Collaboration and co-production key to GOGA in Blackpool
Working with organisations is a key component of the Get Out Get Active (GOGA) programme. Creating meaningful partnerships with professionals means GOGA locality leaders can use different approaches to engage people who are less active.
One method taken by Active Blackpool, the local council’s sports and leisure facilities provider and GOGA lead partner, has been to increase communication with, and among, professionals.
Throughout 2024 and into 2025, GOGA has been working in adult social care and with inactive adults who are leaving a form of the healthcare system. The team in Blackpool attended Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings and supporting discharge plans.
This is significantly transforming ways of working within local government by fostering greater collaboration, responsiveness to local need and inclusivity.
The GOGA approach informs good organisational practice beyond any scheduled activities for participants.
Within Active Blackpool itself, there has been an organisational move away from a top-down intervention approach. They now speak with residents of Blackpool to shape activities to their needs.
"Since the inception of GOGA, we have seen a shift in focus of our Leisure Service team," explains Jennifer Fairfield, Active Communities Manager for Active Blackpool.
"Traditionally, the team would focus on operational commercialisation, fitness and sport; whereas you’ll now see a clear focus on partnerships, collaboration, a holistic view of wellbeing, health inequalities, systems change, and place-based delivery."
The new approach ensures that Active Blackpool is more attuned to the needs and aspirations of diverse groups. It has led to participants shaping the delivery of an activity.
The focus on collaboration in Blackpool has improved work within internal departments as well as external partners. It has encouraged cross-functional teams to work together to address community need, build trust, and develop a common purpose.
The organisation has focussed on delivering leadership programmes and training professionals on the GOGA approach. They have enjoyed testing new ways of working within partner organisations.
Crucial to understanding participants’ needs and working in partnership with organisations, the emphasis has been on having the right representatives working to create pathways to more active and sociable lifestyles.
In Blackpool, these have included adult social care, hospital discharge teams, charities, and residential intermediate care services. Active Blackpool are also working with the Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (ARC), whereby GOGA will be supporting people with their rehabilitation to become active through sustainable activity, prevention, and aftercare support through activity.
“Since growing the partnership, we attend weekly MDT meetings, have delivered workshops and development days with the social care team, and are delivering sessions in a variety of social care settings,” described Jennifer.
She states:
"These changes create a more dynamic, responsive, and community-centred service that is better equipped to meet evolving public need."
Through professional discussions with specialists within the partnership, and by using the power of lived experience and storytelling, Active Blackpool and partners have been able to shift toward outcome-driven performance.
The success of GOGA is measured not only by quantitative data but also qualitative data and participant case studies.
The freedom to work co-operatively as a team of partners, communicating in meaningful, solution-focussed ways, has improved the outcomes for people within the community who are the least active.
Through GOGA, the Active Blackpool team is not restricted when responding to local need, nor in supporting parts of the system that need it most.
