CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council’s Leisure team, Actif Sport and Leisure, is thrilled to announce that their project, ‘Beat the Street’, has been honoured with the prestigious Most Influential Campaign award in Welsh Sports Association (WSA) first-ever Sports Industry Awards.
‘Beat the Street’, aimed at tackling health inequalities in the Llanelli area, has made a significant impact on the community and has been recognised for its innovative approach and successful outcomes.
The ‘Beat the Street’ campaign aimed to address high levels of inactivity, poor mental health, obesity, and related issues such as heart disease and diabetes. To ensure the project’s success, a multi-agency steering group was formed, comprising 20 partners from various sectors including leisure, play, education, active travel, community, regeneration, health, sports development, and local councils.
Powered by Intelligent Health, ‘Beat the Street’ introduced a simple yet effective concept. Participants registered to receive a game-card, which they used to tap against 61 strategically located boxes in Llanelli. By engaging in activities such as walking, running, scooting, or cycling, players earned points, won prizes, and explored their surroundings. The campaign harnessed the power of digital technology to create an innovative, community-wide, game-based challenge that encouraged children, families, and adults to get active and spend time outdoors.
Cllr. Gareth John, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure Culture and Tourism said: “’Beat the Street’ has been a catalyst for community involvement and collaboration among key partners and stakeholders. As a result of the project, the ‘Tackling Health Inequalities in Llanelli’ steering group was established to ensure the legacy of the project and continue the work in addressing health disparities.”
The project’s impact was truly remarkable. Over 6,500 individuals, accounting for 13% of the total population, participated in the campaign, collectively traveling 43,844 motor-free miles. This resulted in an estimated reduction of 12.04 tons in CO2 emissions. Prior to registration, 40% of adults were inactive, but following ‘Beat the Street,’ 45% of previously inactive adults reported becoming more active. Overall, there was a 6% decline in participants reporting inactivity and a 6% increase in those achieving 150+ minutes of activity per week. Additionally, visits to green spaces increased by 24% as a direct result of the project.
One of the most significant outcomes of ‘Beat the Street’ was the improvement in life satisfaction and worthwhileness among adults. The proportion of adults experiencing high or very high levels of satisfaction and worthwhileness increased by 6% overall. For adults living in areas of high deprivation, the project yielded even more impressive results, with a 7% increase in satisfaction levels and a remarkable 12% increase in worthwhileness levels.
The project’s digital engagement statistics were also highly positive, and the campaign gained support from Welsh cycling legend Geraint Thomas, who commended the initiative for its positive impact on the community.
Actif and the entire project team were proud to accept the ‘Most influential campaign award at the first ever WSA Sports Industry Awards held at Parkgate Hotel, Cardiff on Thursday 8 June. This recognition serves as a testament to the transformative power of community engagement, collaborative partnerships, and innovative approaches to addressing health inequalities. Actif remains committed to its mission of improving wellbeing through inspiring our population to be active for life.
