The Community & Leisure Cabinet Committee of Gravesham Borough Council met on Tuesday, 9 September 2025, to discuss updates on the Gravesham Health Alliance, the Sport, Leisure and Active Recreation Strategy, and corporate performance. The committee was also scheduled to review the Corporate Register of Partnerships. A presentation on the New Tavern Fort Project was also scheduled.

Sport, Leisure and Active Recreation Strategy Update

The committee was scheduled to discuss the progress of the five-year Sport, Leisure and Active Recreation Strategy, launched in October 2022. The strategy has three key outcomes:

• Reduce health inequalities and increase participation levels
• Develop a network of accessible, flexible, sustainable, and inclusive facilities
• Provide a programme of activities and interventions that will be attractive to all

The report pack included an action plan for 2025/26, with updates on initiatives underway. These included:

• Cascades 2: The Memorandum of Understanding for the allocated LUF¹ funding of £20m from MHCLG² was formally signed in June 2025. Willmott Dixon were contracted under a Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) to develop the scheme further.
• Football Foundation funding: Financial support has been given to football leagues to improve 20 council-owned pitches across 4 sites.
• Tennis Court Refurbishments: Works on the seven council-owned tennis courts across three sites in the borough at Windmill Hill, Wombwell Park and Woodlands Park were completed in May 2025 following the £120k investment from the Lawn Tennis Association.
• Springhead Recreation Ground: Pitch levelling works were signed off in June 2025, funded via Section 106³ money.
• Head in the Game: A 12-week football programme began in September 2024 at Kedbull Leisure, aimed at promoting men's mental health.
• She's A Leader: The second phase of the female coaching project ran between 3 October and 23 December 2024.
• HAF (Holiday and Food) programme: Delivered by Sports4Change at Wombwell Pavilion over 4 days during the school Christmas holidays.
• Sports, Health and Wellbeing Network: The annual network event took place on 15 January 2025, with over 50 participants.
• Good Boost: Weekly classes launched at Cascades Leisure Centre in January 2025, utilising advanced technology and AI, targeted at those with long term health conditions and muscular-skeletal problems.
• Girls Football event: In partnership with the Gravesham School Games Organiser and Barclays Girls Football School Partnership, around 250 young girls from local schools took part in a day filled with football matches, skills development and games at Legends Sports.
• Diverse to Unite: Beginning in January and working with The Gravesham and Dartford Muslim Association, the free 10 week programme at Wombwell Park supported men aged 16+ to increase activity levels and improve mental health.
• Level The Playing Field: Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, during March 2025 Gravesham Borough Council was able to support local sports clubs to upskill their coaching volunteers.
• Game On Youth Academy: Funded by Gravesham Borough Council and delivered by Gravesend Ladies Hockey Club, the eight week, free to attend multi-sport program was aimed at participants aged 6 to 14 years.
• Park Fitness: Free classes began at the end of April and will continue until the end of September with the aim of increasing the physical fitness levels of participants whilst showcasing some of the open spaces in the borough.
• Summer Fun: Delivery of the council's annual Summer Fun programme with the focus on free sport and recreation themed activities in local parks.

Gravesham Health Alliance & Sport England Place Based Partnership

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the development of the Gravesham Health Alliance and the Sport England Place Based Partnership.

The Kent & Medway Integrated Care Partnership was formed in 2022, and in July 2024, the Kent & Medway Integrated Health Strategy was adopted. In November 2023 Sport England announced a £250 million package of investment into Place Partnerships. Gravesham was one of the first areas to be included in their Place Based Partnership programme, focusing on two specific MSOAs⁴ within Gravesham – Northfleet North and Westcourt.

Active Kent & Medway are the lead organisation and, in conjunction with partners including Gravesham Borough Council, have developed an award proposal for the first of a 2-stage funding process which includes:

• Staff resources to include project coordination, monitoring & evaluation
• Review of existing data and knowledge
• System mapping
• Community connection
• Stakeholder engagement
• Leadership development
• Action planning and early test and learn interventions

It was proposed that the governance structure for the Health Alliance and Place-Based work will develop alongside the leadership development programme which is expected to take place in October/November 2025.

Corporate Performance Report: Q1 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to receive an update against the Performance Management Framework, as introduced within the council's Corporate Plan, for Quarter One 2025-26 (April to June 2025).

Main activities delivered by the Community Safety Unit (CSU) during Quarter 1 included:

• Tailored Safeguarding training
• Multi-agency work to address ASB⁵
• Applications for external funding to support several community safety initiatives
• Support for community events: Vaisakhi (12 April) and Eid (15 June)
• Events in support of ASB Awareness Week

Discussions were progressing with Homes England regarding a second phase of £100K funding to progress phases 1 and 3 of the Town Centre Feasibility Study. There were two grant streams open for application – St Andrew's Quayside Activation and the Town Centre Twilight Economy scheme - offering totals of £66,000 funding. The second tranche and Shopfront Improvement Grants were also shortly to be opened.

Across April and May, the Leisure Team attended three community events to promote the Everyday Active and Active Gravesham campaigns. With support from AKM, Explore Kent, and EDC, along with funding from the UKSPF grant, four new free 'Park Fitness' outdoor exercises classes were being held.

On Friday 23 May, 75 children from Cecil Road, Higham, and Shears Green primary schools participated at an event at Wombwell tennis courts. On Wednesday 28 May there was a grand opening for the community at Wombwell tennis Courts.

GBC funded the Game on Youth Academy to conduct an eight-week free to attend multi-sport program for children aged 6 to 14 years, from 21 May 2025.

During the May half term, three engaging activities were organised to promote the National Nature Reserve in Gravesham.

The Health & Wellbeing Team engaged with 200 people at the GBC Tenants' association event held at Northfleet School for Girls. 21 people were supported to do a 4-miles walk along the King Charles III Coastal Path, from Northfleet Train Station to Gravesend Promenade.

During Q1 there were 21 engagement activities across the borough including a number of diverse and inclusive community events such as Vaisakhi and International Roma Day and commemorations for Armed Forces Day and VE Day including flag raising.

A bid writer has been appointed to work on the National Heritage Lottery Fund Development Bid for New Tavern Fort, due to be submitted in February 2026. The Chantry and the Fort have re-opened to visitors in April, on Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5pm. Gad's Hill Place re-opened to visitors as well, one weekend a month with their guided tours of Charles Dickens' House.

This quarter has been marked by strong performance across multiple areas of operations at The Woodville, reflecting both audience engagement and programming choices.

The Arts and Culture team have had a busy and successful few months, offering a wide variety of events, workshops and activities for all ages across outside spaces, new venues and existing art spaces.

Corporate Register of Partnerships

The committee was scheduled to be informed of the council's involvement in partnerships that are within the remit of the committee. The council has a Corporate Register of Partnerships and Shared Working Arrangements which provides a central record of partnerships in which the council is involved.

The partnerships and joint working arrangements that most directly relate to the work of the Community & Leisure Committee are as follows:

• Gravesend Historical Society
• North West Kent Countryside Partnership
• Thames Defence Heritage

An additional partnership will be added in due course to reflect the work being led by Active Kent & Medway on behalf of partners across Gravesham, including the Council, in response to funding awarded from Sport England to improve levels of activity in the areas of North Northfleet and Westcourt.