SPORTS STADIUM AND COMMUNITY HEALTH Mike Parker Operations Manager mike.parker@heartofmersey.org.uk
WORKING ACROSS GREATER MERSEYSIDE
The HoM ALLIANCE HoM is financed by Sefton PCT and all staff employed by them. 5 Merseyside PCTs 6 Local Authorities Population 2 million
The Healthy Stadia Background Disasters in English football grounds led to a review of safety (the Taylor report) and to the concept of Healthy Stadia At the same time a whole settings approach for health interventions was developed in which changes are made to improve health where people live and work In 2006 this led HoM to look to develop the Healthy setting approach within sports stadia But why did we feel that this was a potential new setting?
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACCESS SPORTS STADIA Supporters Employees Conferences/Meetings Schools
Surrounded by dense, low quality housing Stadia often central hub of communities Strong loyalty to the club/stadia by the surrounding community TRADITIONALLY LOCATED IN LESS AFFLUENT AREAS
TARGET AUDIENCE Traditionally - high percentage of fans are working class Traditionally high percentage of fans are middle age men These groups are traditionally hard to target with healthy lifestyle messages These groups traditionally do not access health care services
DISPARITY IN SERVICES FOR THE PLAYERS State of the art indoor and outdoor training facilities, gyms, healthy catering, smoke free, first class medical services
FOR THE FANS AND COMMUNITY.
SPORTS MARKETING OF UNHEALTHY PRODUCTS Sport generally linked with unhealthy products fast food, carbonated drinks, alcohol, games consoles etc
A STADIA SETTING HAS Tobacco Consumption Physical Inactivity Nutrition Urban Regeneration Alcohol Mental Ill Health Health Inequalities POTENTIAL TO INFLUENCE
HEALTHY STADIA A healthy stadium is one which promotes the health of visitors, fans, players, employees and the surrounding community. It is a place where people can go to have a positive, healthy experience playing or watching sport and which promotes positive healthy opportunities in it s surrounding community
WORKING WITH SPORTS STADIA ON MERSEYSIDE
PLEDGE TO BECOME HEALTHIER STADIA To work towards a stadium that promotes the health of visitors, fans, players, employees and the surrounding community. To be a place where people can go to have a positive, healthy experience playing or watching sport.
Commitment to Partnership Urban Regeneration Food and drinks Industry Local Health Services SPORTS STADIUM Local Government Environmental Services Local Retail Community Consumer Organisations Transport Authorities
OUTCOMES 4 of the 6 stadia fully embraced the concept All 4 now have established steering group driving the project in their stadia Stadia committed to the Greater Merseyside Food Charter for their conferencing and banqueting menus and staff canteens (http://www.heartofmersey.org.uk/foodcharter/?page_id=3). Stadia now promoting the fruit and vegetable 5- a-day message to supporters and visitors.
OUTCOMES Sports Stars promoting and associating themselves with the concept Players diets and healthy eating messages are included on the club websites in a Healthy Stadia section. http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/club/healthy.htm Club plans for new stadium developments will include improved opportunities for offering healthier choices for supporters
OUTCOMES Stadia now deliver initiatives aimed at increasing physical activity in children through various community schemes Green Travel Plans are being developed in some stadia and cycle storage is now available at some sites Local health walks have been developed from stadia. All stadia are committed to becoming smoke free and are now looking to support those wishing to quit smoking
HEALTHY STADIA REPORT Full reports available to download on the Heart of Mersey website www.heartofmersey.org.uk
EUROPEAN PROGRAMME A successful proposal for a Sports Stadia and Community Health project was made to the European Union, in the framework of the Public Health Programme. Commenced 1 st July 2007 Partners across Europe Including: UK Netherlands Italy Spain Finland Poland Latvia Sweden Greece 36 collaborative partners
GENERAL OBJECTIVES 1. Demonstrate potential impact that sports stadiums can have on community health 2. Change approaches of stadiums in favour of promoting healthier practices and increasing their social responsibilities. 3. Apply a healthy settings approach, as previously adopted in schools, workplaces, cities etc., to sports stadiums. 4. Bring together a wide range of sports clubs and stadiums to share their experiences in promoting healthy lifestyles. 5. Recruit as many European Healthystadia as possible, reflecting a variety of sports and use the high profile and brands to reach large audiences and promote health messages.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES 1. Explore current good practice at stadia in promoting good health 2. Make recommendations for sports stadia to become health promoting 3. Develop and pilot a Healthystadia toolkit in varying European settings 4. Organise an international Healthystadia conference 5. Establish a Healthystadia network across participating European countries 6. Create and then raise awareness of the European Healthystadia brand 7. Achieve media coverage and the support of key sports advocates
Work Packages Project Coordination To ensure the project is delivered and that all the work packages meet their objectives and outputs Dissemination Disseminate the results and promote their exploitation Evaluation Monitor and evaluate the process of the project and assess the output of the project against the measurable objectives
Work Packages Audit of Current Good Practice collation, summary and assessment of current practice which promotes community health at sports stadia across Europe Developing a website A website will be developed to promote the project and to aid dissemination and evaluation www.healthystadia.eu Develop and Pilot a Healthy Stadia Toolkit A new European Healthy Stadia Toolkit will be developed to support partnership development and inform stadia partnerships on the steps required to make specific health improvements. Organisation of international conference
Time Scales Workpackage Work package title Lead partner Number of person days Starting date Ending date WP 1 Coordination of the project Sefton Primary Care Trust, Heart of Mersey 576 M 1 M 30 WP 2 Dissemination of the results Medical University Lodz 180 M 6 M 30 WP 3 Evaluation of the project University of Pavia 183 M 1 M 30 WP 4 Audit of Existing Good Practice International Sport Projects Association, Oravais 152 M 1 M 22 WP 5 WP 6 Developing and maintaining a website Develop and Pilot a Healthy Stadia Toolkit Andalusian Centre for Sport Medicine 152 M 1 M 28 Province of Flevoland 598 M 9 M 24 WP 7 Organisation of international conference Sefton Primary Care Trust, Heart of Mersey 98 M 6 M 26
FUNDING GLOBAL COST: Total Project Funding approximately - 885,000 Euros EC funding @ 60% - 530,000 Euros
FURTHER INFORMATION Website www.heartofmersey.org.uk Email mike.parker@heartofmersey.org.uk Telephone +44 (0)151 9287820
This paper was produced for a meeting organized by Health & Consumer Protection DG and represents the views of its author on the subject. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission's or Health & Consumer Protection DG's views. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.