England is facing a growing inactivity divide, with where you live increasingly determining how healthy and active your life will be. New analysis showed that in the most deprived communities, more than one in three adults are inactive, compared with around one in five in the wealthiest areas. These same places are seeing some of the lowest life expectancies in the country. Sport England’s announcement of a major expansion into 27 new areas aimed to confront that gap head-on and bring physical activity back into the heart of local communities.
Challenge
• Inactivity is becoming entrenched in deprived areas, driving long-term illness and shorter lives
• Health inequalities are deeply local, requiring place-specific solutions rather than national messaging alone
• The campaign needed to land as a serious public health intervention, not a one-day announcement
Key Statistics
• 3,096 broadcast opportunities nationwide
• 1.16 billion total reach across TV, radio and online
• 27 new areas selected based on the deepest health and activity inequalities
• More than one in three adults inactive in England’s most deprived communities
Action
The campaign focused on combining stark national data with strong local relevance. Broadcast interviews highlighted how inactivity is linked to shorter life expectancy, poorer mental health and reduced life chances, particularly for children and young people. Coverage consistently connected the £250 million investment to named towns and cities, helping audiences understand what the announcement meant for their own area. Strong performances on LBC and repeated plays on Sky News Radio ensured the issue stayed in the news cycle well beyond launch day, while regional BBC and ITV coverage reinforced the message that solutions must be community-led and locally shaped.
Results
• Over 3,000 broadcast opportunities across national and regional outlets
• Reach exceeding 1.1 billion across radio, TV and online
• High-frequency coverage on Sky News Radio and LBC drove sustained national attention
• Extensive localised reporting across BBC and ITV connected national policy to lived experience
• Clear positioning of physical activity as a tool to reduce inequality, not just improve fitness
Key Takeaways
• Framing inactivity as a social inequality issue broadened the conversation beyond sport
• Local detail made a complex national programme feel relevant and urgent
• Repetition across trusted news outlets helped shift the narrative from awareness to action
• Place-based investment resonates when communities are shown at the centre of the solution
