Right from the start we’ve been in the back foot. As soon as we allowed Johnson and his government to call basic health protection ’Restrictions’ and the lifting of these as freedom - one part of society had captured the language of lockdown and Covid.
The prime minister’s pledge to scrap legally enforced isolation for people in England with Covid-19 flies in the face of basic infectious disease management, which tells us to avoid infecting other people when you are infectious. It is a basic public health protection, like others we have in daily life: speed limits on roads, the banning of smoking indoors, and laws against drink driving. These limit our freedoms to a certain extent, but we have accepted that “infringement” in order to have a safer and healthier society.
I set myself a challenge of reading and learning from Thought Pieces weekly. I picked up this one today from DEMOS and do believe it is an undervalued public perspective.
We are a divided nation. The last decade in particular has exposed these deep divisions within our society and culture. Since the 2016 Brexit vote more of this anger has been expressed vocally on social media and on the streets.
During the Covid-19 pandemic a new division has arisen - with a vocal minority protesting against vaccines and lockdown measures.
The most beautiful guide to the Danish custom of hygge, the everyday life philosophy for better living.
Hygge is a feeling of belonging and warmth, a moment of comfort and contentment. This beautiful little book will help you to find hygge and embrace it every day. Make a pot of coffee, relax in your favourite chair and discover for yourself how life is better with hygge.
Does your salary mean you’re rich? And what makes you upper, middle or working class? We ask the British public
This is a really helpful suggestion.
Today’s norms of responsiveness are ridiculous. We shouldn’t apologize for failing to meet them.
I have now stopped apologising for any delay i perceive in responding to emails and calls. I am retired and volunteer. Whilst I don’t want to deliberately cause any problems through my timelines, I also want to know when I have a day or week off I don’t have to be checking and responding to email and connecting. However, I haven’t quite reached the point I don’t check emails on days out as some of my timelines are time sensitive. But in due course I will achieve that moment too… where is I am unavailable I am actually not going to respond!
Our 2022 Blog series takes to video to keep things fresh.
This is our Featured Post. Stay in touch!
This is a question I have been asking myself for-nearly 25 years.
However just before Christmas 2021 there was a specific lack of response from the government in the financial package to help with latest Covid Plan B restrictions which excluded the leisure sector, but included hospitality pubs and restaurants.
The sector has warned of the consequences for gyms and leisure services.
Schools have warned about the late notice for secured funding for SGOs and the Pupil Premium.
Local authorities continually highlight the impact of leisure spending on communities.
So why don’t government understand the sector. What do they understand and what have we been doing wrong all this time?
Each year I write that I am not really a big fan of New Year pledges, but then find myself slipping into using the moment to pivot parts of my life. For many it will be a post Christmas diet or joining a gym or learning a new language and booking the trip of a lifetime.
Sadly the last couple of years with Covid has taught us not to perhaps plan too far ahead.
As you will see from my 4000 Weeks Blog, I have already started to realign my life around the prospect of being fully retired and using my weeks ‘wisely’
So this means I will be stopping some things!
I have been trying to write this blog for about a month, which means another 4 of my possible 1500 weeks left have passed.
I have already written extensively about the need for seasons in life. As many regulars will know I have been planning for this next season for some time - hitting 55 and ‘retiring’. Naturally that R word has caused much debate and reflection. I think we all agreed it is the wrong word to describe this next decade.
As the UK Government commences its Spending Review 2021, the Sport for Development Coalition is calling on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to capitalise on sport’s potential as a ‘team player’ in levelling up communities, tackling deprivation and building back better from Covid-19.
Targeted interventions across the Coalition’s UK-wide network produce cost savings and multiple returns on investment, from sustaining mental health and wellbeing and increasing employability and skills, to reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
At the start of the SajeImpact journey the idea was always to have a wide portfolio of work and projects. Being an MP meant being involved in so many aspects of life that going back to a normal job or single industry was always going to be tough. So we set out to maintain a wide range of interests in sport, physical activity, wellbeing, faith, volunteering, economic regeneration, tackling inequality and international development.
Over the last decade we have found a way to keep involved in most aspects of these policy areas but leadership roles in sport and physical activity pulled me deeper and deeper into the slio! I tried to resist but the specialism I have developed around sport policy is infectious. I am not leaving sport as I retire - rather I am really trying to maintain a healthy balance. My time with the Local LEP has been really important and maintaining a systems approach to most of the issues I want to tackle across Leicestershire - poverty, inequality, physical activity and strong communities.
But i had started to lose links into national issues on other subjects after I left the Board of WorldVision in 2018. I was therefore delighted when approached to help on the case against Assisted Suicide in Parliament. It takes me far from my sport comfort zone but utilises my skill set around building relationships and campaigning on social issues.
The issue of Assisted Suicide is extremely sensitive and of course we all respect the different views being taken. There are very few simple solutions that satisfy everybody.
I am looking forward to working with former colleagues again in both House of Parliament. I will be updating my social media and this website with News and views over the rest of 2021. I may even get back into visits to Parliament!
The idea of the '20-minute neighbourhood' (also known as 15-minute cities) has grown with interest around the world, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the importance of the liveability of where we live.
Another way of describing a complete, compact and connected neighbourhood, where people can meet their everyday needs within a short walk or cycle, the idea of the 20-minute neighbourhood presents multiple benefits including boosting local economies, improving people’s health and wellbeing, increasing social connections in communities, and tackling climate change.
The TCPA with Sport England have been working with partners including Sustrans, Design Council, Fields in Trust, CLES and others to look at how the idea could be introduced in the context of the English planning system.
Produced in collaboration, this introductory guidance document on the 20-minute neighbourhood is for local planning authorities and outlines a set of principles for success with case studies from across England.
“Ask yourself how to be a leader for the health of the population you serve, not just the health care.” Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health talks to Professor Donna Hall, Chair of New Local, about how inequality shapes our health – and what we can do to fix it. This panel is part of Stronger Things 2021 - the place to talk about communities making a difference. Find out more and watch all videos: https://www.newlocal.org.uk/strongert... Tweets from this panel: https://twitter.com/i/events/13704116...
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I have always been keen to share good content. Why rewrite stuff when good examples exist?
I have got to know Catherine at Sportbeydond and this short blog - like many of her others - is a great summary of strategy! In fact strategy is quite simple really. Some people try to overcomplicate it,
Building and implementing a strategy
The Sport England fund has transformed the way the organisation has been working.
Have a look at the details. The fund exists to help reduce the negative impact of Covid and the widening of inequalities in sport and physical activity
Details
