The award has been made to extend the Get Out Get Active (GOGA) programme, allowing it to continue for a further three years and further its reach into new communities in the UK. It will also enable continued evaluation of the programme’s impact for another three years.
Spirit of 2012’s £3million contribution will support GOGA in locations across the UK. Sport England is contributing a further £1million to extend the project’s reach within England.
“I am delighted that the Spirit of 2012 Board has awarded Activity Alliance a further £3million to deliver GOGA for three more years and into new communities across the UK,” said Ruth Hollis, Chief Executive of Spirit of 2012.
“I am also delighted that Sport England has confirmed their support for GOGA to extend the impact even further in England.”
GOGA was launched in 2016, with its first phase due to end next year. To date it has engaged 20,000 inactive people in 18 localities across the UK, and is meeting the challenge of reaching the least active, with 7 out of 10 participants who join the project admitting to doing less than 20 minutes physical activity a day, and half to doing none.
Retention data shows two out of three of regular attendees are sustaining their increased physical activity levels. Furthermore it is, as it set out to be, a genuinely inclusive programme with 32% of GOGA participants self-identifying as disabled.
Wellbeing data from participants shows statistically significant increases in their average rating of life satisfaction against an initial baseline below the national average. It also shows a greater proportion of GOGA participants reporting low, or very low, levels of anxiety following participation in the programme, compared to pre-participation levels – again against a starting point below the national average.
“Our GOGA programme is breaking down the unnecessary barriers that stop people taking part in sport and physical activity, and changing people’s attitudes to what they and other can achieve,” says Ruth Hollis.
“One of the most powerful outcomes is the way it has provided the social space for people to overcome loneliness and find friendships. We are really looking forward to working with Activity Alliance, and our national network of partners, to see the transformational difference Get Out Get Active can make over the next three years.”
Further Information
For more information about the first phase of the GOGA programme, click here
Get Out Get Active phase two will be launched in April 2020, when the new locations will be confirmed.
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