By Harry Ward
Armley has been named as one of eight priority wards set to benefit from a new £1.9 million Sport England-funded scheme to get more people active, according to a report going before Leeds City Council’s Adults, Health and Active Lifestyles Scrutiny Board.
The ward is one of eight identified as being among the most deprived in the city, based on national deprivation data and the Leeds Social Progress Index, and will be targeted by the new two-year Get Set Leeds programme, running from April 2026 to March 2028.
The scheme replaces an earlier project, Get Set Leeds Local, which ran in five other localities across the city – including Beeston and Holbeck, and Gipton and Harehills – but did not previously cover Armley. This is the first time the ward has been included in the funded programme.
Under the new scheme, the council’s Active Leeds team will work with local organisations to co-produce activities based on what residents say they need, rather than delivering a fixed programme.
The report cites examples from other areas of past projects funded through small grants of up to £300, including community fitness classes and youth sessions – the kind of small-scale, resident-led activity Armley could expect to see if similar models are applied locally.
The wider aim, according to the report, is to reduce inactivity in areas facing the greatest inequality – citywide figures show 25.4% of adults in Leeds do less than 30 minutes of exercise a week, with rates highest in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
The scheme is being delivered by Active Leeds and evaluated by Leeds Beckett University, with six-monthly progress reports submitted to Sport England.
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How about free/subsidised sessions at their sports centre? Its really expensive even if youre working full time to afford these!