A network of local, non-profit partnerships across England that use sport and physical activity to improve lives, working to reduce inactivity and inequality.
Active Partnerships are a network of local organisations that cover every part of England. Sport England's page says it invests in 43 Active Partnerships, while the network's own site lists 42, so the number varies by source. They are independent non-profit organisations, and each works with local people, councils, schools, health bodies and sports clubs to help people be more active. Examples named on the network page include London Sport, Active Norfolk, Active Lancashire, Yorkshire Sport Foundation, Greater Manchester Moving, Energise Me in Hampshire and Wesport in the West of England.
Their mission, in the network's own words, is: 'Each Active Partnership works to transform the lives of local people through movement, physical activity and sport.' The page says the network's strength lies in collaborating, sharing approaches to reducing inequalities, learning from each other and valuing diverse expertise. Sport England describes their focus as increasing activity and reducing inactivity, and says they help deliver its 'Uniting the Movement' strategy locally, with a place-based approach.
In terms of UK coverage, the network covers England only; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own sport bodies, and we have not covered those. Each Active Partnership is a separate local organisation with its own name and team, so there is no single head office, although a national organisation exists to represent the network. The network page lists partnerships by area, from Active Cumbria and Tees Valley Sport in the north to Active Cornwall and Active Kent and Medway in the south.
The pages we read name no staff and describe no workplace culture, so we cannot say what daily life is like. What they do say is that Active Partnerships focus on people facing the biggest barriers to being active, including inactive people and under-represented groups, and that their local knowledge lets them tailor work to each area. Recent news items on the network site mention an evaluation of the Multi-Sport Activity and Facilities Fund Programme and investment in community sport, both dated 2026.
Working for an Active Partnership could mean roles such as community and school sport development officers, health and inclusion project leads, data and insight analysts, communications and events staff, and partnership managers. Each is a small organisation, so people often work across several areas. If you want a career that helps whole communities become more active, this is a part of the sport world well worth knowing about, and your local partnership's website will show what it is doing now.
Website: activepartnerships.org
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