Blog entry by Grace Clancey
Get Out Get Active (GOGA) began in 2016 and is a programme created to bring disabled and non-disabled people together to be active.
With the support of founding funders, Spirit of 2012, and further investment from Sport England and London Marathon Foundation (LMF), GOGA has supported over 40,000 disabled and non-disabled people to be active using over 3,000 different activities and interventions. Throughout the programme 35 localities across the UK have tried and tested different activities to encourage those least active in the community to become active.
Why is GOGA needed?
Activity Alliance’s Annual Disability and Activity Survey reveals a growing need to reduce disabled people’s cost of living and loneliness to improve activity levels. Disabled people were nearly three times more likely than non-disabled people to feel lonely always or often (23% vs 8%). Yet nearly two-thirds of disabled people who felt lonely agreed that being active could help them feel less lonely (65%). In the survey disabled people were more likely to say they wanted to be more active compared to non-disabled people (77% vs 54%).
The inequality gap is growing, and it has never been more important to ensure that everyone has access to physical activity. We need to acknowledge and respond to the existing inequalities and recognise that disabled people are part of every demographic in society.
What is GOGA?
GOGA is more than just a programme. It has become an approach, a way of making activities a place where disabled and non-disabled people can come together to be active. GOGA has influenced and encouraged organisations across the UK to do things differently.
GOGA shows us that being active together and reaching the least active go hand-in-hand, it’s not one or the other. To reach those audiences, you need to consider how you can innovate and make changes. Change is needed to bring opportunities to be active to those who thought it could never be for them.
Using the GOGA way
The person-centred approach of GOGA has supported many organisations to reach out into the community, listen, and create genuinely inclusive co-produced activities. From the start, our funders have supported us to focus on outcomes over outputs. Our approach gives organisations the space to fail, to try something new, and to not be afraid if it doesn’t work well. The GOGA approach teaches us to adapt, listen, and learn.
From delivering equipment to individuals at home, to Superhero workout sessions, and even calling participants for a supportive chat. Whether digital or face-to-face, our partners continue to engage participants in physical activity.
The GOGA aim
The most important outcome to us is that our participants feel healthier and happier. And our GOGA partners become more competent and confident to reach the very least active.
Club Matters is proud to share the work of GOGA and use their resources to showcase how other clubs and organisations can become more inclusive and work on being active together. Explore some of GOGA’s work through Tedworth Equestrian Centre and Amber Valley. For more Club Matters guidance, take a look at our webpage on engaging disabled people.
GOGA have a huge amount of learning and are keen to share and encourage better practices to engage the very least active. Find our learning on the GOGA website.