The UK lags behind European neighbours on activity as sector bodies unite in drive to make the UK the most active nation in Europe.

• The UK currently ranks joint 12th out of 15 comparable European nations for levels of physical activity
• Community sport, recreation and physical activity currently saves the NHS £9.5 billion every year by preventing illness
• Today, Parliamentarians from leading bodies across the sport, recreation and physical activity sector are launching a new pledge to make the UK the most physically active nation in Europe.

The leading bodies for the sport, recreation and physical activity sector have today (13 September) made an urgent call to the main political parties and their leaders to pledge to make the UK the most active nation in Europe.

The latest evidence from the Sport and Recreation Alliance [insert link] shows that the UK ranks joint 12th out of 15 comparable European nations for levels of physical activity. The UK is also ranked as the third highest spender on healthcare costs caused by inactivity and only 9th in overall wellbeing.

Today’s call builds on the July 2022 report, Unlocking the Potential, published by the group, which is made up of Active Partnerships, the Local Government Association, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, the Sport for Development Coalition, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, ukactive, and the Youth Sport Trust.

The report highlights a number of potential policy interventions that could provide the conditions for the sector to grow. These include:

• Deeper collaboration between Government departments, agencies and the sector
• Development of a strong and consistent evidence base for importance of physical activity
• More and better targeted investment
• Bold and ambitious policy reform.

This morning, Parliamentarians from across the House joined representatives from the group to launch a new pledge to make the UK the most physically active nation in Europe.

The pledge highlights that community sport, recreation and physical activity currently saves the NHS £9.5 billion every year by preventing illness and generates £85 billion annually in economic value.

However, the value generated by the sector could be far greater if the UK can reach the activity levels of its European peers and work towards the group’s ambition of making the UK the most active nation in Europe.

The sector bodies project savings of up to £1 billion in healthcare spending linked to inactivity, alongside the generation of an additional £3.6 billion per annum in GDP uplift through increased productivity and realising up to £77.2 billion in increased wellbeing benefits.

They are calling for a new partnership with the Government – both now and in the future – that unlocks the potential of sport, recreation and physical activity, and builds a future where:

• All children and adults are given the best chance to live well for longer
• Communities are safer, greener, healthier, and more connected
• Prevention leads to significantly less pressure on the NHS and other key public services
• Our economy is boosted by a healthier and more productive workforce.

Mark Lawrie, Chief Executive of  StreetGames and co-Chair of the Coalition’s Policy Working Group said:

“Sport and physical activity are central to the ability of Coalition member organisations to change lives for the better, and have a fundamental role to play in building a healthier, happier and more prosperous nation. This is more important than ever during a cost-of-living crisis, and we therefore wholly endorse and support the ambition set out in this pledge.”

Commenting at the launch, Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive said:

“There is a collective determination across the sport, recreation, and physical activity sector to ensure that its full potential is unlocked in order to make the urgent improvements to our national health and wellbeing. As we enter the countdown to the next General Election, we want each of the main political parties to meet our ambition and commit to this pledge.

“This pledge is a first step in recognising the impact of physical activity on our health and wellbeing, and in turn on the productivity of this country. Now we need Parliamentarians from across the House to drive this agenda forward, working closely with the entire sector to create a healthier, happier, and more prosperous nation.”

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who sponsored the launch in Parliament, added:

“I fully support the work of this group to make it easier for people to play, move and be active in any way they choose – ensuring sport, recreation and physical activity is accessible and affordable for everyone. There is no denying the importance of physical activity, not only for all our wellbeing, but for the overall health and wealth of the nation.”

“The sector now needs further support from Govrnment and across Parliament to realise the ambition of making the UK the most active nation in Europe.”

Written by Gareth Winmill – Head of Doorstep Sport and Network Engagement

In 2022, after a 64-year wait Wales earned its place in the Men’s Football World Cup, igniting nationwide celebrations. To mark the significance of this achievement, the Welsh Government allocated a total of £1.8 million to support initiatives that aligned with the core objectives; encompassed the promotion of Wales, showcasing its values, and ensuring a positive and enduring legacy for generations to come.

