Tendring residents are becoming more active– and healthier as a result – according to figures from Sport England.

In the year to November 2025, Sport England’s Active Lives survey found that the number of people participating in activities such as walking, cycling, going to the gym or team sports had increased by 9.5 percentage points.

At the same time, inactivity – defined as doing fewer than 30 minutes of activity a week – fell by 5.6 percentage points, meaning around 13,500 fewer adults are now inactive compared with when the study was first published 10 years ago.

This puts Tendring in line with regional and national averages for the first time in many years — with the district recording the third highest reduction in inactivity in the country since this research was first collated and the strongest improvement anywhere in Essex.

Tendring District Council (TDC) says its Sport and Activity Strategy, which focuses on taking activity beyond traditional settings and into local communities, has been central to progress. Use of council leisure facilities has increased, with prepaid memberships up from around 1,800 before the pandemic to around 6,000 now.

Councillor Mick Barry, TDC cabinet member for leisure and rublic Realm, said: “For many years we have known the scale of the challenge, so to see such a strong improvement – the best in Essex – is fantastic.

“It means more of our residents are living healthier, more active lives, which will have a lasting impact on wellbeing and life expectancy across our communities.”

Last year, TDC hosted its first Sports and Activity Conference at the Princes Theatre in Clacton, bringing together sports clubs, coaches, partners and wellbeing champions to share ideas and shape the future of activity in the district.