Exploring the potential of digital physical activity to get people active in Greater Manchester
In 2021, Beyond Empower was successful in securing a Sector Renewal grant from Sport England to explore the potential of digital physical activity (physical activity facilitated online) to get people active.
This was on the back of work through lockdown in which Empower You coordinated the facilitation of online provision for local disabled people in Trafford.
Through this work, it was identified that digital activity did have its place in the physical activity sector, in engaging those previously disinterested in activity, reducing many of the barriers people faced to being active such as time and travel and connecting people based on interest rather than locality.
However, at a time when digital provision was the only option for many, alongside pressures to reopen physical places and questions as to whether digital activity was a one-off, one-trick pony only to be offered to keep people active during the pandemic, there was a risk that the potential of digital activity could be lost.
Beyond Empower wanted to explore some of these issues through the lens of those engaging as participants, delivering activity as providers and those with a strategic interest in the physical activity space.
We have done so over the past year, since July 2021, and have produced this report and summary presentation to share our approach and findings.
Happy reading and if there’s anything you’d like to discuss about this work or anything else Beyond Empower does, please do get in touch here.