A recent survey, undertaken by Sport England, reported that Richmond is the home of the most active residents in England. Over 50% of Richmond upon Thames residents take part in sport or physical activity at least once a week.
Over half of Richmond adult residents take part in sporting sessions each week; the highest in England, according to the seventh wave of the 'Active People' surveys for the UK.
In addition to this, the survey showed an increase of 1% on the previous survey of the borough's participation in physical activity last year. It also shows that 52% of 14-16 year olds participate at least once a week: again, the highest in the country.
At the same time, the survey also highlights that a mere 33% of Richmond upon Thames residents participated in no exercise at all.
Cllr Meena Bond, Richmond Council Cabinet Member for Sport, said: “We are proud to have some of the fittest and most active residents in the country.
“We pride ourselves in our investment in sport and leisure activities – helping residents stay fit and healthy. In our borough alone we have 66 playing pitches, 58 tennis courts, and four bowling greens. There are also more than 200 sports clubs with an estimated 32,500 members and Richmond Council provides superb sports facilities which have swimming pools and gyms and have an annual attendance which exceeds one million visits.
“This investment is paid off when you see that our residents live the longest in the UK and our obesity levels our low.
“But we won’t rest on our laurels and we will continue to strive to increase residents’ participation in sport by 1% each year. “
