Community Sport & Physical Activity Networks
Community Sport & Physical Activity Networks (CSPANs) bring together local partners to co-ordinate activity on the ground, pool resources and prioritise plans for the local delivery of community sport and physical activity. Often co-terminus with, and facilitated by, local authorities, many CSPANs have close links with the local strategic partnership, where they are able to advocate the contribution of sport and physical activity to wider social outcomes and local priorities.
Active Sussex provide essential guidance and support to help make these networks effective and ensure they come together to form a cohesive whole across the area.
CSPANs are a key component of the Delivery System, and in many local areas some form of network is already in existence. Therefore, in those areas, the developments of CSPANs are not necessary as existing networks can be further developed and realigned.
The roles and responsibilities of CSPANs are:
- Act as the local voice for sport and physical activity
- Support and assist in the creation and development of sporting pathways
- Successfully coordinate opportunities for sport and recreational physical activity in the local population by providing effective leadership
- Increase the infrastructure capacity of the local professional and voluntary sector, both paid and unpaid.
With regard to investment into interventions and actions there is an expectation that CSPANs will make better use of existing resources which partners bring to the table and will aim to identify new resources from other sources. CSPAN partners will need to ensure new and existing resources are used for activities which support the overall aims and objectives of the CSPAN, minimising duplication and maximising cost effectiveness.
