be a key building
block in childhood development for vulnerable children.
Educating, informing and involving... in
improving their own health and wellbeing
“[Headline Outcome:] People and communities will do more themselves to improve
their own health and wellbeing.
Let’s Play is giving parents knowledge and experience in order to empower them to
make healthier choices and drive behaviour change.
“[Headline Outcome:} More people will be leading healthier lifestyles across the risk
factors of smoking, physical activity, diet...
Let’s Play is focused on making the earliest possible intervention in terms of
encouraging a lifetime of physical activity.
“[We need] to ensure a life course approach is adopted, that embeds healthy
behaviours in children and young people that continue into adulthood and old age ”
Let’s Play aims to start children off on the right track towards healthy behaviours, and
by working through a family-focused approach in a community setting, challenge the
whole family to take their health more seriously.
4
POLICY CONTEXT
Project Outcomes
Target Wellbeing’s evaluation process verifies health and wellbeing outcomes from the
project. Participants (in this case parents) were asked to complete questionnaires about
their experience and the perceived benefits to their wellbeing of taking part.
Mental wellbeing
People feeling more
confident to manage their
everyday lives
People experiencing
increased opportunities for
social interaction
People reporting new skills
or knowledge gained
People reporting an
increased awareness and
understanding of the
benefits of physical activity
People reporting increased
levels of physical activity in
daily life
People reporting reduced
barriers to exercise or
having taken up a new
activity
Physical activity
June 2013 –
May 2015
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Total beneficiary numbers: 811
MAIN OUTCOMES
Project impact
“I’m being more
active with my child
and realising there
are many ways to
encourage him to
be active”
– Parent
Qualitative data was collected from parents at Let’s Play sessions. Five broad
themes emerged from an analysis of the feedback:
Impact on child development
Parents observed that the project had a significant impact on their child’s development,
boosting confidence through socialisation and encouraging greater use of imagination
outside of the sessions:
“I can’t speak highly enough of Let’s Play – as it has benefited my baby hugely which is
the most important thing for me”
“Thoroughly enjoyed the project - my son’s social skills/interaction has grown enormously”
The children have really enjoyed the sessions and it has helped them with social skills
and their confidence”
“My two year old has thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and gone from not wanting to
join to fully participating”
Learning about childhood development
Parents have learned useful information about childhood development including practical activities they can undertake that boost early learning:
“I’ve learnt that games can be made using anything and can get physical using simple
things like cones”
“I’ve learnt how to encourage baby to develop with movement – use of music and
songs – repetition”
“Lots of new knowledge to help baby’s development”
“Physical development in babies – sensory play and activities”
Developing supportive networks
An important aspect of the project has been the social aspect of new mums meeting
each other and sharing their experiences:
“It has encouraged me to attend baby groups as I was previously anxious about going
to groups when I didn’t know anyone”
“Myself and my partner were very dubious about groups as during our drug rehab we
had been forced to attend loads. Let’s Play is different and has given us confidence
to attend other groups. We now have a circle of friends with children which benefits us
and our child”
“Gets us all out of the house to have fun with other children and meeting new mums”
“Enjoyed coming and meeting new people”
“Good to socialise baby with other babies and to meet other mums”
“I’ve liked coming each week meeting other babies and mums from my area”
6
QUALITATIVE RESULTS
“I thought my
son was naughty
and got stressed
by his behaviour.
My friend almost
dragged me to
Let’s Play... I
realised my son
was fine and it was
in fact me who
needed a little bit of
help. I approached
my Doctor who
diagnosed me with
Post Natal
Depression, it was Learning about physical activity
such a relief”
– Participant
The project has demonstrated that parents have gained new knowledge about the
importance of physical activity for young children:
“[I have] a greater understanding of the benefits of physical activity for babies - to
encourage their development”
“[I’ve learnt] how physical activity aids brain development in babies and infants and
safely encouraging physical development”
“I’m being more active with my child and realising there are many ways to encourage
him to be active”
“It has helped me see that you can play/exercise with your child in any weather environment”
“I have learnt some new techniques in how to encourage my little one’s walking and
physical development, and how to make physical activities fun for both parent and
child”
Wider physical activity benefits
There is evidence that the project has had a wider whole-family impact in terms of
increasing regular exercise:
“It has made me think more about what physical activities that I do - also made me
think about my diet as well”
“We have increased our activity since coming to the group”
“We have joined a family gym”
“I always try to keep active but the group has encouraged me to be with my child too”
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QUALITATIVE RESULTS
Contact details
For more information about Greater Sport and Let’s Play, please contact:
Louise Shelly
GreaterSport
07734 993 560
[email protected]
www.greatersport.co.uk
Target: Wellbeing
Target: Wellbeing aims to help people live healthier and happier lives.
Since 2007, it has been funded by £12.8m from the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund
For more details on the portfolio and its projects, please visit:
www.targetwellbeing.org.uk