How A New Agreement In South Yorkshire Plans To Tackle Health And Boost Wellbeing Through Sport

Ever think about how where you live might affect, well, how long you live? It sounds a bit mad, but it’s a real thing. And in some parts of our country, the difference is huge. But some big news from 18th July 2025 shows there’s a massive plan to change that, right here in South Yorkshire.

A groundbreaking new agreement has been signed that’s all about using sport and physical activity to improve everyone’s health. It’s a huge team-up, and it includes the launch of the UK’s very first Sport Legacy Institute. Sounds fancy, but what it really means is better health and wellbeing for the whole community.

A pretty shocking truth about South Yorkshire

Let's get straight to it. The Mayor of South Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, laid it out pretty clearly. He said something that really makes you stop and think.

Coppard said: "In South Yorkshire, where you're born can still determine how long you live. In some cases, that difference can be as much as 20 years. That’s not just unfair, it has to be unacceptable."

Twenty years. That’s a massive difference in life expectancy just based on your postcode. And the Mayor is determined to do something about it. His goal? To make South Yorkshire the healthiest region in the country. A big ambition, for sure. But he knows he can't do it alone. This is where the power of teamwork comes in. This new plan is a huge public-private partnership. That just means the government and local services (the public side) are joining forces with businesses (the private side) to get things done. In this case, it’s the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, NHS South Yorkshire, Sport England, and Westfield Health all signing an agreement to work together. This partnership is all about improving health outcomes across the region.

So what's the big plan?

This isn't just a handshake and a photo op. On the 18th of July 2025, they signed what’s called a 'memorandum of understanding'. It’s basically a formal agreement that says, "Right, we're all in this together, and here's what we're going to focus on." They’ve created a proper blueprint for change, focusing on prevention – stopping people from getting sick in the first place – rather than just treating them afterwards. And a key part of this prevention plan is getting people moving more through sport and physical activity.

Their blueprint has six main goals:

• Health: Simply put, helping people live longer, healthier lives. And making sport and physical activity a normal part of everyone’s routine for better wellbeing.
• Growth: Getting more people into jobs related to sport and helping local businesses in the sector grow. A healthier community means a healthier economy.
• Children and young people: Making sure every school is an ‘active school’. Giving kids a great, healthy start is a massive part of the plan.
• Walking, wheeling and cycling: Making it easier and safer for everyone to walk, use a wheelchair, scoot, or cycle. It’s about more than just exercise; it’s about independence.
• Communities: Creating places where everyone, and I mean everyone, feels safe and happy to get active. Using sport to bring the whole community together.
• Innovation: Coming up with new, clever ideas to use physical activity to improve life for everyone, especially those who need the most support. This is where real change happens.

Enter the Sport Legacy Institute

Okay, this is the really exciting bit. Alongside the big agreement, they’ve launched something completely new for the UK: the Sport Legacy Institute. It’s a £7 million project, funded by a partnership between the public sector (the local authority) and a private company, Westfield Health. The council is putting in £2 million of investment, with Westfield Health adding at least £5 million more.

So what is it? Think of the Sport Legacy Institute like a giant ideas lab. It’s going to be based at the Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield and will be the UK’s first region-wide testbed for health. A 'testbed' is just a place to try out new ideas to see what works best. They'll be experimenting with new ways to use sport, technology, and community projects to boost health and wellbeing. It's all about innovation and finding what really makes a difference to people's lives. The whole point is to attract more investment into the region and create a real, positive social impact. This institute is a core part of the blueprint for better health outcomes in South Yorkshire.

What are the big players saying?

The Mayor is obviously passionate about this. He’s not just talking about hospitals and medicine.

He said: "Because health isn't just about hospitals and this partnership is about more than just sport. It’s about how we live our lives, the choices we make, the systems that support us, and the place that we live. It's about creating an ecosystem of innovation, research, and opportunity - so we can improve health, grow our economy, and build a stronger, fairer South Yorkshire that’s fit for the future."

And it's not just the Mayor who's excited. Tim Hollingsworth, the boss at Sport England, is fully behind this regional approach. He said: "This partnership is a powerful demonstration of what can happen when we join forces at a regional level and look at challenges through the lens of whole system change. Our shared commitment to unlocking the role of movement, sport and physical activity will improve lives and strengthen communities across South Yorkshire."

Dave Capper, the chief executive of Westfield Health, sees this as a chance for business to do some real good. This private investment is key to the whole project. He added: "This partnership is a true convergence of public, private, and academic sectors, forming an innovation ecosystem with a shared mission: to do good, better... It creates a unique flywheel effect, where our success is measured not just in business growth, but in the social impact we generate. As the UK's first region-wide testbed for health prevention, it sets a blueprint for others to follow, rooted in South Yorkshire but designed for global scale."

More than just a kickabout in the park

This whole thing is about a bigger vision. The work done at the Sport Legacy Institute isn't meant to just stay in South Yorkshire. The hope is that this becomes a model for the whole country, and maybe even the world. Westfield Health is even looking at creating a massive social impact fund of up to £50 million to take the lessons learned from this testbed and scale them up. This could have a huge effect on the local economy and long-term growth.

So, this is a massive deal. It’s a bold new partnership that brings together public services and private business to tackle a really serious problem. It’s about community, innovation, and giving everyone a fair shot at a long, healthy life. It’s about making South Yorkshire a leader in health and wellbeing, proving that focusing on prevention and physical activity can change everything. It’s more than just sport; it's a blueprint for a healthier future. And that’s something we can all get behind.