West Berkshire among top 5 most active places to live

West Berkshire Council is celebrating a significant rise in adult physical activity, as highlighted in Sport England's Active Lives Adult Survey (Nov 2023-24). The district has contributed to a national milestone of over 30 million adults meeting the Chief Medical Officer's guidelines of doing 150 minutes, or more, of moderate intensity activity a week.

This success stems from a multitude of strategies including community-driven physical activity and sport initiatives and financial investment into sport and leisure facilities. Central to this is the valuable work of volunteers and sports clubs across the district providing sporting and physical activity opportunities for our residents.

As of 2023/24, 3 out of 4 adults (76.5%) aged 16+ in West Berkshire were classified as active, meaning they do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week.

This percentage is significantly above the South East (66.8%) and England (63.7%) averages and ranks West Berkshire as the 5th highest Local Authority for the percentage of adults classified as active out of all Local Authorities in England (5/317).

Compared to last year, there has been a significant increase (8.1%) in the percentage of adults classified as active in West Berkshire. This percentage increase is the 7th largest out of all local Authorities in England (7/317).

Levels of inactivity, meaning the percentage of adults doing less than 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week, in West Berkshire, also decreased significantly compared to last year (-8.9%).

Councillor Patrick Clark, Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, praised the collective effort saying,

"Here in West Berkshire, we've seen an 8.1% increase in activity over the last 12 months, the highest rise in Berkshire! This surge in physical activity reflects our community's commitment to health and well-being. Through targeted programmes and collaboration, we're helping residents to embrace active lifestyles."

The recent refurbishment of the Lido in Newbury has further enhanced the opportunity, for all ages, to be physically active in West Berkshire. The district has extensive leisure provision from numerous operators as well as  West Berkshire Council's own sports and leisure facilities.

The seven leisure centres, operated by Everyone Active, have a wide offering with gyms, pools, fitness and targeted activities. There has been substantial investment over the last twelve months with the refurbishment of Northcroft Leisure Centre, a new studio at Hungerford Leisure Centre and improvements to the gym and squash courts at Kennet Leisure Centre.

A new 3G pitch is also underway at Cotswold Sports Centre. Everyone Active has also developed a targeted outreach programme across the district, prioritising provision in rural areas. All of this will further increase opportunities for residents to be active in the district.

The beautiful countryside in West Berkshire provides a fabulous environment for active leisure, with an extensive network of footpaths across the district to explore.

With a focus on inclusivity, initiatives such as Ramblers Wellbeing Walks,, the Run Together programme, Park Run and a range of walking and cycling active travel options, to foster both fitness and social connection.  The Exercise Referral scheme provides opportunities for people requiring additional support due to health conditions to engage in physical activity.

Get Berkshire Active is a charity with a social purpose to transform lives through Sport and Physical Activity. Funded nationally through Sport England they help to deliver the government strategy for Sport locally and play an important role in increasing physical activity levels in the district. 

Councillor Nigel Foot, West Berkshire's Executive Member for Culture, Leisure, Sport and Countryside said,

"The health of our residents remains a priority. We are committed to sustaining and building upon this positive trend through continued investment in top-tier leisure facilities and community outreach opportunities with our leisure partner Everyone Active."