Since going live in May 2022, YouMove has supported 6,208 individuals from 1,697 families across Oxfordshire, playing a huge role in helping families become more active together. With the release of our first 1-year report, we're taking a look at how YouMove has helped residents over the past 12 months.

YouMove provides free or subsidised sports and leisure activities for families in Oxfordshire, who may otherwise not have access to these opportunities to be active together. The programme is funded by Oxfordshire County Council Public Health and is coordinated by Active Oxfordshire, in partnership with district councils and 66 different organisations across the county.

YouMove helps families become active in a number of different ways, from activities provided by local leisure centres and sports clubs across Oxfordshire, to access to outdoor spaces like Harcourt Arboretum, Beale Park, and Blenheim Palace. Families are supported by local YouMove Activators in each district, who provide advice, support, and guidance about what is available, and help to find the right activities for each family.

Who is YouMove helping?

• 6,208 individuals from 1,697 families
• 3,053 school-aged children
• 2,478 children in receipt of free school meals (81% of our 2-year target, achieved within first year). Overall, 16% of children in receipt of free school meals in Oxfordshire are enrolled with YouMove.
• 273 children from low-income families, 21 young carers, and 37 children in need
• 24% of YouMove participants state having a disability.
• 20 of the 115 wards in Oxfordshire account for 50% of registrations, including 7 of our 10 priority neighbourhoods.

How has YouMove helped participating families?

• 48% of YouMove participants have increased their level of physical activity since joining.
• The average increase in adults is 73 minutes per week, and in children is 122 minutes per week.
• There has been a 39% increase in the number of YouMove adults achieving the recommended Chief Medical Officer activity levels at 6 months, and 20% increase in the number of children.
• 55% of adults and 40% of children report improvements in their wellbeing and happiness after 6 months of being engaged with YouMove.

YouMove has delivered 192 sessions, including 'Have a Go' days whereby families can try different sports available at clubs in their local area.

"I love the fact that you have this programme opening up families to a whole new range of activities and this helps combat loneliness too."

Not only has YouMove helped participating families to increase their activity levels, but the programme also helps families spend time together, increase socialising, achieve a healthy weight and has a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing. Nearly 70% of families have commented on the significant benefits of being active and how physical activity has helped with improvements in self-confidence, weight loss, and better quality to sleep from the increase in activity.

"Getting the kids out and moving is definitely a positive towards their mental and physical health."

"It's made me fall in love with the link between exercise and mental well-being. It's helped my family so much."

"It has changed our lifestyle for the better and we gained more self-confidence."

Inclusion and accessibility

YouMove helps to create opportunities to be active where access to outdoor spaces and physical activity is more difficult. YouMove has also helped to increase activity levels for disabled children, where opportunities to partake in sports or be active may be inaccessible or more difficult for families. The programme has had a huge positive impact on parents being able to take their families on days out together or being able to provide a means of regular exercise or sport.

To hear from more YouMove families and further understand the impact of YouMove, please download the full report.

Thank you to Oxfordshire County Council Public Health for funding YouMove, and to district councils and 66+ organisations for working collectively together to support families in most need. To find out more about YouMove, please visit https://www.activeoxfordshire.org/youmove-low-cost-and-free-activi.