Active Birmingham
The Active Birmingham strategic partnership was established in 2023. This partnership grew out of a Memorandum of Understanding between Sport England and West Midlands Combined Authority. The MoU was rooted in the legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Funding for the Active Birmingham programme is provided by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) – a continuation of Commonwealth Active Communities investment.
The programme is delivered by a consortium task force comprising Sport Birmingham, Birmingham City Council, The Active Wellbeing Society, Public Health, and Streetgames.
Click here for more information about the MoU
Strategic Vision & Mission
Active Birmingham aims to tackle inactivity in local communities and engage underrepresented groups.
Vision: To create a city where physical activity is the norm and sport is integrated into daily life.
Mission: To use an adaptive approach to tackle barriers across three key priority areas:
- Sector Integration: Building stronger links across the system.
- Capacity Building: Strengthening community and individual capabilities.
- Structural Reform: Tackling the root causes of physical inactivity inequalities.
Active Birmingham Activity Finder
Use our activity finder to search for local sports clubs, communities and activities. Find activities taking part in your community and filter results by sport, activity and location and find your way to be active.
Click here for Activity FinderProject Work
Active Birmingham Consultation Including Consultation Report Downloads
A core pillar of the programme is the co-production of solutions through shared insight. The approach is defined by:
- Adopting the National Evaluation and Learning Partnership (NELP) method to evaluate whole-systems and place-based approaches. This enhances understanding of how to address inequalities by capturing and analysing current local conditions.
- Establishing Trusted Local Partnerships: Building a network of grassroots organisations and Active Birmingham ‘Champions’ to ensure engagement is led by the community.
- Collaborative Design: A consultation framework spearheaded by leads from Sport Birmingham and The Active Wellbeing Society to ensure solutions are evidence-based and locally relevant.
Consultation Report and Appendices
Our report will summarise consultation work to date. The intention is to draw out key themes, creating a baseline reference point for further work.
Learning Exchange Event Downloads:
Active Birmingham Consultation Overview Report 2026
Appendices:
Consultation Playback – Sparkhill
Consultation Playback – Bordesley Green
Consultation Playback – Small Heath
Consultation Playback – Ward End
Consultation Playback – Heartlands
Consultation Playback – Nechells
Consultation Playback – Handsworth
Consultation Playback – Shard End
Consultation Playback – Newtown
Consultation Playback – Gravelly Hill
Geographic Reach Impact Across the City
The programme has scaled its impact across the city, moving from an initial pilot phase into a broader expansion:
- Deepening in original places: Alum Rock, Balsall Heath / Sparkbrook, Lozells & Castle Vale
- Phase One expansion places: Shard End, Bordesley Green, Aston, Small Heath, and Sparkhill.
- Phase Two expansion places: Balsall Heath West, Birchfield, Gravely Hill, Newtown, Handsworth, Nechells, Ward End, and Heartlands
Active Birmingham Champions The Champions Programme
The Active Birmingham network has recently recruited additional community organisations as part of its expansion plan to step forward in helping tackle one of the city’s biggest health challenges – physical inactivity.
These organisations are the new Active Birmingham ‘Champions’, and they are helping to shape the next phase of the Active Birmingham approach by working directly with local residents to understand barriers to being active and identify solutions that work for their communities.
Click here to find out more about the Champions Programme
Active Birmingham Learning Exchange and Networking Event Highlights 2026
Active Birmingham Partners
