About this project

What is it?

#EasierToBeActive is a national online conversation for anyone with a passion in making it easier for people with health conditions to be active and stay active. We need your input, your experience and your ideas for what could be improved to better support, empower and inspire those of us with health conditions to be active. Together we will build up a picture of how we can work together to shape the design, provision and promotion of services so that the system makes it easier for everyone to be active.

Why have you asked me to take part?

This national online conversation is for anyone with a passion for empowering and inspiring those of us with health conditions to be active. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Those of us with health conditions, our carers, families and friends
  • Those who support people with health conditions to get active: sport and exercise professionals, fitness instructors, coaches, health and social care professionals, volunteers, peer supporters
  • Those who provide, design and commission physical activity and health and care services

What is involved?

You will need to register for the online conversation. By doing this,  you are giving permission for the anonymised data you  share to be included as part of the high-level analysis (your responses will never be shared or reported at an individual level). If you want to know more about how we will use any data collected, please see our privacy statement.

The first online conversation ran from 16 March 2020 - 29 May 2020. 

The second online conversation will be open from 10 - 31 May 2021. Here you can read, vote and comment  on ideas shared by others, and add your own ideas. You can do this at a time that suits you.

A report of findings and anonymised comments will  be shared with the researchers at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

A participatory action research approach is being used for this study. Participatory methods seek to enable ordinary people to play an active and influential part in decisions which affect their lives. This means that people are listened to and their voices shape the outcomes. Possible benefits are being part of work which aims to co-produce guidance to make it easier for those of us with long term health conditions to be active.

What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?

There are no anticipated negative consequences to taking part in the project.

How is the online conversation analysed?

All contributions, no matter how large or small, will be downloaded and read by Clever Together for analysis. They will then develop an iterative coding frame and use qualitative thematic analysis to identify key themes and trends. Clever Together will produce a summary report to represent the views from the online conversation, highlighting main areas of discussion, strength of opinion and outlining recommendations.

Who will know if I take part in the online workshop and what I've said?

The online conversations are managed by Clever Together and no one will be able to identify you, not even the Clever Together team unless you share any personal, abusive or offensive content. We welcome uncomfortable and controversial ideas but personal, abusive or offensive content will not be tolerated and Clever Together will contact you if this is the case. Clever Together work independently and will not share instances when they have had to contact users.

Who can I contact to learn more about this online workshop?

This online workshop is being facilitated by our partners, Clever Together. If you have questions about next steps and how the data will be used, you can reach them by emailing facilitation@clevertogether.com.

Who can I contact if I am having difficulty?

If you're having difficulty using the platform, or experience any problems, please email Clever Together directly at support@clevertogether.com - they'll respond promptly. If you would like to know more about Clever Together please visit www.clevertogether.com

Who has reviewed this study?

The study has been reviewed and approval granted by the ethics committee at Sheffield Hallam University.

Study results

Together we will co-create guidance for the sport and physical activity sector to improve the experience of being active for people with health conditions. This guidance will be developed through the voice and insights shared in the online workshop, and triangulated with existing evidence and policy. It is also planned to share the findings of the research in suitable academic journals and to present at relevant conferences.  For these, the involvement of the crowd in the co-design will be acknowledged. This is in keeping with participatory research guidelines. All analysis and any data made public will be anonymous.

How will my information be kept confidential?

The online engagement activity will be managed by Clever Together. Any ideas or comments submitted in the discussion platform will be visible to others taking part in the activity. Personal details will not be visible.  A link to the Clever Together information policy can be found on the lower left hand corner of the screen.

Who will be responsible for all of the information when this study is over?

On completion of the study all of the study data will be transferred from Clever Together to the study team at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University. The data will be transferred and stored using secure processes and only accessed by members of the study team.

Data Protection

Sheffield Hallam University undertakes research as part of its function for the community under its legal status. Data protection allows us to use personal data for research with appropriate safeguards in place under the legal basis of public tasks that are in the public interest.  A full statement of your rights can be found here. However, all University research is reviewed to ensure that participants are treated appropriately and their rights respected. This study was approved by UREC with Converis number AA17469975. Further information is available here.  

Further questions?

Do take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.

Please contact Catherine Homer c.homer@shu.ac.uk or 0114 2255815 if you have any further questions

You should contact the Data Protection Officer if:

  • you have a query about how your data is used by the University
  • you would like to report a data security breach (e.g. if you think your personal data has been lost or disclosed inappropriately) you would like to complain about how the University has used your personal data

DPO@shu.ac.uk

You should contact the Head of Research Ethics (Professor Ann Macaskill) if:

  • you have concerns with how the research was undertaken or how you were treated

a.macaskill@shu.ac.uk