Active Dorset

24/07/2026

Funding Friday! 🙌🏼

Through the Barclays Community Sport Fund, Barclays UK and sported want to grow participation at every level and have grants dedicated to getting more women qualified across the UK to coach women and girls’ football, tennis and cricket at a grassroots level.

✅Currently accepting applications, closing November 4th 2026

✅Up to £200 to cover Level 1 equivalent qualifications for football, tennis or cricket, plus safeguarding and first aid training

Search Barclays Community Sport Fund online, or visit the link in our bio!

16/07/2026

Did you know that waste from sports clothing is one of the top 5 environmental impacts from the sport and physical activity sector?

From the manufacturing of synthetic clothing, to the washing and disposal, tiny particles called microplastics are released which can find their way into the soil, rivers and seas where they can end up in our food as they are too small to be filtered.

But what can we do?

Reduce - Making sustainable decisions when buying club kit and encouraging your members to maximise the life of existing kit to reduce the amount they need to buy.

Reuse - Diverting any unwanted clothing or equipment from landfill by donating to be reused by others.

Recycle- Recovering the materials from worn out kit to make new items.

Find out how you can reduce your kit waste by downloading our new Kit Waste document:

https://www.activedorset.org/uploads/reducing-kit-waste-17.pdf?v=1782228798

14/07/2026

Last week we bought together 50 leaders from across the system to explore how we can work together to make movement an easy and everyday choice for our Dorset communities.

Two young people from Island Community Action - ICA shared their experiences of being active in Weymouth and Portland. Using podcasts, videos and photos they created through the Youth Engagement Programme delivered by Stormbreak, they were be given a platform to tell their own story.

13/07/2026

The UK Chief Medical Officers have refreshed their Physical Activity Guidelines, showing evidence continues to build that regular movement – no matter how small – can have significant benefits for people's physical and mental health.

🚶🏼‍♂️There is a renewed emphasis on the health benefits of light-intensity activity, reducing prolonged periods of sitting, and including strength and balance exercises as part of everyday life.

🚴🏼‍♀️Building activity into everyday routines can help improve health and wellbeing.

🕺🏼The refreshed guidance also recognises that physical activity does not need to take place in long or structured sessions to have a positive impact. Walking to the shops, wheeling, taking the stairs, dancing, gardening, active play and household tasks can all contribute towards improving health when carried out regularly.

View the updated guidelines here. 🔽

09/07/2026

We are proud to share the Dorset School Games SEN Dance Festival – Beyond the Book film 📽️

Funded by the Dorset School Games and Active Dorset, Christina Binney Dance had the privilege of delivering dance workshops across Dorset to make movement accessible, enjoyable and inspiring to all.

The festival involved 11 schools and more than 400 children and young people, and every child who was able to be filmed is featured in this full-length festival film.

Inspired by the beloved story Where the Wild Things Are, this film celebrates the creativity, confidence, imagination and achievements of the incredible children and young people who took part in this year's festival.

A huge thank you to every child, teacher, teaching assistant and supporter who made it possible, including, Education Centre , Springwood Campus, Linwood School, Woodford Campus, Littlewood Campus, Langside School (Diverse Abilities), The Forum School (Cambian Group ), Winchelsea School, School, The White House School, Beaucroft Foundation School.

This is the official film of the Dorset SEN Dance Festival 2026: Be...

07/07/2026

🍷 How does alcohol effect physical activity?

Whether it’s sleepless nights, low energy, increased anxiety or a longing sense of feeling not quite right, alcohol can affect us in ways we don’t always realise, having a knock on effect on our health and wellbeing.

👉🏼Alcohol makes us dehydrated
👉🏼Alcohol affects our brain and reaction times
👉🏼It effects our metabolism and blood sugar
👉🏼Alcohol can make us put on weight

Reducing your alcohol intake can do wonders for your health. Physical activity, or movement can help you to take your focus away from that next craving by giving you something else to think about.

For more support and information, visit LiveWell Dorset

03/07/2026

There are lots of benefits to spending time outdoors, both physically and mentally, whilst doing your bit for the environment!

😃Improved mood
🧠Improved mental health
😊Reduced stress and connects you to the outdoors
💪🏼Increased Vitamin D leading to stronger bones

Signposting people you know to our new Moving More this Summer page for more tips, advice and suggestions to move more: https://movementformovement.co.uk/live-well/move-more-this-summer

02/07/2026

Around 12 million tonnes of plastic enter our environment each year - that’s equivalent to a bin lorry load every minute. Of all plastic produced, 50% is for single-use plastic items, which are used for only a few minutes before being thrown away. It is estimated that major sporting events can generate up to 750,000 plastic bottles apiece.

Plastic Free July is a shared global campaign that helps millions of people reduce plastic waste through simple, everyday choices and be part of the solution to plastic pollution.

What action will you take this No Plastic July?

Download the Plastic Free July 31 day challenge. See link in comments! 🔽

01/07/2026

Outdoor activity in parks, green spaces, and woodlands is a clear preference for many disabled people. However, just 44% say they find it easy to access these spaces, compared to 78% of non-disabled people.

We are using to highlight these significant gaps to ongoing physical, psychological, and environmental barriers that prevent equal access to outdoor physical activity, so that we can all help to level the field and make outdoor spaces accessible to all.

The UK has over 1,500 beaches stretching along 31,000 km of coastline, yet only a handful are accessible. Unlike buildings and green spaces, there are no standards or a national framework meaning the majority of beaches are not open to all. In Dorset, Will Behenna and The Beach Access Project work collaboratively with partners across the UK to enhance and improve current beach access provision.

Find out more, or get involved 🔽

https://beachaccessproject.co.uk/

30/06/2026

Happy 1st Birthday, Leading the Movement! 🎉🎂

Since its launch last year, Leading the Movement has achieved some very large milestones:

📍Hosted over 33 Place-based Leadership Courses across the country, engaging 750 local leaders and over 400 unique organisations.

🗣️ Engaged over 189 people in our coaching and mentoring offers.

👏🏼 Recruited over 60 leaders as volunteer mentors.

If you’re working to tackle inequalities in sport and physical activity, and want to develop your confidence, strengthen your leadership skills and grow your
networks, check out the opportunities from Sport England's programme.

👉 www.leadingthemovement.org