Active Withernsea

Intro

Withernsea is part of something exciting. It's one of only 12 areas chosen by Sport England to understand more about what makes happy and healthy communities. It's a completely new approach which puts people and their ideas at the centre of a bold approach to unlock new and exciting ways for everyone to enjoy a more active life, regardless of ability or background.

We want people to live longer and healthier lives by living more active lives - in every way - physically, mentally and socially. We need to help create a change that will encourage communities which demand and embrace health and happiness creating opportunities.

What's On

View all events

Get involved

We'll contact you back

Use our easy online form to let us know if you would like to:

Volunteer with Active Withernsea or a local organisation
Tell us your story
Come to a partnership meeting
Share your ideas

After you submit the form, a member of the team will be in touch within ten working days. We will only keep hold of your details for as long as necessary to complete your question. You can read how East Riding of Yorkshire Council uses your information in full online at eastriding.gov.uk.

Does your idea need a little money to help get it started? We're supporting the community to apply for grants as well. Just ask!

Follow us on social media for latest news, events and stay connected.

@ActiveWithEY on Facebook @ActiveWithEY on Twitter

About Active Withernsea

We want to create a happier, healthier Withernsea.

Starting the change

Active Withernsea is different. We know from our conversations with our community that "activity" means different things to different people and that it means more than just lycra and trainers. For some people, just feeling safe in their community and knowing people will welcome them comes far before asking them to join a walking group.

We want the benefits of Active Withernsea to be felt in the future, well beyond the lifespan of the project and that is why we are working with the community to both deliver and support real change.

It's the #withernseawellbeing movement. It's not a thing, it's a feeling.

So when you learn about Active Withernsea we hope you'll feel:

Everything is community led; our activities are shaped by people and we've built in flexibility and communication in to the heart of everything we do
People wanting to support each other
People doing new things, trying new things and asking for new things
A community which encourages all types of activity - physical, social and mental
People doing things together and joining up so their voices are heard.
EVERYONE enjoying a happier healthier Withernsea.

Active Withernsea is also part of something bigger, the Sport England Local Delivery Pilots (LDPs) which are trialling new and innovative ways to make activity levels rise. A large part of our work is evidencing the progress made in Withernsea and making sure our successes can be replicated in other communities. Visit SportEngland.org

LDP's - The National Context

Not everyone finds it easy to live an active life. Yet, increased activity levels, such as taking part in sports or gardening, walking and moving more, have been shown to increase a person's satisfaction with life, improve wellbeing and mental health, reduce the risk of dying prematurely and delay the need for care in older people. And it's not just adults - children who are active in childhood are more likely to stay active adults for all of their lives.

Progress has been made, lots of people are more active, BUT there are some stubborn barriers which still remain. And unfairly, these barriers often impact more on some groups of people. Therefore if you are an older person, a person with disabilities, a woman, or a person on a lower income you might be unfairly impacted by lower activity levels.

To address this unfairness the Sport England Local Delivery Pilots (Withernsea's is called Active Withernsea) have been developed to really understand how physical activity can become a natural and easy life choice for everyone in a community.

We want the benefits of Active Withernsea to be felt far beyond the lifespan of the project and that is why we are working with the community to both deliver and foster real change.

Visit Sport England Website

Get Going Grants

Active Withernsea have launched an easy and accessible small grants scheme for people to try new and innovative ideas which increase physical activity in Withernsea and surrounding areas. We want to encourage fresh creative thinking to drive new ideas to get Withernsea residents more active and provide support to set up new activities in the town that have physical activity at their heart.

Grants, support or resources from £50 up to £1000 will be available to assist local individuals, groups and organisations to develop new and innovative ideas which benefit residents of Withernsea and surrounding areas. Unfortunately we are unable to pay out funds into individuals' bank accounts but will help you with the support and resources you need instead.

Active Withernsea will provide support throughout the application process and will work closely with applicants throughout their activity journey to implement their ideas in their community.

Funded projects will have a line of sight to physical activity which may lead to a direct increase in physical activity or it may be increased indirectly as a result of the impact of wider mental and social activity.

Applicants will be able to apply for more than one grant through the scheme as long as it is for a different project or to develop their previously successful application further.

Please get in touch with an Active Withernsea team member to discuss your idea or project:

Email us active.withernsea@eastriding.gov.uk

Call us (01964) 782299 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday

Visit us You can also come and chat to us in person at the Active Withernsea shop at 170 Queen Street, Withernsea 10am - 2pm, Monday to Friday.

Grants are available to residents of Withernsea and surrounding areas and groups or organisations who are based or operate in this vicinity.

Activities and ideas must be of benefit to and easily accessible by Withernsea residents.

A link to physical activity
Applications must show a link to physical activity and how the proposed idea will lead into encouraging a healthier more active life.

Fresh, creative thinking to drive new ideas to get Withernsea residents more active.

Fit with the 12 Active Withernsea principles
Ideas must fit within the 12 Active Withernsea principles and align with as many as possible. These are listed in the dropdown below, or you can download the full Get Going Grant Guidance PDF for more information.

Impact of the idea
What difference the idea or project will make to the community and how the impact can be measured.

Value for money
Are the costs supplied reasonable for the activity? Value for money also takes the potential learning from the idea into account and the next steps that the project can generate.

Tuning In
Tuning in is getting the vibe, the feeling, the atmosphere. It's listening to conversations and really hearing what is being said or implied. Tuning in is being conscious of the temperature of the town.

