The University's We Are Undefeatable Kirklees project showcased by Sport England

AN ACTION research project, investigating the barriers and enablers of physical activity in our diverse local community, was recently showcased at a national Sport England conference.   

The project saw Huddersfield Business School and the School of Human and Health Sciences collaborate with Kirklees Council, Yorkshire Sport Foundation and Sport England to develop the ‘We Are Undefeatable’ project in Kirklees.

Led by the University of Huddersfield’s Dr Nicola Stenberg and Professor Barry Percy-Smith, and funded by a national campaign launched by Sport England in 2019, the project identified opportunities to increase activity among people living with long-term health conditions.  

Hira Younas, a PhD student at Huddersfield Business School, was the Research Assistant on the project. Following a literature review and multiple conversations with South Asian residents of Birkby, and other local stakeholders, the research highlighted the limitations of mainstream approaches to physical activity promotion and emphasised the need for culturally sensitive and locally based initiatives.   

Dr Stenberg said the team is extremely proud of what they have achieved on this project and applauded PhD researcher Hira for her passion and determination to make progress, despite all the challenges of Covid. “She built the relationships with local people that underpinned everything that we did,” she said.   

The project has enabled two new physical activity groups to be established within the local community, one in the mosque and the other in the library. A ‘Birkby Health & Wellbeing Playbook’ was also co-produced with residents of Birkby, which shares stories, tips, and advice about physical and mental wellbeing. The project partners are now working with Radio Sangam and there are plans to broadcast short pieces to promote physical activity.

“We have shown that deep-rooted health inequalities require innovative solutions and a genuine commitment to understanding the experiences and perspectives of the people that live in our communities,” said Dr Stenberg.  

“Our 'action inquiry' approach in Birkby was an experiment. We didn't know what would happen and we certainly experienced challenges.  But with a very strong partnership, a highly skilled researcher, and a flexible funder we were able to navigate our way through the project and demonstrate that research, that is genuinely embedded in the community, can add real value to place-based action and change,” she added. 

Learnings from this project are now being shared with public and third sector decision makers within Kirklees.  The project partners are confident that there is sufficient interest to build on this work in other parts of the district.