Unlocking the Potential of Physical Activity: A Response from Sport for Confidence

 

At Sport for Confidence, we were genuinely encouraged to see this ambition reflected in NHS England’s latest message. It signals a welcome shift — one that places physical activity at the centre of how we think about health, prevention and equity. 

 

But we must not underestimate the shift involved in embedding physical activity meaningfully into health systems. As Lord Darzi’s Independent Investigation clearly states, the NHS is under significant pressure following years of underinvestment and fragmentation. The focus of the NHS has historically been on treating ill health, rather than creating the conditions that help people stay well in the first place. But the values that the NHS is built on, including equitable access and improving lives through innovation, support the change to a more preventative approach with services available within communities, meeting people where they are. 

 

 

The Neighbourhood Health Guidelines for 2025/26 describe an approach that is person-centred, place-based and focused on prevention. These are values we have embedded in our practice for over a decade. 

 

At Sport for Confidence, we bring together healthcare professionals, physical activity and people with lived experience to create inclusive, accessible environments where movement is meaningful. For us, physical activity is not something to be prescribed — it is a way for people to connect, to participate in their communities, and to live with purpose. 

 

 

In Nottinghamshire, NHS Foundation Trust allied health professionals are working alongside our team in community leisure settings, using movement to support individuals in a space where they feel safe, connected, and included. People share what’s meaningful to them with their NHS professional, set goals together that work towards engagement in those meaningful activities, and meet their therapy goals while having fun. 

 

Clinical outcomes are achieved — not in a hospital or clinic, but in an environment where belonging comes first, and participants can continue to access opportunities for physical activity long after their involvement with the NHS team is complete. Health professionals describe working in this way as the most fulfilling part of their role. It works for those receiving care, it works for NHS staff, and it has further benefits; for example supporting the Greener NHS targets by reducing travel to patient homes, as multiple participants can be seen at one location. 

 

This is not about replacing clinical care — it’s about reshaping where and how it happens, to benefit those accessing services. And that requires new kinds of collaboration. 

 

We are calling on health professionals to recognise the critical role they can play in this space. As professional connectors, occupational therapists are well placed to link the health system with community, sport and leisure sectors. This is about more than promoting activity — it’s about enabling people to participate in life in ways that matter to them. As occupational therapists, we understand the link between what people do (their occupations) and their health; there are very few meaningful activities that we can do without moving, so promoting health through facilitating meaningful movement is at the heart of our practice. 

 

To make this shift, we need to expand where healthcare happens. That means meeting people in the places they already are — in leisure centres, parks, and community settings — and bringing clinical skills into those spaces in a way that is timely, appropriate, and led by the person. 

 

The direction is clear. The tools are available. And there is growing appetite across sectors to work together.