Milton Keynes Council Local Area Agreement

Summary

Milton Keynes Council produced its first Local Area Agreement (LAA) in 2007. Culture and sport are reflected within the LAA as contributing to children and young people, health, older people, safer and stronger communities and sustainable transport priorities.

Background

Milton Keynes Council was in the third round of authorities to develop Local Area Agreements (LAAs). Their 2007 LAA reflects the importance of culture and sport to a range of priority local outcomes, including healthier communities and older people, safer and stronger communities, and economic development and enterprise.

Key themes

The Milton Keynes LAA contains 15 outcomes grouped under four blocks of:

children and young people
healthier communities and older people
safer and stronger communities
economic development and enterprise

Key Outcomes
The key outcomes in the 2007 LAA that culture and sport contribute to include:

Children and Young People

Outcome: Create a vibrant, thriving and positive community of young people in Milton Keynes by promoting and supporting community and volunteering activities, participation in learning, sports, cultural and leisure activities, and by promoting positive perceptions about young people. Children and young people to report that they feel MK is a great place to grow up in.

Objective:

children and young people have better physical health to enable them to enjoy life and achieve their potential

Measures:

increase the percentage of 5 – 16 years who participate in an average of 2 hours PE and school sport per week

Objective:

provide and promote a wide range of accessible and affordable play, leisure, sporting and cultural opportunities for children and young people.

Measures:

increase take up of Passport to Leisure scheme
maintain active library customers aged 5-16 (against national decline)increase the percentage of children who think the range of play facilities and space is good in their neighbourhood
increase the proportion of children with additional needs accessing play opportunities

Healthier Communities and Older people

Outcome: Reduced health inequalities within the local area, by narrowing the gap in all-age, all cause mortality

Objective:

to promote healthy lifestyles, particularly in deprived areas

Measures:

physical activity levels - the number of people meeting set physical activity level (30 minutes of moderate intensity sport and physical activity on at least 5 days a week sustained over 1 year) in target group in 20 most deprived wards
sports activity - the percentage of adults 16 and over in Milton Keynes that participate in 3x30 minutes sporting activity per week
participation in sports - the number of people with mental health problems or a learning disability participating in sports opportunities provided through targeted services
participation in arts - the number of people with a learning disability or mental health problem participating in arts opportunities provided through targeted services

Outcome: Increased independence, well being and choice for vulnerable and older people through active participation in the community, including physical and cultural activity, enabling them to have a healthy and active lifestyle.

Outcome: Improved quality of life and independence for all vulnerable and older people enabling them to remain living safely at home for as long as possible

Objective:

improve physical and mental health of older and vulnerable people and reduce accidents

Measures:

the number of people referred to the Active MK exercise referral scheme

Objective:

improve older and vulnerable people’s health through community and cultural activity

Measures:

community centres - number of people benefiting from weekly activities available at 11 centres for people over 50 at Milton Keynes Council managed community centres [activities include sports, bowls, tea dancing and chair-aerobics]
sports volunteers - the percentage of the adult population (16 and over) in Milton Keynes volunteering in sport and active recreation for at least one hour a week
heritage volunteers - the number of new volunteers across the Milton Keynes area volunteering for heritage activity
areas of volunteers - number of areas in Milton Keynes where heritage volunteering takes place (and the numbers in those areas)
cycling trips - the number of people travelling into Central Milton Keynes by bike.

Safer and Stronger Communities

Outcome: Empower local people to have a greater voice and influence over local decision making and a greater role in public services delivery

Objective: