Sheffield sport and leisure services set to be transformed in 10-year plan

Newly refurbished pitches at Woodbourn Road

Sheffield City Council have launched their Sport and Leisure Strategy, which aims to place Sheffield at the forefront of sport, physical activity, leisure, and wellbeing in the UK.

The strategy sets out the Council’s ambition to have facilities, activities and services, which are modern, welcoming, inclusive and meet the needs of everybody in Sheffield – encouraging more people to be more active, more often.

It was developed following a comprehensive consultation last year and will contribute to achieving the shared vision in the city’s Move More Strategy and links the ambitions of Sport England’s Uniting the Movement Strategy.

It provides a framework to support the redesign of the city’s indoor and outdoor sport and leisure offer, which will contribute to tackling health inequalities across the city and is committed to carbon reduction, the City Goals and new Council Plan.

Council members, local and national partners and stakeholders from across the city came together this week to celebrate the launch of the strategy and the collaborative work being delivered across Sheffield to help get communities active. 

Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “Our new Sport and Leisure Strategy is a strategy to encourage more people to be more active, more often. It’s a plan to improve our sport and leisure facilities and to make Sheffield an active and healthier city.

“We have worked closely with our communities to develop the new strategy. We want everyone to benefit from a healthier and more active lifestyle and to achieve this, we are investing over £100 million into sport and leisure facilities over the next 10 years.”

Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee at Sheffield City Council, added: “We have a proud heritage as the Outdoor City and as the City of Sport, and our sport and leisure infrastructure – be it world class sports facilities, community hubs, parks and green spaces or walking and cycling routes – play a key part in this.

“I’m really excited by what we have already begun to achieve. From the recent refurbishment of Woodbourn Road Football Hub, to seeing the 2022 Women’s Euros here in Sheffield.”

What is in the strategy?

The Strategy has six themes which align with the Move More Strategy and are underpinned by key principles including collaboration, community engagement and involvement, inclusivity and tackling inequalities and Carbon Net Zero.

Commitments have been developed under the six themes that respond to feedback from the stakeholder consultation carried out in 2022 and include:

• Investing in swimming in Sheffield and working proactively with partners to improve swimming attainment.
• Investing in our leisure facilities to ensure they are welcoming, attractive and inclusive, whilst taking positive climate action and ensuring co-located health and community services which provide a one-stop-shop for wellbeing.
• Supporting local organisations to deliver community led initiatives for people within their neighbourhoods.
• Targeting support to residents who would benefit the most from a healthier and more active lifestyle.
• Creating and sustaining safe, attractive and better connected indoor and outdoor environments and supporting active travel.
• corking with our partners to bring major sporting events to the city that will deliver social and economic benefit.
• Developing priority areas in collaboration with Sport National Governing Bodies.
• Work with partners to provide support to clubs, coaches and volunteers working at a grassroots level.

What has already been done?

The Strategy builds on the huge amount of positive work being delivered across Sheffield in collaboration with partners in the public, voluntary and community and private sectors.

This includes the development of a new Football hub at Woodbourn Road, improvements to sports facilities at Parson Cross Park, the development of Parkwood Springs Active Country Park, the legacy of events such as the Women’s Euro’s and Rugby League World Cup and activities such as the Active Through Football Project.  

The Council has committed to invest over £100 million into its sport and leisure facilities over the coming 10 years, with rebuilds and refurbishments planned at a number of key leisure facilities, which will include improvements to swimming provision.

The Council has also worked with Stocksbridge Community Leisure Centre to secure Government funding, to help keep the facility effective for the local community.

You can read more information about Sheffield’s Sport and Leisure Strategy.