Investment from Sport England supports Be Active's collaboration with regional housing associations to increase physical activity and improve health equity in local communities

A new partnership between Be Active, public health and housing is set to bring fresh resources and programmes to increase physical activity and improve health equity in communities local to Bedford.

The initiative, thanks to further investment from Sport England, supports Be Active in deepening and expanding its work to tackle inactivity and increase physical activity, particularly among communities most affected by poverty, inequity, and health challenges.

Amplius, Peabody and bpha, three of the region's housing associations, are teaming up with Be Active to build on the existing Health and Housing Partnership which has already engaged almost 3,000 residents and connected more than 600 of them with public health or support services.

Customers of housing associations will benefit from the partnership, as Phil Hardy, Chief Operations Officer at Amplius, explained: "This collaboration, which is an extension of our ongoing Health and Housing Partnership, connects housing and health with physical activity to tackle inequalities in our communities.

"To have Sport England backing as part of a national drive to reduce inactivity and tackle inequalities is really important to help make this a success and we're really excited to get started and make a difference for our customers.

Clare Fitzboydon, Director, Be Active, commented: "The new partnership and Sport England's investment supports our place-based approach to ensuring everyone has the chance to be active. Through working collectively, we can better address priorities that are local to Bedfordshire and help those facing the biggest barriers to physical activity access additional resources and opportunities to move more.

Liz Parsons who has been leading the Health and Housing Partnership and will be taking up the new Programme Director role said: "We'll focus our efforts on areas where we know there is greatest need and we'll also share good practice across the housing sector alongside Sport England and the Chartered Institute of Housing so this can hopefully be expanded.

"We're determined to make active, healthy living a reality, right where our residents live and this project will help to embed activity, health and wellbeing opportunities into the fabric of our housing communities."