Funding secured to extend ground-breaking physical activity programme

5th February 2026

A consortium led by Sheffield Hallam University’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre alongside the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine and Intelligent Health has secured £600,000 funding from Sport England to continue to lead a ground-breaking physical

The Physical Activity Clinical Champions (PACC) programme provides free training to healthcare professionals across NHS England, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to promote physical activity as part of routine patient care.

Since October 2023, the programme has trained over 15,000 healthcare professionals, contributing to more than 65,000 clinicians trained since the initiative began in 2016. The new funding will support the programme until March 2028 and brings total investment since 2023 to over £1.4 million.

The programme's impact has been significant, with 98% of attendees reporting they have learned something that will change their practice. Over 95% of participants now feel confident, motivated and skilled in promoting physical activity to patients, with knowledge levels increasing from 52% to 88% following training.

The PACC programme delivers sessions both face-to-face and online, making training accessible to busy healthcare professionals. It covers evidence-based approaches to behaviour change, including motivational interviewing, alongside nine condition-specific modules focusing on areas such as mental health, oncology and musculoskeletal conditions.

Dr Rachel Young, Principal Research Fellow from Sheffield Hallam University's Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, said:

"We know that just a one-minute conversation with a trusted healthcare professional can influence a patient's engagement with physical activity. This funding means we can continue to give healthcare professionals the tools they need to have those life-changing conversations with patients across the country."

With an ethos of being place-based, peer-led and evidence driven, the funding will enable the consortium to expand its innovative approach while continuing to develop national training resources.

A key innovation has been the development of place-based PACCs, which embed training within local health systems and clinical pathways. Six partner sites are currently operating with 10 place-based PACCs, tailoring approaches to target local health priorities and tackle health inequalities.

Suzanne Gardner, National Partnership Lead for Health and Wellbeing at Sport England, said:

“Healthcare professionals are trusted voices, especially for people most at risk of poor health and inactivity. By giving clinicians the skills and confidence to talk about physical activity, we can help more patients get active in a way that works for them.

“Our investment in PACC supports our ambition to work closely with the health system to reduce inactivity and tackle inequalities. Having helped over 65,000 healthcare professionals embed physical activity into everyday care, since its launch in 2017, we’re incredibly proud of its impact to date. Sport England look forward to working with Sheffield Hallam University and its partners during this next phase of delivery.”

The programme aligns with the government's commitment to shifting healthcare from treatment to prevention and developing neighbourhood health services. By supporting healthcare professionals to understand the role of physical activity in both preventing and treating long-term health conditions, PACC is contributing to better patient outcomes and helping to address health inequalities.

Training is free for all NHS England healthcare professionals, with sessions available through open online training, pre-recorded webinars, and bespoke group sessions.

The two-year extension will focus on growing and evaluating the place-based model, developing more sophisticated impact assessment methodologies to better understand patient outcomes, and continuing to innovate with national partners.