WSA Sports Industry Awards 2023 Winner Feature: Actif Sport & Leisure’s Beat the Street
An initiative designed to tackle health inequalities in the Llanelli area, Actif Sport & Leisure’s Beat the Street was awarded Most Influential Campaign at the Welsh Sports Association (WSA) Sports Industry Awards 2023.
A product of Intelligent Health, Beat the Street is a simple concept where participants register to receive a gamecard which they tap against 61 strategically located boxes across the community. Players earn points, win prizes, and explore their communities as they walk, run, scooter or cycle to take part.
The project aimed to harness the power of digital technology to create an innovative, community-wide, game-based challenge to get children, families, and adults outside and active.
“Beat the Street was significant for Actif and for the community of Llanelli,” Carl Daniels, Senior Sport & Leisure Manager at Carmarthenshire County Council, told the WSA.
The project engaged 13% (6,589 people) of the total population, who collectively travelled 43,844 miles motor-free during the game, resulting in an estimated reduction of 12.04 tons in CO2 omissions.
At registration 40% of adults were inactive. Following Beat the Street, 45% of adults who were inactive at registration, had become more active. Overall, there was a 6% decline in participants reporting being inactive and a 6% increase in those achieving 150+ minutes of activity per week.
Furthermore, visits to green spaces increased by 24% because of the project and, following Beat the Street, the proportion of adults experiencing high or very high levels of life satisfaction and worthwhileness rose by 6%. For adults living in areas of high deprivation, the proportion experiencing high or very high levels of life satisfaction and worthwhileness increased by 7% and by 12%, respectively.
Digital engagement statistics were also very positive, and the campaign received a message of support from Welsh cycling legend, Geraint Thomas.
The impact on the local community was there for all to see and, as a result, Beat the Street was recognised at the WSA Sports Industry Awards last June.
“Winning WSA’s Most Influential Campaign award was incredible,” Carl confirmed.
“I think the sport and leisure sector generally cracks on with collaborating, developing and implementing activity initiatives and rarely stops to pat itself on the back. The WSA has given the sector the opportunity to submit what we think are best practice examples and it’s only when you get shortlisted, and perhaps win, that you give yourself that acknowledgement that you’re doing something worthy of national acclaim.
“Not only does that reward and motivate those present on the night, it uplifts all who were involved in the project and in the wider organisation!”
Since that night in June, the Beat the Street campaign’s impact is still being felt as its legacy lives on.
“The Beat the Street campaign has a distinct start and end, but the legacy is in how you build on the partnerships and engagement with the population,” explained Carl.
“’Post-game’ surveys continue to demonstrate the longer-term impact made to people’s activity levels as they, particularly in the form of active travel, have continued.”
Other success of the campaign have been the strong and diverse partnerships established as a result, as well as a subsequent successful grant application via the Shared Prosperity Fund.
“As a result of both, we are now forging ahead with an enhanced team to develop and implement activity initiatives and infrastructure with the local population to create a step-change in activity and health outcomes,” Carl concluded.
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