Sefton Borough has been named the least active in Merseyside in the latest Active Lives adult survey.
Sport England’s annual survey recorded a 32.5% inactivity rate in Sefton, a 3.5% increase since last year’s results.
Sefton suffered a 2.8% loss in the ‘active’ rate with an overall 57.4% only bettering Knowsley at 56.1%.
One in five residents in Sefton live in the most deprived 10% of England according to Sefton council.
The latest Active Lives figures show the biggest divide in active adults based on socio-economic group in seven years.
The Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines of 150 minutes or more of moderate physical activity per week determines the active rate.
Adults with 30 minutes or less of moderate physical activity fall into the inactive category.
Overall, Merseyside has a active rate of 60.5%, with the North West showing a 1.7% increase over the last seven years.
Sport England’s Plan
Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of Sport England released a statement on how they will tackle the gap in socioeconomic status.
“At the moment, how likely you are to be active depends too much on your bank balance and your postcode.
“That’s why we will continue to target our investment in places where it can make the biggest difference and on the groups who have most to gain.
“Yet we know we can’t fix this alone. A collective approach across Government is essential.
“Get Active has ambitious targets for participation levels, and they will only be met if – through the National Physical Activity Taskforce and other mechanisms – we see a better join-up in policy and delivery.
“We look forward to playing our part and building on the progress already made.”
Sport England have committed £250 million to invest in communities with high deprivation rates.
