This is a movement! For movement. And it’s delivering.

National and local leaders visited the largest bike library in Greater Manchester today (Friday) as part of a refreshed commitment to tackle health inequalities through movement.

Leigh Bike Library has loaned out more than 200 bikes since its launch in April 2023 with 45% of bikes being purchased by users at the end of their loan period.

For 10 years people, communities, organisations and institutions have been working together, as a movement for movement, to deliver active lives for all in Greater Manchester.

And despite a worldwide pandemic, the successes and change seen on the ground in Leigh, and in communities all over Greater Manchester, reflect the growing evidence and energy seen and felt around the GM Moving in Action strategy.  It is clear that progress is being made.

Prior to the pandemic, Greater Manchester was reducing inactivity twice as quick as the national rate and independent research found that devolution was leading to broad improvements in health outcomes.

Greater Manchester has since shown signs of a faster recovery than the national average and inactivity rates have stabilised.

But local leaders and partners are clear that there is lots of work still to be done, with 28% of people doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week.

Partners from across the city region came together today (27 September 2024) with Sport England to celebrate progress to date and renew their commitment to working together to accelerate progress for all Greater Manchester residents.

NHS GM have committed to the delivery of the strategy agreeing earlier this year to extend their partnership with GM Moving with a £2m investment over the next three years.

The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership strategy has an explicit focus on risk reduction and prevention and supporting physical activity as part of a social model for health.

The shift aligns with the new government’s ambitions on health and prevention as well as the delivery of Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy, a vision to transform lives and communities through physical activity and sport.

The impact of GM Moving is giving local leaders increasing confidence in the region’s approach to delivering better health through designing movement and physical activity back into life.

The GM Moving in Action approach is set to underpin one of Mayor Andy Burnham’s Big Ideas – GM Live Well, GM’s prevention first response to the NHS crisis through a community centred vision for improving health and wellbeing of citizens.

Practical differences that partners, including GM Moving, the Active Partnership for Greater Manchester, have enabled over the years include:

• Public Leisure trusts repurposing their centres to meet wider health and wellbeing needs of communities they seek to serve in alongside NHS services and local VCFSE organisations.
• Embedding everyday movement into health services for patients and staff, including working with GP practices to become active practices.
• Opening school physical activity and sport facilities for community use.

CEO of GM Moving, Hayley Lever, said: 

“Growing relationships, building trust and spreading different ways of working is key. It takes time and care. It’s why these long-term approaches are so important to making change happen for current and future generations.

“Whether it’s GP staff literally walking side by side with patients or local community organisations and social enterprises, led by experts with experience, helping leisure staff to make activities more inclusive for disabled users – we all have a role to play.

“Creativity is crucial and runs through all the work.  Like creative activity in schools and creative facilitation of citizen involvement and solutions, such as the work of GM Moving partners to respond to violence against women and girls that stops many from feeling safe and free to move about our streets.

“Together we are creating the conditions for lasting change: giving everyone the tools, insight, resources and freedom to go where the greatest need and opportunity is. delivers for Greater Manchester.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

“We know that an active lifestyle can make a massive difference to our physical and mental health and wellbeing.

“That’s why we’ve been working with partners across Greater Manchester to create more opportunities for people to get moving, whether that’s through sport, community activities, or the daily commute.

“By bringing public services together with our outstanding community and voluntary organisations, we have shown that we can support residents to live active, healthy lives.

“The benefits can clearly be seen, with more people doing at least half an hour of activity every week than ever before but there is still a way to go.

“We are building on this great work, strengthening our partnerships to tackle all the factors that impact on people’s health and wellbeing like inactivity, poor housing and insecure, low wage work.

“We’re united in our mission to get Greater Manchester moving, reduce the pressure on our NHS services and rewire the whole system to help everyone to Live Well.”

Sport England Chief Executive, Tim Hollingsworth said:

“The evident positive progress made across Greater Manchester is testament to working in partnership towards one shared goal: a more active city-region, with better health for all.

“Change does not come overnight and there is still much work to do.

“That’s why Sport England is not only celebrating the impact of our existing relationship with GM Moving but reaffirming our commitment for the years ahead, to continue tackling health inequalities and boosting sport and activity levels for the people of Greater Manchester.”

Rob Bellingham, Chief Officer for commissioning and population health, NHS Greater Manchester said: 

“NHS Greater Manchester is proud to extend its commitment to GM Moving in Action, which is an important initiative helping people to lead healthier, more active lives.

“We recognise the critical link between physical activity and overall health and wellbeing, and this partnership supports our goal in getting people moving more.

“We will continue to address health inequalities and break down the barriers that prevent people leading more active lives, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background or ability, can benefit from an active, healthier lifestyle.”

For further information visit www.gmmoving.co.uk