A multi-ethnic group of adults are standing together in a gym studio doing a pilates class. They have their arms raised up in the air and are smiling and looking at the camera.
Are you a regular gym-goer, or do you love to get active in the beautiful surroundings of your local green space? Perhaps you struggle to fit exercise in, or just don’t feel motivated to be part of a physical activity.
Whatever your situation, we want to hear from you.
A brand new city-wide consultation has launched with the aim of creating a thriving leisure offer that all Liverpool residents can benefit from.
Residents are being asked to fill in a short online survey which will give the city council an insight into how people in the city currently stay active, what sports and activities they want in their community and what service improvements they would like made.
The questionnaire aims to find out which types of facilities are used (private or the council’s Lifestyles gyms), what is the main driver for people getting active, how often people take part in physical activity, whether the pandemic has changed exercise habits and what encouragement would residents need to use the city’s parks and green spaces more.
Latest figures show around 30 per cent of Liverpool residents are inactive, so the team also wants to hear from these people to find out what barriers they’re facing and how the council could support them on their journey to fitness and improved health.
The responses will help shape a new approach over the coming years which will focus on transforming the health and wellbeing of residents – with a focus on hotspot areas of inequality. The feedback will also allow the team to ensure current leisure services are meeting the needs of those who require it the most.
The physical activity survey will take around ten minutes to complete and can be found at www.liverpool.gov.uk/consultations. Translated versions can be downloaded from the website or hardcopy versions can be obtained by calling 0151 233 3000.
The survey will close at midnight Sunday 20 February and the findings of the study will be released in April 2022.
The survey is the latest in a number of consultations that Liverpool City Council has held in recent months, giving residents the opportunity to have their say on different, important Liverpool issues.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for physical activity, sport and leisure, Councillor Harry Doyle, said: “These consultations are a vital communication tool with residents – as a council we need to be listening to local communities and finding out what is and isn’t working for them and how we can work together to make a real difference.
“As a user of the Council’s Lifestyles centres, I am passionate about physical activity and know how valued participation in sport and activity is within all our communities.
“Being active is one of the best things you can do for yourself – for both your physical and mental wellbeing. We want to make sure we have a plan of action in place for the next 12 years which supports and encourages everyone in making positive choices that get them moving.
“To achieve this we need a snapshot of what physical activity means for our residents at this moment in time. We want to hear from as many, different people as possible – those who enjoy a walk in our parks, gym-goers, people who take part in organised sports, those who aren’t active at all and those who take part in active travel.
“Only when we are armed with this information can we then work with everyone across Liverpool to deliver a leisure service which will be a game-changer.”
