The Chief Cultural & Leisure Officers Association (cCLOA) has today published a guidance document which aims to help NHS commissioners and providers of culture and leisure services understand and engage more effectively with one another.
The document is designed to:
- introduce the structures, frameworks and expected outcomes relating to public health in England
- highlight to public health commissioners how culture and leisure can provide a cost effective solution to tackling unhealthy lifestyles
- help guide organisations and commissioners to contribute to health and wellbeing locally through engaging with the right partnerships.
Ian Varah, Chair of cCLOA, believes that the culture and leisure sector must position itself as a vital cog in the drive to improve public health.
“Our document highlights the importance of collaborating on the health and wellbeing agenda and is the starting point to further reposition leisure and culture in the current financial local government climate.
“To achieve this, local authorities will need to work closely with their leisure and culture providers, voluntary groups and organisations to support and enable them to welcome people with the poorest chances of good health outcomes.”
The Sport and Recreation Alliance has long championed the benefits that the sport and recreation sector can bring to public health. Sallie Barker, Interim Chief Executive of the Alliance, firmly believes that partnership work is key to achieving this.
“There’s no doubt that physical activity has a vital role to play in tackling some of our most pressing public health challenges.
“Working in partnership, local authorities and the governing bodies of sport and recreation can make real progress towards ensuring that everyone has the capability, opportunity and motivation to be physically active for life.
“We warmly welcome this document from cCLOA promoting more effective engagement and collaboration at the local level – which of course needs to be matched in central government.”
Download The role of culture and leisure in improving health and wellbeing guidance.
Download the Sport and Recreation Alliance guide to the Public Health Landscape in England.
