Purpose

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.
 
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory
Services I agree:
 

·        
To ENDORSE Kent County Council acting as the accountable and host
body for the Active Kent & Medway Partnership and permit the
acceptance of funding to support the delivery of the Kent &
Medway Strategic Framework for Sport and Physical Activity
2023-2027. (Move Together - ActiveKent)
 

·        
To ENDORSE the Kent County Council and Active Kent & Medway
Memorandum of Understanding for Hosting 2023-2027.
 

·        
To DELEGATE authority to the Director of Growth and Communities in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory
Services and the S151 Officer or Cabinet Member for Finance to
accept and deploy grants and other external funding to support the
delivery of the Kent & Medway Strategic Framework for Sport and
Physical Activity; including future years allocations, providing it
is on the same terms and conditions as previous grant funding.
 

·        
To DELEGATE authority to the Director of Growth and Communities to
take necessary actions including but not limited to entering into
relevant contracts, or other legal agreements to implement this
decision.