Activity Alliance and ukactive CEOs joint call for inclusive reopening

Step 2 in the government’s roadmap means indoor leisure facilities can open for adult individual/household use only (no group activities are allowed). This includes facilities such as, but not limited to, gym and leisure centres, indoor sports courts and pitches, swimming pools and fitness studios. It also includes multi-sport facilities (such as climbing walls, driving ranges, archery venues, indoor riding centres, and indoor skate parks).

People who provide essential support (e.g. carers) to disabled people are exempt, and don’t count towards gathering limits. Therefore, disabled participants can be supported by a carer(s)/personal assistant(s) while taking part in exercise.

Barry Horne wants providers to reassure disabled people about their facilities, disability awareness, and be more welcoming than ever before:

“It’s fantastic to see facilities reopening and the nation returning to sport and activity. This last year has taught us that activity plays a huge role in all our lives. Disabled people have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, so now is the time to do all we can to make our places and spaces as welcoming as possible.

“Our research has flagged disabled people have great fears about returning to activity. We all have a job to do in rebuilding trust and confidence. That is why we need to reassure disabled people that everyone is welcome in facilities. It is vital that leisure providers are thinking about their disabled customers in their plans. Millions of disabled people must not be forgotten or miss out on the huge physical and mental health benefits of being active.

“This year has been difficult for so many – whether working in a facility or wanting to be active. Even before this crisis, disabled people faced real challenges in accessing opportunities to be active. We were making good progress on closing the unjust gap between disabled and non-disabled people’s activity levels.

“But it’s really frustrating that we’ve seen these inequalities widen during the pandemic and there are now new barriers to address. Some of these barriers have existed for far too long. We cannot add to this by failing to place inclusion at the heart of England’s return to play preparations.

“Counting for one in five of our population, disabled people including people with long-term health conditions, is a significant audience to engage. But as the least active group in society, the health and well-being benefits of activity are particularly important.

“In our recent Annual Disability and Activity Survey, findings showed the pandemic has led to significant barriers for disabled people, compared to non-disabled people. A fear of contracting the virus (35% vs 13%), the impact on their health (31% vs 13%), a lack of space (23% vs 18%) and support to be able to exercise safely at home (16% vs 5%).

“The positive light at the end of this challenging period is that research continues to show many disabled people want to be more active. Disabled people are no different to anyone else in relying on their local leisure facilities to enjoy an active lifestyle. Swimming and gym always feature higher in disabled people’s choice of activities. We know there are so many fantastic providers out there, who are enthusiastic to share their inclusive learning and impact with others. We have seen a numerous activities take place virtually and near the home. The key is adaptability, flexibility, and inclusion. Why stop now? There is no better time than right now to engage more disabled people. Use this moment in time to make that commitment to change and be better for all the communities we serve.”

Huw Edwards believes the sector has a responsibility in the reopening period and beyond to ensure opportunities are fully inclusive and welcoming.

“This week, we welcome the reopening of gyms pools and leisure centres in England. This is significant news, not just for the recovery of the physical activity sector. But also the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the nation, including the significant number of disabled people.

“Activity Alliance’s latest Annual Disability and Activity Survey gave us powerful insights into the experience of disabled people over the course of the past 12 months. We shared the concern about the reduction in activity levels among disabled people that have occurred as a result of the pandemic. A key part of this drop-off had been the closure of our members’ facilities and this fundamental barrier to participation imposed by lockdown measures.

“Lockdown led to increased feelings of loneliness and social isolation, and the findings from the Annual Survey demonstrated that the closure of physical facilities has had a detrimental impact on those that benefit so greatly from these services. At ukactive, we recognise the key role that the sector plays in disabled people’s activity levels, and that is why this week is a key milestone.

“It is important that we continue the momentum seen prior to lockdown, with participation increasing as a result of operators’ proactive engagement with disabled people, improved customer service, links with local disability organisations and participation programmes.

“Beyond reopening, we will be following the recommendations from our Everyone Can report, and we will continue to work with our partners at Sport England, Activity Alliance and other groups, to accelerate our sector’s efforts on disability inclusion so that provision is truly inclusive and engaging for all.

“In the immediate term, and in line with Activity Alliance’s call for inclusion to be prioritised, our sector has a responsibility over the course of this reopening period and beyond to ensure its provision is fully inclusive and welcoming. And now that the key barrier of site closures has been removed, we must ensure that our gyms, pools and leisure centres are open to all, and continue to recognise the further barriers that have emerged and become apparent from Activity Alliance’s Survey work.

“We understand that a real concern among disabled people is contracting the virus. At ukactive we have refreshed our Fit Together campaign for the reopening and committed to strict safety measures which reach the highest standards, in line with the Government regulations to reopen following the easing of lockdown. A gym or leisure centre that has made this commitment will have an ‘Approved Covid-19 Response’ logo or sign within their facility.

“We will also be continuing our protocols for monitoring and reporting the virus in the sector, helping to reduce the risk to visitors. Our latest data from more than 75 million visits across the UK between July and December, shows a rate of just 1.7 cases per 100,000 visits, showing the effectiveness of the COVID-19 security methods employed by the sector to ensure a clean, safe and welcoming space for everyone to be physically active.”

More information

1. Activity Alliance published Reopening Activity: An inclusive response, in consultation with partners across sport, leisure and disability equality. We worked with our members and partners to identify ways to make sure that disabled people can be included as activities and venues start to reopen.
2. Activity Alliance online training - delivering an excellent service for disabled customers. A 60-90 minutes eLearning course that raises awareness and provides practical advice on providing excellent customer service for disabled customers at sport and leisure centres.
3. Sport England is updating the frequently asked questions regularly. These have been developed in line with the government sport-specific guidance. They are intended to support you in your work in preparing to restart and to understand what the government guidance means for you.
4. Ukactive COVID-19 guidance
5. Swim England returning to pools guidance