Families into Sport for Health (FISH)
/Families into Sport for Health (FiSH) is a community group working towards better weekend access to indoor sports facilities in the Western Isles. The group has used a participation request to further their campaign to pilot Sunday opening hours of a local sports centre.
Background
At the moment in Lewis and Harris, indoor sports facilities are unavailable on Sundays. FiSH aims to represent the diverse and changing needs of the community and to focus on improving the health of island residents through improved access to weekend facilities for all.
Making the request
In 2017, the group made a participation request to Western Isles Council around improving weekend access to indoor sports facilities.
The council did not accept the participation request at first, telling the group that they had not set out a proper outcome.
This did not mean that the request had been refused, but that the council could not consider it until the form was completed properly.
FiSH had to resubmit their request with a new outcome. They contacted Scottish Community Development Centre to ask advice about outcomes. From this discussion, the group settled on the following outcome:
“Improved and equitable access to recreational facilities for the health and wellbeing of families, especially children.”
The new outcome was about the long-term change (improved health and wellbeing of families and children) that the group hoped to achieve through their participation request. The outcome in the first request was about improved access to facilities. Although access is important, it is not the end-point, just a way of getting there.
Use of evidence
In their request, the group referred to a community survey they had been asked to carry out by the council in 2015. The survey interviewed 659 people who used the sports centre about opening hours.
Not only did the survey show significant support for Sunday opening, but it suggested that service uptake would likely increase as a result, particularly among those aged between 25 and 44.
On top of the survey, FiSH used their large and diverse membership to show how much community support their campaign has. The group also pointed to the popularity of family-oriented activities on Sundays in Lewis and Harris.
The above evidence helped FiSH to justify the outcome they wanted improved. It was also useful in other parts of the form, including sections on why the group should participate and what knowledge and experience they bring.
The Decision
In February 2018 the council agreed to FiSH’s participation request. The council’s decision notice can be viewed on their website.
The decision notice stated that FiSH would be consulted by a subgroup of the Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership which was developing an action plan around improving health and wellbeing as a priority of the CPP’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan.
The process
Since then, members of FiSH have had meetings with different partner agencies, something the group says would not have been possible before. FiSH has also been invited to give feedback on the Outer Hebrides Physical Activity Strategy.
Outcome
The participation request, and resulting outcome improvement process, has not yet led to a change in policy. However, the group feels that the PR was worth making. They see it as one element of their wider campaign to improve weekend access to sports facilities.
“The participation request has been a valuable part of our campaign for gaining legitimacy as well as a better standing within the groups that inform service provision.” Pauline Matterson, FiSH