StreetGames were successful in securing a grant of £165,100 from this fund, enabling us to collaborate with 28 locally trusted organisations (LTOs) across Wales, amplifying football-led Doorstep Sport activities for young people living in underserved communities.

One remarkable facet of this initiative was the inclusivity that lay at its heart. Six out of these 28 organisations conducted fully inclusive sessions, catering to young individuals with additional needs. This extension enhanced StreetGames’ existing Get Out Get Active project in South Wales, showcasing a commitment to diversity, empowerment, and social integration.

Since the initiation of the World Cup, these 28 organisations diligently provided weekly sessions to an impressive 4,076 young participants. These sessions, designed to be more than just sport-related activities, incorporated cultural and educational elements. The intention was not only to shed light on the rich history of Welsh football but also to offer young people a chance to explore the footballing history and cultures of other participating nations.

One of the standout projects that exemplified the impact of this initiative was the “Treharris Boys & Girls Club.” In this instance, girls-only social football sessions were established, planned entirely by the young participants themselves. The sessions seamlessly wove in themes of Welsh identity, with the national anthem and the iconic Welsh song “Yma o Hyd” being sung at the outset. This creative approach not only fostered inclusivity but also celebrated Welsh heritage.

The feedback from the programme were overwhelmingly positive, as evidenced by the 97.2% approval rating from the young attendees who found the sessions to be “very good” or “good”. Beyond the numbers, the project’s impact reverberated through the personal stories of these young individuals.

Volunteer opportunities emerged as a highlight for many participants, allowing them to take an active role in shaping the sessions and inspiring others to join. The presence of trusted adults, such as coaches and youth workers, garnered praise for their positive influence and engaging methods. The element of fun was a significant motivator, with attendees eager to participate because of the enjoyable nature of the sessions.

Moreover, the diverse range of activities offered within these sessions encouraged young participants to step out of their comfort zones and try new sports and skills. The social aspect was equally crucial, providing a safe space for both socialising and meeting new friends. Additionally, the provision of food during sessions further enriched the experience, offering insights into the culinary traditions of the participating World Cup countries.

For some, this initiative held even more profound implications. Young individuals from refugee backgrounds found an avenue for enhancing their English language skills, boosting their confidence to communicate beyond the sessions.

The success of the StreetGames World Cup initiative was attributed to various factors, as highlighted by the feedback from project leaders. The importance of adaptability in delivery, especially in accommodating individual needs, was underscored. This proved crucial during the winter season, necessitating contingency plans to ensure the engagement of young participants.

Undoubtedly, the power of major sporting events, like the Men’s Football World Cup, played a pivotal role in rekindling young people’s interest in sports and physical activities. The affiliation with the Football Association of Wales (FAW) training package lent credibility to the program and served as a catalyst for youth participation and volunteering.

Written by Stuart Felce – UK Director, Sport and Community Safety

The launch last week of the evaluation report for the Youth Justice Sport Fund (YJSF) made for hugely encouraging reading.

The fund managed by StreetGames, with support from the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice and the Sport for Development Coalition is the first of its kind delivered by the Ministry of Justice, and forms part of the government’s wider £300m investment into youth justice services over the next three years. Launched in December 2022, the programme allocated £5 million across 220 trusted community organisations nationwide.

In total, the programme successfully engaged over 7,800 young people, with 82% of them coming from 40% most deprived areas, providing them with structured sports activities and additional personal development opportunities. Many of these young people also had additional vulnerabilities including being excluded from school, poor mental health and wellbeing, involvement in gangs, and other challenging life circumstances. It’s a great result for the programme, and a real validation of the idea that sport can be a powerful tool in supporting vulnerable young people to avoid the criminal justice system.

At StreetGames, we have long recognised that for young people who are at greater risk of offending, sport can provide a twin-track approach that prevents them entering the Youth Justice System and towards activities that build strengths, capacities and potential, whilst emphasising positive behaviours and outcomes. The opportunities for engagement and for ‘relationship building’, in and through sport, provide a valuable medium through which to offer this twin-track approach to empower young people to develop social capital and pro-social identities.

