1TeamActive in partnership with Sport England and National Lottery funding has just completed rolling out the programme to four pilot forces across the country namely, Humberside, Northumbria, West Midlands and Wiltshire. This pilot sport and activity programme aims to improve the health, lifestyle, and wellbeing of our Policing family.
After early engagement with participants in each force, the activity phase was kicked off with an event day which was filled with a variety of activity sessions for all the families. Event days offer families and individuals the opportunity to try a range of activities and sports in a fun, friendly and relaxed environment. Additional engaging and educational presentations on the benefits of a healthy diet and physical activity encourage participants to assess their lifestyle and to commit to small lifestyle changes which will have a ripple effect on their health and wellbeing.
After the event day, participants (and their families) were linked up with local community instructors who provided 11 weeks of twice weekly sessions to attend to help them achieve the recommended physical activity time of 150 minutes per week and achieve their personal goals. Alternative on-line classes were offered for when those days offered challenges to physically getting to a class. Further online support and engagement was given which included activity ideas, fun quizzes, children’s games and nutritious recipes throughout via private facebook groups.
The interim report from Cardiff Metropolitan University, who are conducting the programme evaluation, was very encouraging about the results, ‘The pre-post analysis indicated that there was a significant impact on physical activity and well-being for adults taking part in 1TeamActive. Feedback on the surveys indicated that 1TeamActive had brought families together, participants had enjoyed the experience of being physically active together, and intended to continue with these behaviours at the end of the project.’
We are so proud to have completed this pilot project phase as we have been beset with extraordinary challenges since the launch in January 2021. 1TeamActive coincided with the worldwide pandemic, our police forces facing unprecedented operational demands, Brexit related supply and delivery issues for kit, being forced into a winter schedule for the first 1TA programme due to additional lockdowns …. we could go on! However, we managed to overcome these challenges and many families have now completed the programme and have hugely improved their health and wellbeing by getting active … which is a huge achievement!
We are now looking to expand 1TeamActive to our policing family with further forces across the country. If you are interested in supporting us in partnership, sponsorship or a force wanting to be involved then please contact 1teamactive@teampolice.uk
Created by TeamPolice, with input and programme evaluation from Cardiff Metropolitan University, 1TeamActive is a sport and activity programme designed to improve the health, lifestyle, and wellbeing of our Policing family. It is the first initiative of its kind supporting the Police and their families.
We focus on those that would benefit the most. Those who wouldn’t normally be involved in sport and exercise and do less than 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, and/or those who feel that their mental health has suffered due to the demands of policing. To support them in this initiative we encourage the whole family to participate.
National Lottery players raise £30m every week for good causes, funding arts, heritage, sports, voluntary and charity projects around the UK.
Sport England is a public body and invests up to £300 million National Lottery and government money each year in projects and programmes that help people get active and play sport. It wants everyone in England, regardless of age, background, or level of ability, to feel able to engage in sport and physical activity. That’s why a lot of its work is specifically focused on helping people who do no, or very little, physical activity and groups who are typically less active – like women, disabled people and people on lower incomes.
TeamPolice raises much needed funds through an innovative commercial sponsorship scheme to help improve the wellbeing of everyone who is serving or has retired from our UK Police Forces by enabling increased participation in sport and physical activity. TeamPolice is the fundraising body for police sport in the UK. It is a joint venture between Police Sport UK (PSUK) and EthosVO.
PSUK represents all the Police Forces of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and provides sporting opportunities for over 300,000 serving and retired police staff.
EthosVO is a social business accelerator working in the areas of work, wellbeing and place-making.