Community led
You - the community - make the decisions. We don't want to come in and tell you how things are going to be, we want the community to tell us how it's going to be. Working from the bottom up means we help create sustainable, relevant projects for the communities of Withernsea. The Get Going Grants can also help empower members of the community to try something new and lead from their position.

Increase activity and participation
No, not running marathons - we want to see Withernsea happier and healthier by being more socially, mentally and physically active. There are so many activities in Withernsea, and so much potential for more our Get going Grants could help with - or you could run a marathon if you wanted! We know activity looks different for different people, we want to support the steps needed to get people more active in a way that suits them

Communicate clearly
We want our ideas, principles, projects and marketing to be easy to access for all and keeping things easy to understand. For the community to talk to us and each other in the way that works for them. Encouraging two way conversation and breaking barriers that could prevent this.

Give opportunity
It means we're not doing 'things' to the people of Withernsea but we are helping Withernsea people to do the 'things' themselves. We will nurture and support, share our knowledge and our resources to help the community achieve their goals, it's all part of being community led. Do you have a great idea? Well let's see if we can help get that off the ground! We want the community to generate new ideas, explore new ways of working, reimagine old ideas and anything in between. We'll support however we can, a massive part of the Active Withernsea pilot is that it makes all things possible - no right or wrong answers and a safe space to try things (no matter the outcome).

Facilitate don't dictate
We're not going to tell you what to do, we're not going to do it for youâ€¦ but we will support you to do it for yourself. We really want to make things happen by helping the community do it for themselves.

Sustainability
We will help and support, but along with our principles of community led and giving opportunity - we won't do it for you. We can help find partnership working that will support you, we can connect you to like-minded people but the 'stuff' has to be able to keep going without us. We want to do this by giving opportunities to the community, by supporting things the community want - you're much more likely to support and sustain something you care about!

Spread the learning
Spreading the learning is sharing information, knowledge and understanding to help make things easier for the community and the people, groups and organisations that it is made up of.

Hear every voice
Hearing every voice means that we want to hear a variety of opinions, thoughts and ideas from the Withernsea community. Not everyone thinks, wants or needs the same so it is important we take the time to listen and really hear what the wider community want. In the future we would love for the community to be talking to each other and really hearing each other.

Time to reflect
Time to reflect is giving ourselves the time to look at what went well, and what could have gone better. From taking this time and not constantly jumping from one thing to another we can take time to evaluate and learn - hopefully improving as we go along.

Be an easy to access organisation
Being an easy to access organisation means every possible step is taken to be open to everyone, encouraging interactions and 'going to them' rather than expecting them to come to where you are.

Value for money
We want to invest our money wisely, in things that will really enhance Withernsea. Not everything has to be successful, but we need to see that there is learning and understanding in what did and didn't work out. Value for money doesn't mean it's a bargain, it doesn't mean it's a sensible investment - Value for money means we can grow and learn from it no matter the outcome. We want to invest in projects that the community can get behind and that we can all learn from. So part of being value for money is that it follows some (or all) of our principles. Value for money isn't necessarily just about getting a bargain, it's from the potential learning and next steps that the investment can open.

Download the Get Going Grant Application Guidance PDF

Our Programme

We're ambitious and we're excited

Ok, we know that this is not an easy fix. We know it's going to take time and commitment. But we have a plan and we have key areas to focus on. We'll take every bit of help we can. There is no contribution too small. We can all make a difference, if we work together.

These are the areas where we think (and our community have told us) that real change can happen:

Walking and Cycling

It's important to get people out and exploring Withernsea. Here's a snapshot of some of the activities Active Withernsea is working on with the community to support walking and cycling:

Adapted bikes so everyone can enjoy the promenade
Walking and cycling routes

Open Spaces

Withernsea has some treasured open spaces. The Active Withernsea team are looking forward to supporting everyone to access these spaces including:

Launching family trails for Withernsea on the Love Exploring App
Better wheelchair access to the beach
Community bike hire

Activities for Young People

Active Withernsea are looking forward to helping the next generation achieve their aspiration and be part of the legacy for the town. That's why we have ensured there will ring-fenced funds for specialist training for young people and the team support young people to participate in the Skate Park committee.

Get Going Grants

Individuals, groups and organisations can apply for the Get Going Grant fund to provide support to set up new activities in the town that have physical activity at its heart. This can be practical help or grant based.

How to apply

Community SHAPER Opportunities

Active Withernsea are really excited to provide specialist support and opportunities for those who want to shape the future of Withernsea. Whether that's becoming a volunteer or maybe even joining up with like-minded people to develop a community project - Active Withernsea will help with specialist training and support. The team will also open a community space @170 Queen Street as a hub for information and ideas.

Community SHAPER Opportunities - ERYC

For all East Riding of Yorkshire employees who either live or work in Withernsea, it has been agreed that the Council will support them to volunteer in Withernsea. This innovative approach will bring a wealth of skills and support in to the town.

And this is just the START. This is just the start of what the community can get involved in.

We think Active Withernsea can help the town create the changes that inspire and empower social and active ideas that are co-developed with the community and bring people together.

#HeardInLockdown

A series of postcards from Withernsea in lockdown

Tell us what you heard in the lockdown

Submit your entry

Partners

Health and Wellbeing

Want to find more ways to improve your wellbeing? Visit East Riding Health and Wellbeing and search for nearby groups and clubs for sports, activities, creativity and learning new skills. Find local and national services for your health, such as dementia support at home, anxiety and stress, help to quit smoking, losing weight, how to improve wellbeing in the workplace and much more.

Visit HappyAndWell.Me