Horsham District Council is inviting people to share their thoughts about outdoor space and leisure provision for teenagers in a new survey launching today. There will also be a series of focus groups with local schools and youth forums. The survey was created by a special task group of councillors, set up to understand whether outdoor spaces in the District meet the needs of teenage girls and boys equally. The results will help the Council to review current policies to try and ensure shortfalls identified are addressed in future design and planning.
Commenting on the initiative, Horsham District Council Overview and Scrutiny Chairman Paul Clarke said:
“Creating leisure spaces that work for everyone and ensuring that all voices are heard is key for us as a council. This survey forms an important part of our ‘Fair Space for all’ initiative. It is focussed on developing leisure spaces which feel safe and accessible for everybody, including teenage girls. Our aim is to encourage active healthy lifestyles through all stages of life. The task group is being led by Councillor Samantha Bateman.”
Commenting on the work, Councillor Samantha Bateman said:
“The focus groups will run in participating schools, colleges and youth forums across the District. Whilst the survey hopes to capture the thoughts of teenage girls and their parents, everyone's feedback to the survey is welcome. We are a council which wants to deliver Fair Space for all.
“Our feeling is that our general understanding on outdoor sports and leisure facilities is strong, but we want to develop our understanding of different groups' needs. If proven necessary, this work and survey will help identify improvements to provision for teenage girls.”
The Council committed in its 2024/25 Annual Plan to better understand the needs of the community to deliver services that support people in leading a healthy and active lifestyle, and as part of this, to create safe spaces for our children and young people to grow.
The survey is running until Friday 1 November.
Please complete the survey here: https://online1.snapsurveys.com/OutdoorLeisure.