Bradford scheme secures £4m funding after “world-leading” results

A programme working in deprived communities in Bradford to get children aged five to 14 and their families physically active has secured additional £4m worth of Sport England funding, after it delivered “world-leading results”. Research into children’s activity levels in Bradford found that the JU:MP programme, operated by Active Bradford, has had a bigger positive effect than any other long-term, population-level physical activity intervention for children so far. Over the last five years, the programme has reached more than 30,000 children and their families to give them more opportunities to be more active through positive movement experiences.

According to a study conducted jointly by the University of Bradford and by Born in Bradford (part of the Bradford Institute for Health Research), JU:MP has improved children’s total physical activity by 8.3 minutes a day and over 70 minutes a week – equating to 3,640 extra minutes per child a year (or two and a half days). It also found that JU:MP improved moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by nearly 6 minutes on weekdays, while reducing inactivity by more than 21 minutes a day on weekends.

As a result, Sport England has allocated £4 million worth of investment and agreed to a new three-year partnership with Active Bradford to continue the programme.

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England’s Executive Director of Place, said: “Every child has the right to experience the enjoyment and benefits that being active brings.

“We need every child to have positive experiences of sport, physical activity and movement, in every aspect of their lives, if they are to find a lifelong love of being active. If we get this right, this will be the key to a happier, healthier and more resilient nation. Our work is built on long-term partnerships and will deliver sustainable change in the communities that need it most.”