Be Active Birmingham: An evaluation of equity, value, and future options for a programme offering universal free access to leisure facilities
Evaluation in progress, expected completion January 2027
At a glance
Be Active provides free access to local leisure centres for all residents in Birmingham, with the aim of reducing inactivity and narrowing health inequalities. This evaluation uses a mixed-methods approach to examine patterns of uptake and sustained participation across demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic groups, explore the factors shaping engagement and perceived benefits, and consider the health, wellbeing, social, and economic value of the programme. It also explores how different future delivery options are perceived, and what these could mean for equity, value, and feasibility. The findings will help inform Birmingham City Council’s decisions about the future investment and delivery of Be Active.
What does the evaluation mean for Local Government?
This evaluation addresses questions faced by Birmingham City Council, as well as many other local authorities: who benefits from universal free access to leisure facilities, whether such programmes reach communities experiencing the greatest inequalities, and what value they generate for residents and the wider system. The research explores patterns of uptake and sustained engagement, the contextual factors shaping participation, and the health, wellbeing, social and economic value of investment in free leisure access. By examining delivery models and future options, the findings will provide Birmingham City Council with insights to support decision making about Be Active. The findings will also offer transferable learning for councils considering how best to design, target, and sustain inclusive physical activity provision.
How are the Public involved in the evaluation?
A PHIRST South Bank public contributor helped shape the early design through workshops, contributing research questions and feedback on proposed methods. Building on this, we have recruited a panel of eight Birmingham based public contributors who guide the scoping, development, and delivery of the evaluation. Panel members have helped refine the focus of the research, commented on public-facing summaries, and advised on priority issues. Throughout the project, the panel will meet regularly to review materials, shape recruitment and data collection approaches, discuss emerging findings, and support accessible and meaningful dissemination.
Evaluation details
What is Be Active Birmingham?
Be Active is a city-wide programme in Birmingham that offers free access to leisure centres for all residents. It aims to support people to be more physically active and help narrow inequalities in health and physical activity. By removing cost as a barrier, Be Active seeks to make leisure facilities more inclusive and accessible, particularly for communities that face greater challenges to being active.
Why is Be Active being evaluated?
Local authorities are under increasing pressure to invest in services that deliver clear and equitable benefits. While free access to leisure facilities is widely supported in principle, there is limited evidence about who takes part, who benefits most, and how much value these programmes provide for residents and the wider system. This is particularly important to understand as budgets are increasingly stretched in local authority settings.
What are the key questions the evaluation explores?
The evaluation focuses on four main areas. First, it examines how equitably Be Active reaches communities across Birmingham, including patterns of uptake and sustained participation by age, gender, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status, and neighbourhood. Second, it explores the factors that shape engagement and experience, including individual circumstances and local context. Third, it assesses the value of Be Active, bringing together evidence on physical activity and health outcomes with residents’ views of social, wellbeing, and financial benefits. Finally, it explores how different future delivery options are perceived by residents, staff, and decision-makers, and what these might mean for equity, value, and feasibility.
How is the evaluation being carried out?
The evaluation uses a mixed-methods approach, combining analysis of existing programme data from Be Active, with surveys, a health economic analysis, structured deliberative workshops, and an ongoing review of relevant research evidence. This approach aims to support understandings of both patterns of participation across the city and lived experiences of Be Active.
How are the public involved?
Public involvement is embedded throughout the evaluation. Local public contributors have helped shape the focus of the research, advised on key questions, and reviewed public-facing materials to ensure they are clear and accessible. A public contributor panel will continue to meet regularly to support the development of surveys and information materials, advise on inclusive recruitment approaches, discuss emerging findings, and help shape how results are shared.
Local Government / Partner(s)
Birmingham City Council
PHIRST South Bank Research Team
Dr Gemma Bridge, Apolonia Radomska, Professor Susie Sykes, Professor Jane Wills, Anna Ogier, Elli Margolius, Emma Doohan, Dr Jessica Oha, Professor Katya Mileva
Contact: phirst@lsbu.ac.uk