London Sport recently facilitated Place Expansion research across specific areas in Brent. The Community Engagement project, run by Affleck & Co., captured views from over one thousand residents about how they move, what gets in the way, and what would help them be active more often.
At a headline level:
· Residents are motivated by: physical and mental health benefits; social benefits; a trusted local coach.
· Their barriers are: costs of sessions and travel; childcare and timing around real lives; first-timer confidence; clean, well-lit and welcoming spaces; finding what is available nearby with clear prices, who sessions are for, and what to expect.
Priorities are:
· Fix spaces and create a base (e.g. reopen or repurpose key buildings)
· Make participation economically viable (e.g. waive or reduce park permit fees)
· Visibility (e.g. a single mobile-first listings page / visible posters)
· Back local people (e.g. with train-to-earn routes and accompany new offers long enough for demand to grow)
There were also specific recommendations for the focus areas of St Raphael’s, Church End and Stonebridge. The insights directly support London Sport’s Development Award aim to shape challenge statements for co-design in the next phase.
For a more detailed view, contact London Sport Insight or our colleague Fraser.