Norfolk building inclusive activity through GOGA
In just six months, Get Out Get Active (GOGA) is already changing the way inclusive physical activity is delivered across Norfolk.
Led locally by Active Norfolk, the programme is not simply about increasing activity levels. It is about reshaping how opportunities are created, who they are created with, and how sustainable they can be long term.
Since August, 266 participants have taken part in GOGA activity across the county, with 21 sessions delivered between August and January. Behind those numbers sits something more powerful, a shift towards user-led design.
Building sustainability from the start
At the heart of Norfolk’s GOGA delivery is a simple but transformative principle, listen first.
Ellen Vanlint from Active Norfolk explains:
“At the Marina Centre in Great Yarmouth we’ve co-designed the programme between Centre 81, Headway, and the Marina Centre itself. It’s been great to see the collaboration come to life in terms of getting users feedback of what the group here would really like to do in terms of sport and physical activity. We feel if we build that in at the start, it gives it a much better chance of being sustainable in the long term.”
This approach builds on previous work around user voice, ensuring disabled people are not simply invited to attend sessions, but actively shape them. From choosing activities, to deciding timings and venues, participants are involved from day one.
The result is activity that fits real lives, not assumptions.
Great Yarmouth: collaboration in action
One of the clearest examples of impact can be seen through the 12-week programme at the Marina Centre. The sessions bring together people who might not otherwise cross paths, creating shared space for movement, laughter and social connection.
For participant Michael, the impact is immediate and personal:
“I’m doing games that I haven’t done for donkey’s years. You know, to really try and get your body moving.”
For Ryan Wasmuth from Headway, the benefits go beyond physical activity:
“I think it’s definitely been really beneficial for not just our clients, but the Centre 81 service users to mix and collaborate with each other. They’ve really benefitted from having the opportunity to come somewhere new, mix with other people that they wouldn’t necessarily mix with out in the general public. Beneficial not just in a physical sense, but also in a social interaction sense as well.”
This dual impact, physical and social, is central to GOGA. Activity becomes a vehicle for confidence, connection and belonging.
Strengthening the local workforce
Impact is also being felt behind the scenes.
Alongside participant sessions, Active Norfolk has been working closely with leisure providers and coaches to increase confidence around inclusive delivery. Training sessions have been shaped by disabled people themselves, helping to break down perceived barriers and build practical understanding.
By embedding inclusion into local leisure settings, the programme is not creating isolated pockets of activity. It is influencing culture.
From early delivery to long-term change
With 266 participants engaged and multiple sessions established in locations including Great Yarmouth and Norwich, the foundations are strong.
The message from Norfolk is clear, when disabled people are involved in designing activity from the outset, participation increases, confidence grows, and sustainability becomes far more achievable.
Get Out Get Active in Norfolk is more than a programme. It is a model for doing things differently, and it is only just getting started. Find out more about the national programme on the Get Out Get Active website.
