Community events across our portfolio are increasing characterised by movement, sports and physical activity – some intentionally like the Youth Games events at Priors Hall Park and Houlton but also through family fun days and wider community events which feature in all of our communities, where the creation of our outdoor spaces are proving inspiration for activation with giant inflatables, team sports and group exercise forming the centrepiece for fun! 

Our approach to early infrastructure delivery makes this possible – big, open parks, playgrounds, walking and cycling routes, and sports pitches that can host everything from local cricket matches to outdoor fitness classes as well as the big summer fun days which so importantly signal that our places are alive and welcoming. The yoga lawn at Houlton, outdoor gym at PHP, Transform Middlebeck exercise hub and water sports on the lake at Waterbeach encourage physical activity to be woven into daily life in our places. 

What is also woven into the places is a consistent approach to community development, where our teams work with local groups and community leaders to devise events programmes that bring all of our spaces into use and through fun engagement, place emphasis on health and wellbeing. The ‘People of Houlton’ network has an incredible 50% of its groups dedicated to some form of sport and exercise theme. 

In Cambridgeshire, a focus for the team is supporting local people to take the lead – helping residents set up their own clubs and events, offer training and small grants, and stay in touch to make sure those ideas keep growing. Over time, this has helped create confident, active communities that shape their own neighbourhoods, and the impact has been clear! Residents say they feel more connected, healthier, and prouder of where they live. Shared spaces that once felt ‘new’ are now buzzing with activity – kids playing, families walking and people chatting after a fitness session or community game.

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