Active Hastings wins the Health Improvement Award

Active Hastings may be just a small team, but the impact they have had on physical activity in their town has been remarkable.

Through innovation, partnership, and compassion, they’ve created lasting change for thousands of people, helping them move more, feel better, and live healthier lives.

So it is no wonder that the judges deemed them worthy winners of the Health Improvement Award at the Sussex Sport & Physical Activity Awards 2025 on Thursday, November 27.

Cath Donovan from Active Hastings said: “It is brilliant, we are really excited. It is a credit to our team, the ones who are out doing the work every day and working with the local people.”

The team are part of Hastings Borough Council, and it is a partnership project with many organisations within Hastings.

In 2024/25, 43 percent of participants lived in the one percent most deprived areas nationally. 

To help with this, the team delivered 1,502 low-cost activity sessions, welcoming 1,904 residents and recording 13,856 visits.

As a result, 82 percent of adults and 85 percent of young people increased their weekly activity levels.

Specialist sessions support residents with long-term health conditions, including cancer rehabilitation, seated exercise, Parkinson’s classes, and gym-based programmes for neurological conditions. 

These tailored activities help participants build strength, manage symptoms, and connect socially. 

In 2024/25, 40 percent of adult participants reported a disability or long-term condition, and among those who increased their activity, 90% improved their physical health, and 71 percent improved their mental health.

Working with GP surgeries and the Primary Care Network (PCN), the team runs a targeted text messaging service engaging those facing the greatest health inequalities, encouraging activity and access to local opportunities. 

The GP Link Worker Programme offers personalised support for patients referred for inactivity, obesity, or poor mental health, helping them rediscover confidence and joy through movement.

The adult weight management programme supports sustainable lifestyle change through activity, nutrition, and long-term guidance. 

New in 2025 was tailored support for people using weight-loss injections, promoting lasting behaviour change rather than short-term fixes.

Programmes tackling loneliness and isolation, such as age-friendly sessions and parent and toddler activities, help residents reconnect and feel part of their community.

The Youth Street Sports programme brings free, accessible sport directly to young people, promoting physical and mental wellbeing. 

With limited resources but limitless passion, Active Hastings proves that a small team can create big change – leading the way in health improvement and community transformation.

You can read more here about the funding that Active Sussex has secured from Sport England for the Hastings place-based project to help tackle inequalities in the town.