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Active Villages - Connecting People to Place

The Active Village Project is a movement inspired by the voices of growth corridor communities to change the way we have been doing things. To Find Our 30 Minutes of exercise each and every day in environments that enable these opportunities.

To plan, design and deliver 'Physically Literate' places and networks which build peoples competence, confidence, motivation and participation to lead Active Lives.

With recreation and exercise elevated to one of the only reasons to leave the home during the Coronavirus pandemic, it rings true that creating local Active Villages which bring communities together in outdoor places is critical.

Shifting the way we and our community think about, value and have confidence in using our local open space and active places can be significantly improved through Physical Literate Design.

Busting

the

myths!

We think that we can operate in our head separate to our body – when we need our body to be healthy for our best thinking and living.

We think that affordable housing in the outer suburbs and long commute times will give our families the best chance – when in reality our families don’t get to see each other driving to work and in organised care, with no time for community. (A possible collective societal reflection in a post COVID world)

We think that operating as separate from nature is a choice in which we manage nature and organise it – a world pandemic has shown this is far from the truth, we need nature and open space for our basic physical and mental wellbeing!

These polarising constructs and environments we live, work and play in today effect the way we show up to our families, our workplaces, our communities and ourselves.

Creating physically literate spaces and networks across open space and recreation infrastructure is critical for living our most active lives.

The Project

The Project

The Active Village Project builds healthy and well communities through embedding the principles of physical literacy and physically literate enriched design in policy, strategy and infrastructure.

Physical literacy is about building the skills, knowledge and behaviours that give us the confidence and motivation to lead active lives. (Sport Australia, 2019).

Physically literate places and spaces including our parks, trails, public and private recreation venues and schools form a significant part of our experience and motivation to be active throughout our whole life.

The Active Village Project develops:

Physical Literate enriched places which considers the physical, psychological, social and cognitive development of individuals and whole communities who engage in its space.

Strategically planned networks of Physical Literate infrastructure which build the competence, confidence, motivation and participation of individuals and communities.

Physical Literate active sport and recreation policy, programs and development that enables equity for all residents.

The motivation and participation of communities to engage in their Active Village network which improves individual and demographic health and wellbeing outcomes.

Behind the Scenes

Behind
the
Scenes

Sarah Noble is a Mother, Recreation & Sports Strategist, Innovator, Recreation Infrastructure Planner and Project Manager, with 23 years experience in growth corridor local government, not for profit, commercial leisure & sport and professional & voluntary recreation clubs.

Sarah has led over 20 Master Plans and 450 million worth of capital projects. Delivered policy reform and frameworks to enable communities’ greater access to their pubic infrastructure. Sarah is currently working with a collaborative team across public and private organisation to deliver the Wyndham Stadium A League Precinct home of Western United FC.

In 2019 Sarah presented at the International Physical Literacy Conference in Canada and Sweden on Active Villages and the frameworks to enrich active places for the whole community in the City of Wyndham, Australia. Active Villages: Connecting People and Place in the Growth Suburbs of Melbourne.

2015 – 2020 Sarah chaired the Gender Equity In Sport Working Group across the Western Region of Melbourne. A key document produced Womens Participation in Sport and Active Recreation in Melbournes West An Action Plan for Change. Presented at the Parks and Leisure Australia Vic/Tas Conference & the World Urban Parks Congress 2020.

Sarah worked with VicSport and VicHealth in developing the concepts of Physical Literacy in the Victorian Sports Industry 2017 – 2019 through the Forward Thinking Series.

Sarah is a Scout Leader, working with youth and adults through Scouting to realise their physical, psychological, social and cognitive development through experiential learning in nature and community.

Connect with Sarah via LinkedIn

How You Can Get Involved

Join the Active Village Community via the form below for the latest news, tips and industry innovations

Book a 30min (free) conversation to discuss your vision for your Active Village via email

Engage in a quaterly Active Village Community Forum via Zoom to discuss the latest projects and activities across the network

Research + Links

Consultancy

Research + Links

How You Can Get Involved

Active Living begins with a choice we each make about how we live, work and play in our Community. This choice is informed by how we design our cities. Lets build the momentum together to plan, design and deliver Active Villages which give our communities the confidence, competence and motivation to lead Active Lives.