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KKP – delivering the Birmingham Sports Strategy

In mid-2023, Birmingham City Council commissioned KKP to deliver the City’s new 10-year Sports Strategy.

The aim is to create a vision for sport in Birmingham informing its ambition to get more people participating in sport and providing opportunities from grassroots through to elite performance. Having now undertaken a good proportion of the consultation KKP is, taking account of the financial pressures that the City Council now faces, reviewing the whole sports offer in the City and is in the process of developing its revised strategy framework.

The Sports Strategy, reflecting the substantively altered fiscal circumstances of the City, will help to provide realistic direction for the Council in its maintenance, development and delivery of sustainable sport, across services and facilities and inform how it meets the needs of residents and local communities. It is being co-ordinated with and delivered alongside the Physical Activity Strategy concurrently being developed by the City’s Public Health team. This will ensure a joined-up approach and vision.

It will align to Sport England’s ‘Uniting the Movement’ and Sport Birmingham’s ‘Uniting Birmingham’ strategies and is being developed within the context of Birmingham’s ‘Be Bold’ outcomes, the City’s Corporate Plan and Major Events Strategy. Birmingham and Solihull is also a Sport England Local Delivery Pilot (LDP) area.

Birmingham is the largest local authority in Europe. With a population of almost 1.2 million, it has a significantly younger and more ethnically diverse population profile than the national average.

Renowned for its passion for sport, Birmingham has, to date, annually hosted a series of major sporting events. In summer 2022 it staged the most inclusive Commonwealth Games ever showcasing its ability to deliver an international major event, inspiring local people to get involved and demonstrating sport’s ability to impact local communities and provide wider social benefit.

The City’s diverse range of sports clubs, community organisations and voluntary groups all provide opportunity for people to engage in sport and physical activity from informal entry level to organised activity and competition and up to talent and elite performance levels. Their work is delivered by a huge, dedicated workforce of volunteers, coaches, officials and administrators.

The City’s public and privately operated sports and leisure facilities including the Alexander Stadium, and other Commonwealth Games funded venues accommodate a significant proportion of this participation and provide a range of sporting opportunities for residents.

Birmingham is also one of Britain’s greenest cities. More than one fifth of its area comprises parks, nature reserves, allotments, golf courses and playing fields, many linked by rivers, watercourses and its extensive canal network. This will be further enhanced by implementation of the Our Future City: Central Birmingham Framework 2040.

A key issue is the part sport plays in tackling physical inactivity levels and addressing substantial inequalities in participation. Birmingham is the 7th most deprived local authority area in the country, 43% of its population resides in the 10% most deprived areas in England (IMD 2019) and this figure rises to 51% among under 16s. The Sports Strategy will consider and proscribe the role that sport will play in engaging the City’s deprived and ethnically diverse communities, women, disabled people, and those with long term health conditions.

Dave Wagg, Head of Sport and Physical Activity at Birmingham City Council commented “we are delighted, with the support of Sport England, to be working with KKP on this strategy. We are fully aware of the depth, breadth and quality of the Company’s work and welcome its review of what we do, where why and how – and how we can best adapt to the present situation. The intention is to build upon our strengths and identify key areas for improvement. A key reason for KKP’s appointment is its proven expertise and major city strategy experience in Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bristol, Cardiff and, of course, previously in Birmingham”.

Andrew Fawkes, principal consultant at KKP is leading KKP’s Sports Strategy project team. He commented: ‘KKP is proud to be entrusted with this work with the City Council and partners on this strategy at what is a difficult time. We are working closely with key staff and stakeholders to help it consider and take on the very considerable challenges that developing a directive and impactful strategy now presents.

Andrew Fawkes is available for interview. Please contact KKP via (0)161 764 7040 or email andrew.fawkes@kkp.co.uk

KKP is online at www.kkp.co.uk

Notes for editors

KKP is a leading UK-based multi-disciplinary national and international practice. It offers specialist advice and impartial, objective and creative consultancy support to a wide portfolio of clients. This commission builds on KKP’s extensive track record in this field – which includes delivery of sport/physical activity strategies for, among others, Liverpool, Nottingham, St Helens, Wyre, Blackpool and LB Bromley.

Full details of KKP’s work, clients and projects are available at www.kkp.co.uk