Seeing television coverage of the success of Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill at the World Athletics Championships in Beijing has brought back memories to me of the London 2012 Olympics. That was a very special time for the country and an event that many of us will never forget.
I believe that the full positive impact of the 2012 Olympics has yet to be fully realised and that in a few years’ time we will look back and say yes, the Olympics really did have a lasting impact. The direction of travel has certainly been positive, especially when it comes to exercise and trying to lead healthier lifestyles.
Locally in Crawley, we have seen some very encouraging trends. Historically, we have lagged behind our neighbouring towns in terms of sports participation and personal exercise, despite having good local facilities. I am proud to say we have turned this around in recent years. For example, we have seen usage of our leisure centres double in a decade. Over the same time, Crawley has seen the biggest increase in sports participation in the whole of Sussex, with an increase of 4.2% of residents taking part, taking the total to 37.2%.
This figure takes Crawley above the national average but there is still more to do. This is evident as Crawley has relatively high levels of obesity and it deeply concerns me that some neighbourhoods in the town have a life expectancy up to seven years lower than others. During the eight years I was a member of the Council’s cabinet from 2006-2014, I contributed to decisions that gave high visibility to positive fitness activities, such as enabling the Tilgate Parkrun to take place every Saturday morning and the installation of the free to use outdoor gym in Tilgate Park.
I have a positive vision for Crawley where all young people grow up seeing sport and exercise as second-nature. As well as campaigning for the best possible healthcare facilities, working to improve our physical health and wellbeing, as well as removing barriers to participation in sport and exercise are all important to me.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
26th August 2015