Featured
An independent evaluation of Free Bikes schemes was launched at the UK House of Lords yesterday, at [...]
Since 2018, we have worked extensively with communities and partners to deliver meaningful engagement and interventions that disrupt and shift the balance of power so that communities have more of a say in their lives. We have moved from a narrow focus on physical activity to a wider wellbeing model that encompasses active citizenship to support and build community resilience and empowerment. We recognise that inequalities are highest where the need is the greatest, and that this is often the result of long-term wider systemic inequalities.
The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) facilitated focus groups for West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to gain understanding about community perceptions, awareness and attitudes towards air quality within the region. The research findings would help inform a behaviour change programme, funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), to support the goal of net zero emissions in the West Midlands by 2041.
Funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), our research team led a pilot project to distribute free Fitbit devices to individuals within communities facing the highest levels of inequalities and evaluate their impact on digital skills and health and wellbeing.
Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System (BSol ICS) has developed a framework to support the development of citizen-facing digital health services across Birmingham and Solihull, as part of their Digital Strategy. In 2023, The Active Wellbeing Society’s (TAWS) Research Team was commissioned by Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) alongside five other local organisations to talk to Birmingham and Solihull residents about digital health services.
Through National Lottery investment, Sport England funded 12 ‘local delivery pilot’ areas between 2018-2024, to test innovative place-based approaches and find solutions to deliver sustainable increases in activity levels across the country. Sport England’s investment was founded on a commitment to address stubborn inequalities that exist within our communities and demonstrate how sport and physical activity can shape local policy and help drive long-lasting, transformational whole-system change.
