Somerset has secured nearly £1.5 million through Sport England’s Place Expansion programme, marking a major step forward in tackling inequalities in physical activity, health and wellbeing across our coastal communities. The £1,498,289 award for the Somerset Coastal Place Partnership builds on a £230,000 development grant announced in November 2025, when Somerset was selected as one of 27 places to join the national programme. The Somerset Coastal Strip is now among 90 Place Partnerships nationwide benefiting from Sport England’s £250 million investment initiative.
Covering communities along the coast from Porlock to Burnham-on-Sea, including Bridgwater, the investment will support long-term work to allow sport, physical activity and movement to be more accessible to everyone. It will focus on the communities facing the greatest barriers to being active, including challenges linked to cost, confidence, transport, health conditions and a lack of local opportunities.
The funding represents a shift away from traditional, short-term programmes towards a long-term, place-based approach that works with communities, organisations and local leaders to create the conditions for everyday movement. Rather than simply providing more activities, the partnership will focus on changing the systems and environments around people so that being active becomes a realistic and supported part of daily life.
The programme builds on several years of insight, collaboration and local learning across Somerset, helping partners identify where inequality is most concentrated and what needs to change to create lasting impact. The Somerset Coastal Place Partnership brings together organisations and leaders from across health, local government, education and the voluntary sector to deliver a coordinated response built around shared priorities.
Some of the key deliverables include:
- Stronger local leadership and governance
A dedicated place-based leadership model will bring together organisations and communities, with decision-making shaped by lived experience and local insight.
- Community-led delivery through local organisations
Up to 30 locally trusted organisations each year will be supported to lead activity within their own communities, strengthening local capacity and reach.
- Integrated support for families facing inequality
Multi-agency teams will work directly with families in areas such as Bridgwater to build confidence, improve wellbeing and support more active lifestyles.
- Better integration with health and care systems
Physical activity will be embedded into healthcare pathways, supporting prevention, self-management and improved quality of life, particularly for older adults and those with long-term conditions.
- Safer, more accessible community spaces and opportunities
New community-led activity, youth engagement, green space activation and active travel initiatives will create more opportunities for people to be active locally.
- A new digital ‘front door’ for activity
A county-wide activity finder with booking and payment functionality will make it easier for residents to find and access opportunities in one place.
At the heart of this work is a clear focus on changing the systems that shape behaviour, not just individual choices. The partnership will work to strengthen collaboration across organisations and sectors, embed community voice in decision-making, improve links between health, community and local services, and build the infrastructure, pathways and shared learning needed to support long-term change. This full award marks an important milestone for Somerset, but it is only the beginning.
If you would like further information about the Somerset Coastal Place Partnership, please contact Place Manager Hayley Bullock on hbullock@sasp.co.uk
As the accountable body for the Somerset Coastal Place Partnership, Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) plays a central role in bringing partners together, connecting organisations, communities and local leaders to turn shared ideas, energy and ambition into coordinated action and lasting change.