Issue details

Proposed decision

Retrospective agreement to enter into an agreement with Sport England to act as accountable body for Active Kent and Medway (AKM) and confirm acceptance to receive a grant for £3,452,950 and for the authority to accept future grants awarded as part of Move Together to be delegated to the Director of Growth and Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services and the S105 Officer or Cabinet Member for Finance.

Reason for the decision

AKM is retrospectively seeking agreement for KCC to receive external grant funding on its behalf as per the key decision criteria (award exceeds £1million) to enable the service to continue to function.

It should be noted that AKM is an externally funded service hosted by KCC, established in 2006 for the purpose of promoting and providing opportunities for Kent’s residents to be physically active and to enjoy the associated benefits. 

Background

Active Kent & Medway (AKM) is one of 43 Active Partnerships in England. The principal funders are Sport England and Kent County Council via a Public Health Grant whose strategies and outcomes set the direction of our work and activity. Our vision is ‘more people, more active, more often’. Our mission is to ‘change and improve lives through sport and physical activity’. In order to achieve this, AKM aims to increase participation in sport and physical activity with a focus on encouraging the least active of Kent’s 1.9 million residents to become more active; through the promotion of the associated personal and public health benefits and targeting resources where need is greatest, especially at those from under-represented groups including women, older people, people living with a disability or long-term health condition, ethnically diverse communities and people from lower socio-economic groups. AKM engages with partners and networks across the county – including those in health, adult social care, community cohesion, housing, and transport as well as governing bodies of sport, clubs, school sports networks, charities, leisure providers and local authorities, to provide opportunities for everyone to get involved in sport and physical activity for enjoyment as well as wider health and social outcomes.

In 2022 AKM was awarded a grant of £3,452,950 by Sport England for the period 2022 - 2027 to enable the delivery of “Move Together” the countywide strategic framework for sport and physical activity.

AKM has subsequently been offered, in principle, a further £219,600 of investment for work specifically focused on the delivery of the School Games and Active Lives Children and Young People Survey. Work within the scope of Move Together as an extension of the initial award.

At point of offer of this investment it has come to light that whilst Move Together was shared with GED&CCC for feedback, the paper and discussion did not specifically ask that the Cabinet Member agree to receive the associated investment on behalf of AKM.

Therefore AKM is retrospectively seeking agreement for KCC to receive this and future grants from Sport England that align with Move Together, on behalf of AKM and as endorsement for KCC acting as the accountable and host body for the AKM Partnership.

Options

To not enter into the  agreement to act as host accountable body for Active Kent and Medway. This would reduce the opportunity for collaborative work between AKM and KCC and have an impact on support provided to partner organisations and stakeholders that work to provide opportunities for Kent’s residents to be active. 

To enter into the agreement to act as host accountable body - Recommended

How the proposed decision supports Securing Kent’s Future 2022 -2026:

Best Value Duty/ Adult social care prevention.

Increasing participation in sport and physical activity reduces the risk of major illnesses and helps manage existing health conditions providing effective preventative interventions which can help reduce demand on KCC’s Adult Social Care services.