Join Us: Move. Play.
Bradford was one of 12 places tasked with trying to better understand what helps people to become active in communities across the country. The programme became known as JU:MP, which stands for Join Us: Move. Play. A brand co-created with children in 2019 by Magpie.
The team, made up of many different partners, all worked together to develop a pilot programme that aimed to increase opportunities for children to be active, from creating Active Schools to co-designed green spaces and vibrant, inclusive parks. The programme’s ultimate aim was to support children and families to enjoy being active. Magpie led the social marketing of JU:MP through the creation of five campaigns that joined together to create a social movement. Having reached its final year the programme has achieved demonstrable success, and excitingly, statistically significant changes in behaviour and is now seen as a beacon of best practice.
Date
2019 - 2024
Client
Active Bradford
Scope of work
- Brand development & visual identity
- Campaign development & activation
- Co-production, engagement and community representation
- Creative messaging and copywriting
- Lived experience storytelling
- UX and website development
Work started in 2019 through a strategic plan, co-produced alongside the local community that ensured the JU:MP programme was built on both robust evidence and lived experience.
Using live, human data from the internationally recognised ‘Born in Bradford’ study that tracks the lives of residents, alongside community insights, a Theory of Change was developed to guide our approach. Using Magpie’s ‘6 for Gold’ Behaviour Change Framework, we co-created the brand, campaigns, and interventions with families, children, and young people, ensuring a deep connection to the people JU:MP serves.
Our solutions were built around a ‘people like me’ approach, fostering social norms, capturing attention, and spreading awareness through creativity and emotional engagement. We employed proven marketing techniques to educate families about the benefits of physical activity, raise awareness, and share local opportunities to get active. By focusing on relatable and emotionally resonant messaging, we created an environment where healthy behaviours felt accessible and achievable.
To amplify the ‘people like me’ approach across all JU:MP campaigns, we cultivated a network of campaign ambassadors – local community members equipped with social marketing tools and training to sustain the JU:MP legacy. These ambassadors encouraged families to join the movement, sign up to recieve ideas and updates from JU:MP and participate in family challenges and seasonal prize draws. Our collaborative approach, grounded in the principle of ‘doing with’, not ‘for’ or ‘to’ communities, placed emphasis on increasing capability, opportunity, and motivation.
All work was delivered within a test-and-learn framework that encouraged innovation and risk-taking. The feedback from participants highlights the personal and community benefits of JU:MP. As one young participant shared, “I feel like my plan worked because now I love being active”, reflecting the success of the Screen Off, Life On! campaign. A parent from Bradford added “The JU:MP activity calendar gave us some great ideas, and we picked most of them together!”
Campaign impact
The JU:MP campaigns have had a measurable and lasting impact on physical activity in Bradford, engaging 22,002 individuals across eight neighbourhoods. This level of engagement is projected to generate annual savings of £2.42 million for the UK and £290,000 for the NHS by reducing inactivity-related health risks.
22,002
As of April 2025, over 22,002 family members in Bradford have chosen to move and play more by joining the JU:MP movement. We surpassed our ‘Join the JU:MP movement’ target (8336) for the accelerator phase, with a total of 8,408 families joining the JU:MP family. We have created a movement.
70 + mins
Improved children’s total physical activity by over 70 minutes a week. This equates to over 3,600 extra minutes of physical activity per child per year.
+ 8.7 mins
Improved children’s total physical activity by 8.7 minutes a day. There was also a 5.7 minute increase of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by 5.7 minutes on weekdays.
22 mins
Reduced inactivity by over 22 minutes a day on weekends!
£290,000
Potential annual savings for the NHS assuming engagement with JU:MP reduces their risk of physical inactivity-related diseases.
550
550 JU:MP stars, who run fun activity days, across schools and community organisations.
Testimonial
“Magpie go about things differently and we absolutely love working with them. They have carefully curated a talented team of people, all of whom have different specialisms, to be able to provide their clients with a truly personalised service. They take the time to get to know their clients, their needs, their strengths and their skills gaps, in order to offer the best service possible. We couldn’t imagine our team without them.”
Campaign in images (4)
Meet the children of Bradford
The campaign now has over 550 JU:MP stars, who run fun activity days, across schools and community organisations, encouraging over 9,100 family members to join the movement to move and play more.
Connecting communities
“Our lives have changed since we’ve seen and taken part in JU:MP Outdoors. I started my own walking group in December, and now we have a network of 10 of us on a WhatsApp group that walk together with our kids.”
JU:MP Outdoors
“Before lockdown we led quite different lives and we didn’t put as much focus and time into playing outdoors, but […] after seeing JU:MP Outdoors, walking and going to the park has become a regular routine for both myself and my daughter.”
Working together with local schools
“Through programmes like JU:MP, our schools have a real opportunity to be a
beacon in the community for PE and sport, community engagement and leading healthier lifestyles.” – Niall O’Brien from St James’ Primary School
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