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B e s t P r a c t i c e F a c t s f o r D o o r s t e p S p o r t Report Subject: Let’s Get Fizzical Title: 33 Improving the health of dy inactive and overweight ase stu children in Birmingham c through sport Background StreetGames is the award-winning national charity dedicated to delivering sport and physical activity within disadvantaged communities and to making it accessible to all young people regardless of their social circumstances. We do this in partnership with projects around the UK that deliver doorstep sport and physical activity, which means activities for young people ‘in the right place, at the right time, in the right style and at the right price’. ‘Let’s Get Fizzical’ is a StreetGames project and part of the Birmingham City Council ‘Be Active’ family. ‘Let’s Get Heath, Nechells, Springfield, Handsworth Wood, Fizzical’ has been designed to fill a gap in physical activity Borderslet Green, Sparkbrook, Lozells, East Handsworth provision within Birmingham where suitable opportunities Aston. The rationale for choosing these locations was due for currently inactive young people are either not to statistics highlighting low activity levels, high levels of available or very limited. overweight/obesity in children, strong community networks and an unmet demand for activity. The target wards for the intervention were Ladywood, Perry Barr, Yardley, Soho, Stockland Green, Washwood The target group was inactive (i.e. doing little or no B a c k g r o u n d F a c t s f o r D o o r s t e p S p o r t that were willing to participate. Once participating schools were confirmed, the Course Director worked closely with teaching staff at the school to identify the pupils that would benefit most from attending the programme’s sessions including those who were lacking in confidence, under/overweight or obese. The main objectives set out by the Course Director were: ‘We want them to try different things, build confidence, make the sessions fun so that they can go out and play sport, getting them sweaty and having fun, being more physically active.’ regular physical activity) young people aged 8-14 who Community Based Sessions were overweight or obese. The project’s aim was to result Using the StreetGames network, mixed activity in sustained increases in physical activity levels, increased Community Sessions were set up in areas that were self-efficacy and health literacy, stronger partnerships at within a close proximity of the school-based sessions. both strategic and delivery levels, and increased capacity These sessions were designed to suit the target audience within the physical activity workforce. for ‘Let’s Get Fizzical’. The purpose of these Community Sessions was to directly sign post and enable children and The project carries the Inspire Mark and is part of young people who have had a careful introduction to StreetGames’ commitment to ensuring that young people fun-based physical activities (in the school setting) to in disadvantaged communities are provided with legacy progress with confidence into mainstream activities in a opportunities from the London 2012 Olympic & community setting. Paralympic Games. StreetGames is also a national partner of change4life and a member of the Public Health The Programme Responsibility Deal. The children took part in and were given: • 6 x 1 hour physical activity sessions in school What They Did? • Up to 10 x 1 hour multi-sport sessions in a community School Based Sessions setting Once the target wards were identified, the ‘Let’s Get • Pedometers to be used outside of sessions, with targets Fizzical’ Course Director arranged meetings with to motivate them to increase their physical activity individual schools and cluster managers to identify schools outside of sessions B a c k g r o u n d F a c t s f o r D o o r s t e p S p o r t Why They Did It? The overarching aim of Let’s Get Fizzical was to increase levels of physical activity amongst children and young people who do little or no formal activity as part of their normal routine. These children were often put off doing PE at school because most of it was team sport. A result of verbal consultation in the pilot project showed many of the children felt self-conscious, they didn’t have the confidence to take part because they were ‘always picked last’ and thought that they were ‘no good at ball sports’. A number of techniques and strategies were to support their behaviour change towards adopting a healthier Boxercise, Zumba, Street Dance, Kombat Krazy (a type of lifestyle. StreetGames operates a network of over 250 fun non-contact boxercise routine to music), Handball and projects in deprived areas around the country; from the Rugby. Participants enjoyed it a lot more than their PE combined expertise and knowledge of the network, they lessons because of this. ‘It’s not like PE at school as it’s always provide and have practical insights into ‘what works’. the same - here you do lots of different activities’. Those insights were put into practice in the Let’s Get Fizzical setting. Sessions would generally start with warm up games related to the activity being delivered. E.g in Boxercise they What was Successful? would play traffic lights, adding a new ‘duck move’ involving Sessions that are enjoyable, healthy, fun and offer the children ducking under pads. The main session would variety be games based with lots of running around, e.g. within a The Let’s Get Fizzical programme was designed to Boxercise session the children would partner up, one with sensitively target the right children and deliver alternative gloves and the other with pads. Person 1 would run from activities to them, providing physical activities that are not the wall to their partner, do 10 jab crosses, turn and do normally available in the school curriculum. There were 5 press ups, and then race back to the wall. In Kombat a high proportion of girls, and children from BME Krazy they would learn a few moves and then the backgrounds taking part, so gender and cultural instructor would go through a routine with music. considerations were very important. Children really liked Instructors would then do a cool down and stretches the variety of activities within the sessions including at the end of the session. B a c k g r o u n d F a c t s f o r D o o r s t e p S p o r t confidence though positive experiences of being active. One to one mentoring also played an important role. Wherever possible, the Course Director employed the same coach in both school and community settings. The trust and rapport between participant and coach were central to retaining the young person in organised activities. It was clear that the coaches did not take a traditional coaching approach to these sessions but combined playing and improving skills in a fun, enjoyable and subtle way. The children understood that they were able to enjoy playing the sports more if they had learnt about the sport and developed their skills. Children who expressed concerns, ambivalence about being involved or indeed a desire to ‘Everything was based on fun activity and games and exercise do more, found that their coach listened carefully and routines. The children don’t really realise they are doing an provided support, reassurance, affirmation and guidance, exercise routine they just know they are hot and sweaty and rather than instruction. out of breath at the end but had a lot of giggles doing the session.’ Course Director. The use of pedometers to increase activity levels The use of pedometers within the Fizzical programme The children were also received and subliminal health reinforced the message about being more active outside messages throughout the sessions from the coaches, and sessions and helped to support behaviour change. The begun to understand the link between and the importance participants were given weekly goals set by their coaches of playing sport and being healthy, ‘it’s fun, lots of activities to encourage them to ‘move more’ outside of sessions. and healthy instead of watching TV or reading books’. The participants had been using the pedometers outside the sessions, at home, and were keen to increase their The right coaches with the right style number of steps so that they reached their personal Let’s Get Fizzical coaches were recruited based on their targets. ‘I wanted lots of points but wanted to sit and watch TV ability to empathise with non-sporty children. Their own but had to get up and run around.’ They liked them because personality was instrumental in helping children to build you could see how much you had been doing and as one B a c k g r o u n d F a c t s f o r D o o r s t e p S p o r t young person observed, ‘it made you walk more, persuades you to do more sport’. The pedometers were also a visible reminder to the children’s families about the sessions their children were attending after school and the need for their children to be more active. One child remarked that he’d showed it to his dad who didn’t know what it was and another child’s family had ‘thought it was good and wanted one’. The use of ‘freebies’ to support retention at the sessions Rewards are an important part of behaviour change.

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