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Community Project of the Year Award Winners 2006 (Sponsored by Radio City and Alliance and Leicester)

PEST ANALYSIS PAN DISABILITY SPORTS CLUB IN NORTHERN ENGLAND

The PEST analysis looks at four external factors that might influence disability sport in the Northern region and tries to assess the impact that each might have.

POLITICAL

The government’s commitment to sport in England is encapsulated within the “Game Plan” (2002), the key objectives are:

• A major increase in participation in sport and physical activity, primarily because of the significant health benefits and to reduce the growing cost of inactivity.
• A sustainable improvement in success in international competitions, particularly in the sports which matter most to the public, primarily because of the “feelgood” factor associated with winning. (DCMS, 2002, p12)

The key objectives of the Game Plan are:

• Sport in Education: increasing participation by young people.
• Sport in the community: lifelong participation by all groups.
• Sporting Excellence: Talent development (e.g. LTAD and coach development)
• Modernisation: a partnership with sport. A proposal for the government to devolve more responsibilities to sport bodies, e.g. EFDS.

Implementation proposals are characterised by:

• A drive for more joined-up thinking nationally and regionally, including the encouragement of more partnership projects.
• Devolution to the regions
• Greater emphasis on the role of sports development in creating a sustainable infrastructure for widening opportunities in sport
• Recognition of the role of club development as a key to future success
• More and effective management needed in transition of talented athletes from school and upwards.

The development of a sports club is key to supporting and sustaining the anticipated increased demand for participation. A one percent increase in participation, year on year, will take us from 33% of the north west population being active in 2003, to 50% in 2020. Without a thriving sports club that meets the expectations of the population, it will become increasingly difficult to widen access and achieve the broader social and economic objectives identified in the plan. This plan therefore seeks to explain and promote the key issues that will influence a broad range of stakeholders to use sport and physical activity as tools to promote health benefits, social and economic well being. It relates to the work of many agencies over the next five years and seeks to do this by:

• Creating the conditions to empower a thriving network of sporting and nonsporting agencies to help position sport to deliver increased participation, sporting success and a cultural shift in the way organisations and communities perceive sport and physical activity.
• Recognising that agencies, working together through sport and physical activity, can create a broader impact by adopting the fundamental principles of sustainable development, social inclusion and an engagement process that allows stakeholders to champion good practice, escalate policy issues and influence change.
• Celebrating success and having fun in a sector that can inspire communities and enhance the image of the region.

In order to develop appropriate actions to help increase participation rates and widen access to sport and physical activity across the area, there is a need to have a general understanding of the market in which we operate. The evidence currently available nationally provides us with the following information regarding participation in sport and physical activity.

• 20% of people may be described as regularly taking part in sport and are keen to continue.
• 16% of people may be described as taking part in sport but could do more.
• 44% may be described as currently not taking part but could be persuaded if it was made easier.
• 20% of people do not take part and do not want to. They have a negative attitude towards sport.

(percentages derived from Health Survey for England, 1998)These figures show that 64% of people do not currently participate in sport. However, it is positive to see that 44% of people could be persuaded to participate if it was easier to do so. Research shows that participation rates vary amongst different groups. Young white males are most likely to take part in sport and physical activity, and the most disadvantaged groups least likely to participate in sport. Game Plan states that:

• participation falls dramatically after leaving school, and continues to drop with age. The more active in sport and physical activity you are at a young age, the more likely you are to continue to participate throughout your life;
• women are 19% less likely to take part in sport and physical activity than men;
• the impact of social group is significant, with levels of participation almost three times higher for professionals than manual groups;
• ethnic minority participation is 6% lower overall than the national average

In respect of people with a disability, 75% of young disabled people compared to 94% of all young people participated in sport on at least ten occasions in the previous year. (Young people with a disability and sport 2000, Sport England). Including walking, the participation rate for disabled adults was 24% lower than the rate for non-disabled adults in the four weeks before the survey - 51% compared with 75%. (Adults with a disability and sport national survey 2000/01, Sport England)

By developing initiatives and opportunities to enable these market segments to get active, we may be able to reach the area’s 50% activity target sooner. There is substantial evidence to support the role of physical activity and sport in promoting good health and well being.

The Game plan (DCMS, 2002) represents some real challenges for disability sport in the Northern area. Many of its aims plays to the existing strengths of disability sport. The government needs links and partnerships to be able to deliver this strategy. This offers a real opportunity for Local Authorities to become a key partner in its delivery. To utilise the potential, there is a need for strong organisation, strong leadership across the area and a strong commitment to work individually and collectively as the key partner for disability sport in the region.

ECONOMICAL

A ten percent increase in adult activity would prevent around 6,000 premature deaths not to mention bringing economic benefits worth at least 2 billion pounds a year nationally. The Northern area is characterised by high unemployment and low income families. As a result of this, many people are on benefits such as income support and incapacity benefits. This leads to an unhealthy lifestyle and an increase in NHS costs.

SOCIAL

Physical activity is perhaps the single most effective intervention to address the health issues in the area. An increase in physical activity levels will go a long way to improving the health of the area.

Sport England (2004) recognises the importance that sport and physical activity, including disability sport, can make to improving local areas. Involvement of the local people can improve the community and will make it stronger and safer and thus reducing crime.

In the area, social exclusion is a significant issue that affects participation in sport and physical activity. These barriers to social inclusion need to be broken down.

The health of the people in the North is below the average in the UK. Because of the proven benefits of sport and physical activity, it can be seen as one of the main priorities in public health. Therefore, it is clear that disability sport plays an important role in making this minority group in the area healthier and fitter.

Sport and physical activity can help control body weight through increasing energy expenditure. Participation in sport and physical activity combined with a balanced diet, is one of the most effective ways of maintaining an ideal body weight and managing obesity. Recent research has highlighted the prevalence of obesity, with one adult in five in England classified as clinically obese, and more than half overweight. (National Audit Office, 2001). A sedentary lifestyle is resulting in poor health and increasing health care costs. Trends suggest that the situation is likely to get worse unless action is taken. Physical activity and sport decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.

Sport England research has highlighted the fact that disabled people are half as likely as their non-disabled peers to take part in sport and physical activity. Concerns over the low activity levels amongst disabled people are exacerbated when one takes into account the increasing incidence of obesity, diabetes and other debilitating conditions.

Sport and physical activity lowers the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes through increasing insulin sensitivity. Physical activity also favourably affects other risk factors for diabetes including obesity and hypertension. (Diabetes National Service Framework (NSF), 2001).

The level of chronic illness, poor health, circulatory disease rate and cancer death rates in the area, are higher than the UK’s average (Sport England, 2004).

In the area, there is also a need to tackle health inequalities and poor health generally. Hoping to curb the trend of heart disease and obesity levels, disability sport can play a key role in this process underpinning the strategy of the government’s Game Plan.

The all inclusive approach of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, young women and the disabled, will also help these groups to get fitter and healthier.

The strength of disability sport lies also in its dual function, not only is it a way to tackle health issues, it is also a catalyst to improve social inclusion and wellbeing in the community. Disability sport is an activity that can be participated as a sport, active recreation and active living amongst all groups.

Therefore, disability sport which is a sport participated by all ages and all levels, is an excellent way to tackle these problems.

TECHNICAL

Northern England has some up to date high tech facilities. There is a need for technical up to date equipment for disability sport, e.g. sports wheelchairs and accessibility.