University Shortlisted for National Fitness Award

The University has been working in collaboration with Brio Leisure (a Chester-based Community Interest Company (CIC)).

Brio Leisure is commissioned to deliver part of the local authority public health remit across Cheshire West and Chester (CWaC). The partnership between the University and Brio Leisure was established last year, with an aim of measuring the social value (SV) related to physical activity.

Social Value (SV) is a method for measuring the benefit that an initiative can achieve at the wider community level. It looks beyond benefits to the individual or to business profits, and collates collective benefits, such as social wellbeing, networks, education, crime and cohesiveness. 

Together, the University and Brio Leisure have undertaken an innovative assessment of the Brio membership activity base and overlaid this against a nationally recognised social value measurement. The partnership also includes ongoing research into demonstrating the SV of health and leisure services, to improve the health and wellbeing of the population locally, and to enable the Research and Innovation (R&I) to be used for understanding where differing demographics are, and what motivates them.

The partnership’s work has now been shortlisted for the Insight of the Year award in the ukactive Awards. This same work was also recently shortlisted at the regional Educate North awards.

ukactive is a not-for-profit body of members and partners across the UK physical activity sector and fitness. The organisation’s focus is getting more people, more active, more often. The Insight of the Year award recognises any organisation or individual who has undertaken high quality research and/ or analysis over the last 12 months, which has or will help inform the physical activity agenda, drive change and support ukactive’s core aim (to get people more active, more often).

The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Manchester Central on Thursday, June 6.

Professor Lynne Kennedy, Head of the Department of Clinical Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Chester, said: “We are delighted that our partnership with Brio Leisure has been recognised both regionally and nationally for its impact on the health and wellbeing of people locally. Social value is a relatively new concept used to determine the value and worth of public health activities and this work will help provide the necessary evidence to inform commissioning of services locally aimed at increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviour. The work has been developed with the input of academic staff, with expertise in research and some of our postgraduate students on the University’s exercise or nutrition courses.” 

ukactive acting CEO Huw Edwards said: “Never before have we seen such a diverse cast of finalists, reflecting the incredible growth and impact of our sector, and the breadth of the ukactive Awards this year.

“These finalists represent the strength of our movement, with the power to inspire and drive success in our united efforts to improve the health of our nation.”