Sports facilities in south west London will be upgraded next year, in Richmond Council plans to get more residents moving.

The Council has endorsed details of the second year of its Richmond Moves for a Healthier Borough strategy, which sets out how it will improve local participation in physical activity over the next five years.

The strategy aims to break down barriers for people who find being active challenging and give them opportunities to participate in whatever way suits them. The council approved it in June last year.

Progress made in the first year of the strategy includes the introduction of discounts or free access to some activities in the borough's leisure centres. A working group put together a plan to increase activity levels among women and girls, while a new contractor was appointed to take over and upgrade Pools on the Park and Teddington Pools and Fitness Centre.

The council invested £200,000 to improve two tennis courts at Active Hampton, won planning permission to redevelop cricket facilities in Carlisle Park and secured £192,000 to revamp the multi-use games area at The White House. It also approved plans to slash its carbon footprint across its leisure centres.

A new report by council officers said the authority is now setting its sights even higher as it moves into year two of the strategy. It will recruit volunteers to mentor young people with special educational needs and disabilities in sport and physical activity and develop a buddy scheme to support new participants.

Also included in the plans is a 12-month calendar of local women and girls' sporting events, the creation of dementia-friendly facilities in leisure centres and parks and improved access for non-English speakers and asylum seekers.

The council will also upgrade sports facilities in the borough's parks, subject to consultation and funding. These plans are listed below:

• Cambridge Gardens tennis court refurbishment: £80,000
• Hampton Sports and Fitness Centre 3G pitch replacement: £350,000
• Broom Road Recreation Ground new outdoor gym: £60,000
• Beaufort Court new multi-use games area: £100,000
• Craneford Way new multi-use games area: £100,000
• Castelnau Recreation Ground resurface multi-use games area: £100,000

The authority's sports committee endorsed the plans for the second year of the strategy on Tuesday (16 September).

Mark Fisher, the council's interim head of leisure and contracts, said the overall strategy "aims to inspire and empower all residents regardless of age, background or ability to lead active, healthy lives".

He added that year two of the plan "reaffirms our commitment to making Richmond one of the most active and equitable boroughs in London".

The report added: "Over the course of the five-year strategy, our mission is clear: boost physical activity across the borough, especially among those who are currently inactive, and drive meaningful improvements in the mental health and wellbeing of all our residents.

"Richmond is already one of the most active boroughs in the country – but we're not stopping there. We face real challenges: rising obesity rates, stubborn levels of inactivity, and a notable gap between men and women in reported physical activity.

"This strategy is our call to action to tackle these issues head-on and build a healthier, happier future for everyone."

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