What is #EasierToBeActive all about?

#EasierToBeActive is a national online conversation for anyone with a passion in making it easier for those of us with health conditions to be active and stay active.

One in three adults in England live with a long-term health condition and those of us that have them are twice as likely to be amongst the least physically active.

There are a range of barriers preventing people with conditions from getting active, including personal barriers like confidence and the unpredictability of conditions. There are also external barriers, that are often practical or logistical challenges, within the sport and physical activity system itself.

We know that being active can make a significant positive impact on our health and wellbeing, and help to manage conditions, reduce the impact and severity of symptoms and increase our quality and length of life.

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.

What is an online conversation?

An online conversation is similar to a physical workshop but it’s more flexible and inclusive, which is really important where we have people located across the country. It uses a digital crowdsourcing approach - a virtual room in which participants can join in from any internet-connected device to have their voice heard, over a three week period, any time day or night.

Participants will be able to share their experience and ideas in a safe, anonymous online space. They can also read, comment and vote on the ideas that others have shared.

The online conversation is anonymous so that everyone can safely express their individual views, and ideas are judged on their merit, rather than by who suggested them, so even the quieter voices can be heard.

Who should get involved?

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:

• People with lived experience of health conditions, their 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, commission and deliver physical activity and health and care services

What difference will #EasierToBeActive make and who’s behind it?

#EasierToBeActive will make it easier for those of us with health conditions to get involved in sport and physical activity.

This exciting project is being led by the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University and the National Centre for Sport & Exercise Medicine – Sheffield, with support from Sport England and Public Health England.

We will listen to what you tell us, communicate with you regularly, clearly and quickly about what we’ve learned from the collective insights you’ve shared, and turn this into guidance that the sector has co-created.

Together we will empower people with health conditions to get active, stay active, and live longer, better quality lives.

What is the product that will be delivered from this conversation?

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.

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.