Enhancing Engagement and Inclusivity Through the GOGA Programme

1. Closing the Gap Closing the Gap Helen Derby Helen Derby- - GOGA Programme Manger GOGA Programme Manger Helen Newberry Helen Newberry- - GOGA Workforce Lead GOGA Workforce Lead

2. Get Out Get Active Get Out Get Active GOGA is a programme that is ‘closing the gap’ through…….. Participants • Reaching unique participants through inclusive activity • Successfully engaging the least active disabled and non-disabled people • Improving wellbeing, tackling isolation, and increasing the community engagement of participants. • Enhancing perceptions of disabled people. Partners/Localities • Implementing the GOGA approach successfully • Reaching the least active through organisations with direct reach to target audiences • Organisational change • ‘Active Together’ opportunities • Recruiting and developing the workforce Learning and Legacy - • Individual sustainability • Inclusive organisational change • Demonstrating strong ‘ripple effects’ • Societal and economical influence and change

3. Key components of the GOGA Key components of the GOGA Approach Approach Reaching and Engaging with the Least Active Active Together – genuinely inclusive delivery Use of the Talk to Me Principles Recruiting and Developing the Workforce

4. Reaching and Engaging with the Least Active What’s Gone Well • Having direct reach to target groups through partners, specifically those that don’t offer PA opportunities- housing associations, specialist health and social care organisations. Social prescribing link workers have been valuable too! • Personal relationships being built with potential participants and partners, coproducing engagement and the design of activities. • Meeting participants and organisations where they are at and doing things differently • A range of options for delivery (small steps to being active) can be used to provide taster opportunities to aid co- production work because participants can refer to new forms of activity they’d like to pursue. What’s Been Learnt / Advice for Others • The need to broaden engagement approaches through organisations • Share more information on the benefits that can come from even low levels of activity • Be more proactive in understanding needs through new approaches……tea and cake! • Increasing links and partner engagement has been a key success, avoiding traditional approaches!

5. Active Together – genuinely inclusive delivery What’s Gone Well • Working with organisations who are already working in targeted communities. • Inclusive advertising – market as mixed ability, show inclusivity through marketing activities • Taster sessions – have been useful to show people the activities are inclusive and test them, it helped to build confidence before attending actual sessions • Social prescribing links and approaches have been useful as individuals can decide what they want to do, a public health focused approach worked to engage the right people What’s Been Learnt / Advice for Others • Advertising materials- making videos so people can see what the sessions are like • Effective marketing- using targeted inclusive marketing with images relevant to those targeted • Thinking about other health and wellbeing initiatives/campaigns to get involved in that don’t necessarily have an existing physical activity dimension.

6. Use of the Talk to me Principles 1. Use the channels I already trust 2. Stay local to me Drive awareness 3. See me as an individual 4. Talk to as many of my values as possible 5. Continue to fulfil my values in new ways Engage the audience 6. Reassure me I’m going to fit in 7. Make me feel I can do it Offer support and Reassurance 8. Make it easy for me to tell you my needs 9. Ensure my first experience is good 10. Encourage me via existing advocates

7. Use of the Talk to me Principles What’s Gone Well • Consultation and Co-production with participants have been driven by the use of Talk to Me Principles for activity delivery • Organisations who are aware of the principles have used them more frequently. The principles have benefitted their conversations with partners to help them understand the GOGA ethos. • Principle use has helped localities to provide more engaging and inclusive sessions and approach co-production work with inclusivity as a central focus. • Talk to Me principles and sustainability emphasis are valuable tools to support development and delivery of other projects. What’s Been Learnt / Advice for Others • More use of the principles is needed with some having more adoption than others. Inclusion in staff training is helping to embed their use. • Sharing with partners and encouraging them to use them in their own practice has proved useful in some examples, leisure centres have found them useful to review their own practice against, but this may need to be backed up with inclusivity audits. • Whilst use of the principles by the workforce is high, its been used less in relation workforce development which we will need to address.

8. Recruiting and developing the workforce What’s Gone Well • Work through community organisations has been helpful in identifying the right inclusive coaches/delivery staff and volunteers. Carefully targeting coaches/delivery staff that reflect communities and audiences has been key. • Working with existing volunteers at community organisations to support delivery has worked well. GOGA localities support this by offering inclusivity training such as the Inclusive Activity Programme. • Key focus for recruitment has been on the understanding and application of the ethos of the GOGA approach. Ensuring that organisations are upskilled in the GOGA approach and Talk to Me Principles & embedding this in to their practices. • Informal/formal volunteer roles – blurring the lines between participant and volunteer to suit individual needs. What’s Been Learnt / Advice for Others • Community group volunteers with lived experience of the challenges faced by target groups are especially valuable for delivery. Project participants have been a valuable source too. • Training is key for some particularly around use of the Talk to Me principles and components of the GOGA approach.. • Volunteer management toolkit – to support inclusive recruitment and support of volunteers based on GOGA learning

9. GOGA Outcomes GOGA Outcomes Tackling Inactivity Reaching the least active and increasing activity levels Improving wellbeing – physical and mental Wellbeing Reducing isolation and improving community engagement Connection Disability Perceptions Positively changing perceptions of disabled people

10. GOGA Impact so far GOGA Impact so far Reaching the least active and increasing activity levels • GOGA has reached 4,700 unique participants, engaged a further 24,000 individuals and 200 volunteers. • 1 in 3 of participants identify they have a disability and/or a LTHC • 1 in 5 of participants come from ethnically diverse communities • Average weekly activity levels are rising as a result of GOGA Improving wellbeing – physical and mental • 37% participants said they felt a lot better about their life and future as a result of GOGA. • GOGA is having a positive impact on wellbeing • ‘It makes me feel energised because we are out walking. I also feel relaxed because it is a unique group’ Blackpool GOGA participant

11. GOGA Impact so far GOGA Impact so far Reducing isolation and improving community engagement • Community impacts are noted and there are positive trends already in community engagement/involvement • Participant rating of their confidence to participate in community activities is rising for all groups including disabled people. • GOGA plays a wider role linking participants to others in their community Positively changing perceptions of disabled people • Personal perceptions of disabled people have been enhanced and most suggest this has been down to their GOGA experience • ‘Through GOGA I've learnt more about disabilities and how disabled people can exercise and enjoy the sessions’ GOGA Tayside participant

12. Future of GOGA Future of GOGA • Continue delivery to October 2023. • Continue to tackle a range of inequalities experienced in the sport and physical activity sector using the GOGA approach. • Embed GOGA locally to leave a lasting legacy. • Organisational change • Promote and share GOGA learning.

13. Supporting healthier, happier and more active lives

14. Contact details Contact details Helen Derby (GOGA programme Manger)- helend@activityalliance.org.uk Helen Newberry(GOGA workforce lead)- helenn@activityalliance.org.uk Website and further information: www.getoutgetactive.co.uk