People with a disability are more at risk of experiencing inequalities in relation to sporting and physical activity opportunities, COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions stand to exacerbate these inequalities. This research directly contributes toward the World Health Organization, global research roadmap priority to explore “the impact of restrictive public health measures (e.g., quarantine, isolation, cordon sanitaire).” Social loneliness and social isolation have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals, therefore, it is imperative to gain an understanding of the effects of self-isolation and shielding during Covid-19 for people with disabilities to help those in policy and agency positions address these issues. This research utilized a qualitative approach, to speak with people with a disability, athletes and non-athletes and those in a position of management and policy making. Six online focus groups, with people participating in sport and physical activity, using live captioning, chat functions, and an online written discussion forum; through Project Echo website as part of a wider study on sport and accessibility were utilized. The study also drew on interviews and one of the focus groups was with senior policy makers and regional managers responsible for disability sport in Scotland.

Including people with intellectual disability in sport is a challenge for coaches and particularly the inclusion of these players alongside non-disabled peers. Drawing initially on the experiences of 47 coaches recruited through Special Olympics, a self-completed assessment tool was devised that can be used to evaluate the promotion of social inclusion within sport teams and the wider community. The emerging tool was field-tested with 389 coaches in the USA and seven European countries. The resulting 13 or 20 item scale had commendable psychometric properties both in terms of internal and test-retest reliability with evidence also for its ecological and predictive validity. As well as its use as a self-assessment tool within training courses for coaches, it also opens research opportunities into the relationship between this measure of inclusion and outcomes for both the coaches and for the players.

In 2014 Public Health England (PHE) launched the National Physical Activity Framework ‘Everybody Active, Everyday’. The framework included a key domain for action called ‘Moving Professionals’. The Moving Professionals Programme aims to build expertise and leadership across key professional sectors and to raise awareness and understanding of the health benefits of physical activity among professionals and the wider public. The programme comprises several innovative work packages which are described in full elsewhere (Brannan et al., 2019). One element of the programme was the Clinical Champions’ Physical Activity Training Programme. PHE developed a network of Clinical Champions who were tasked with providing peer-to-peer training on physical activity for healthcare professionals. The long-term aim of the Clinical Champions’ Physical Activity (CCPA) training programme is to increase population levels of physical activity by increasing the proportion of healthcare professionals integrating conversations about physical activity into routine clinical practice in England.An independent evaluation of the Clinical Champion’s physical activity training programme was conducted by researchers based at the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University, UK. The NCSEM were not responsible for the implementation of the Clinical Champions’ physical activity training. The evaluation aimed to: 1) Evaluate the uptake and utilisation of the training programme and the different training models; 2) Assess the perceived impact of the training programme on healthcare professionals’ confidence, knowledge and application of brief physical activity advice in routine clinical practice; 3) Assess whether there is any differential impact of the training programme when sessions are delivered by different types of Clinical Champion (i.e. doctor, nurse or allied healthcare professional) to different healthcare professional audiences and 4) Assess the perceived strategic impact of the Clinical Champion physical activity training programme. A mixed methods approach was used to evaluate the programme. This report details the evaluation findings and provides recommendations for the future implementation of the Clinical Champions’ physical activity training programme.

Background: The benefits of physical activity for preventing and managing long-term health conditions are well established and health care professionals could promote physical activity to patients. The current study aims to evaluate the impact of the Clinical Champions Physical Activity Training Program. Methods: Health care professionals attend a one-off in-person training session delivered by a trained Clinical Champion. Attendees at the Clinical Champions Physical Activity Training Program were asked to complete a baseline survey prior to the training session and follow-up surveys 4 and 12 weeks posttraining. Results: A total of 5945 training attendees completed the baseline survey. A total of 1859 and 754 participants completed 4- and 12-week follow-up (31.3% and 12.7% response rate, respectively). Significant increases in confidence to deliver brief physical activity advice and knowledge of physical activity guidelines were reported at 12 weeks (P < .001). The perceived frequency of physical activity discussions with patients significantly increased (P < .001). Twelve weeks after training, fewer barriers in promoting physical activity were reported. Conclusions: The evaluation of the Clinical Champions Physical Activity Training Program demonstrated an increase in knowledge of physical activity guidelines, levels of confidence, and frequency of delivery of brief physical activity advice to patients. Further research is required to determine if this impact translates into changes to patients’ physical activity behavior.

Inclusive and modified sport promotes opportunities for participation usually for older people or people with disabilities, physical and or mental health issues. Walking sports, a form of modified sport, is often designed to support engagement in physical and social activity amongst people over 50 years. This qualitative study explored how walking football sessions were designed and delivered for, and experienced by people living with dementia and their family carers. We thematically analysed 18 qualitative interviews and identified three main themes (1) social impact, (2) embodied memories and (3) flexible carer respite. The findings increase our understanding of how walking sports such as football can be viewed as a psychosocial intervention and be modified to promote the inclusion and agency of people living with dementia and respite for family carers. The study offers best practice recommendations for those organising modified sports activities for older people living with dementia.