Newham is the least active borough in the whole of England, a new study has found.
Just two years after hosting the Olympics, figures released by UK Active show 39.17 per cent of the area’s adults fail to manage even half an hour a week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as cycling or fast walking.
Of the 15 least active boroughs, 13 – including Newham – are deprived areas.
More than 70pc of English councils have recently raised their allocated budget on physical activity, with Newham pledging one of the country’s biggest investments, £2.1m in 2014-15.
The news comes less than after year the borough’s sports participation figures were found to be the second-lowest in London
Statistics released by Sport England in December 2013 showed less than a third of people aged 16 in Newham played sport at least once a week.
A spokesperson for Newham Council said: “We are pleased this report has welcomed our increased spending on sport but the figures used reflect only a small proportion of what we actually deliver in terms of sports and physical activity for residents.
“Despite massive cuts in our overall funding from the Government, we will continue to work with our partners at activeNewham on getting people active by making sure there is something for everyone regardless of age, ability or interest.
“A fit and healthy community is a resilient community.”
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