UKSPF project: North Wales – Active, Healthy and Happy

Project lead: Actif North Wales

This project covers more than one local authority.

This project is being funded in the UKSPF transition year.

Find out more about the UKSPF transitional year.

Project overview

Local people often hold the keys to unlocking long lasting, positive change within their communities. Our aim is to work at a local level to better understand the challenges and barriers people face to being active and in doing so having "good health and wellbeing".

We’ll test new ways of working that are:

community led
sustainable and innovative
supporting and empowering local people’s involvement in decision making
co-creating local solutions to help them to move more

Informed by health, wellbeing, and inequalities data, we’ll work in partnership with Local Authorities (LAs) to identify communities (two in each LA) that most need our help to enable levelling up around the health and wellbeing of the population.

Building a local picture of the individual and community assets, we'll engage with and bring key local people and partners together, empowering local leaders, developing joint plans to reduce inactivity levels and tackle social and health inequalities.

Project updates

Project summary December 2022 to March 2025

Actif North Wales initiatives delivered Denbighshire comprised of wide-ranging community-led physical activity programmes that promoted inclusivity, wellbeing, and local empowerment.

Projects such as the Shoe Swap and Couch to 5K, school holiday programmes, and youth-led biking initiatives engaged diverse groups, including older adults, children, and families.

Over 500 meals were distributed, and activities like cycling confidence sessions and angling workshops helped reduce barriers to participation.

The programme fostered strong social impact through intergenerational engagement, youth leadership, and strengthened trust between service providers and residents.

Health outcomes included increased physical activity and improved mental wellbeing, while economic benefits were seen in volunteer upskilling and club development.

The success was driven by flexible, place-based approaches and cross-sector collaboration, ensuring long-term sustainability and community ownership.

March 2024

Actif North Wales have worked with the Council to finalise the appointments of two project Co-ordinators - one in partnership with Grŵp Cynefin/Hwb Dinbych and the second with Countryside Services. This will enable the project to grow capacity to work collaboratively with existing and new partners, whilst adding value to existing work streams in these areas.