Feedback welcomed on Derry Council's new Sports Strategy

The initiative aims to provide the necessary infrastructure and services to encourage more people to take part in sport and physical activity. A first draft has been published following an extensive consultation that included surveys and focus groups.

The document is available to view now on Council’s website where there is also a survey for members of the public to give their feedback.

Council’s Sports Area Manager Ryan Deighan said: “Sport and being active is a big part of people’s lives in Derry and Strabane, there are around 180 sports clubs with over 22,000 participants which represents around 15% of the population.

“Council’s leisure and community centres offer a wide range of opportunities to get involved in sport and physical recreation.

“We would encourage as many people as possible to give their feedback on the first draft of the strategy to ensure our services effectively meet the needs of the public and offer the opportunity for as many people as possible to reap the benefits of sport and physical activity.”

Research has shown that health inequalities are higher in Derry City and Strabane than for Northern Ireland as a whole, especially for people living in the most deprived areas, both urban and rural.

The population is getting older; it’s projected that by 2039 the Council area will have nearly 4,000 fewer children under the age of 16 and 14,000 more retired adults. Through 2020 and 2021 the national lockdowns imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on everyone’s ability to do sport and be active.

The Physical Activity and Sport Strategy is aiming to have more people returning to being active and more people trying sport and physical activity for the first time.

View the strategy now at http://derrystrabaneleisure.com/beactive/