Physical Activity Strategy
Physical activity provides a basic foundation for a healthy lifestyle, with important social benefits aswell as saving money, helping the environment, reducing traffic congestion and pollution. The production of 'A Physical Activity Strategy for County Durham' therefore represents an important step in setting the scene for the County and the need for concerted and coordinated action on physical activity.
The strategy was approved by the Health and Wellbeing Partnership in February 2010.
The purpose of the strategy being to increase coordination between organisations, their strategies and plans, to facilitate changes in behaviour and increased levels of physical activity and thus contribute to improved health and wellbeing in people living in County Durham.
County Durham Sport has the lead responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the strategy both in terms of their accountability to the Department of Health (DoH) in co-ordinating physical activity at a sub-regional level and to the Health and Wellbeing Partnership in delivering on NI 8 (adults aged 16+ participating in sport 3 or more times a week) in County Durham.
This strategy has been devised around the 4 key principles set out in the national physical activity strategy "Be Active - Be Healthy", which are:
- Informing choice and promoting activity
- Creating an active environment
- Supporting those at most risk
- Strengthening delivery
Under these themes are a number of priorities for action, which should enable the above outcomes to be delivered. The Physical Activity Strategy Implementation Team (PASIT) has been established, who will determine how the delivery of the actions set out in the strategy are going to be effectively and efficiently organised and managed, using existing structures where they may be available. Terms of Reference and minutes of PASIT meetings are available by clicking here.