By connecting young people to their communities, and providing them with inspiring opportunities, StreetGames works to tackle boredom and alienation, to connect young people with trusted mentors and with each other, and to offer young people the chance to learn new skills, make new friends and grow in confidence. The highly-qualified tutors and local volunteers who deliver these programmes are deeply rooted in their local communities, and provide not only structure and expertise but living, breathing proof of the transformational power of sport –and empowering at-risk young people with a child centered approach that puts their needs at the heart of the offer. Our community safety programmes promote a child first, pro-social, preventative approach to youth crime and violence.

It’s an approach rooted in over 8 years of learning and best practice. Since 2015, StreetGames has been working to strengthen the links and relationships between the Criminal Justice and Community Sport sectors, to build evidence and understanding of how sport can play a more effective role in tackling youth crime and anti-social behaviour. Working alongside academics at Loughborough University, several literature reviews were developed exploring the role sport can play in supporting vulnerable young people. The first literature review summary was published in 2019 and looked at why young people offend, the role of sport in promoting desistance and early interventions for young people at risk of offending, and was developed in order to facilitate shared understanding between partners who are working together to develop creative ways to harness the power of sport to bring about positive change in the lives of young people who may be at risk of offending or who have already begun to offend. A second review focused on early intervention and prevention — one of the four key themes within the Serious Violence Strategy — and summarised current evidence around the most appropriate and effective ways of utilizing sport in this context.

StreetGames’ core offer is Doorstep Sport, sport and physical activity delivered at the right time, in the right place, by the right people, in the right style and at the right price (usually free of charge). The successful application of Doorstep Sport can help people and communities to mitigate the effects of the multiple issues they face.

Our methodology for the delivery of that offer is to support and work alongside the Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) that operate at the heart of underserved communities – the StreetGames network. These organisations are operated by the community, for the community, and have the respect and legitimacy to work with local people in a meaningful way.

In 2015, it was this approach that was used when Hardyal Dhindsa, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire, created a two-year Sport and Crime Prevention programme. This Home Office-funded initiative mobilised eight other Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), as well as Network Rail – with StreetGames acting as the lead project management agent.

The programme also commissioned researchers from Loughborough University to evaluate and identify the critical success factors underpinning effective sport-based projects that contributed to community safety. Their goal was to create an evidence base that illustrated how sporting involvement can work to reduce youth offending and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

The project involved eight community organisations in the StreetGames network that piloted doorstep sport initiatives in their area.

–           Over 800 doorstep sport sessions were provided

–           Over 500 participants took part of which 69% were male. Most we aged 14-19 years

In the 5 pilot areas where relevant police data could be accessed, ASB rates saw a statistically significant fall in two of the localities, as well as a statistically insignificant drop in a further area Just as important, many of the participants reported that the projects had helped them to develop personally across a range of key factors, with 69% reporting they were more motivated to engage in activities now and 62% saying they are more confident and better able to communicate.

Since then, we’ve used this learning to develop similar community safety focused programmes right across the country, from Kent to Manchester. This growing body of best practice also fed into the Theory of Change, developed in partnership with Loughborough University which explains how sport can be used to enhance positive outcomes for young people in the context of serious youth violence.

Since the creation of Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in 2019, StreetGames has worked to build mutually beneficial partnerships in a number of these locations including Greater Manchester, Cleveland, Thames Valley, West Midlands, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Essex, with more on the horizon!  The value attributed by VRUs, to StreetGames approach is the ability to understand the importance of community challenges and the value of taking a pro-social, preventative approach to intervention design and investment.  The alignment of these values has seen partnerships that blend together the vulnerabilities faced by young people, with the effective solutions offered by Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) in those communities, to prevent young people from entering the criminal justice system.

In addition, since 2020 StreetGames have acted as the Secretariat to create the PCC/VRU Sport and Serious Youth Violence Prevention Board.  Chaired by Steve Turner, PCC for Cleveland and joint national portfolio lead for all PCCs for Serious violence, the Board aims to bring together key national and regional stakeholders to build greater understanding and value when aiming to use sport to prevent youth crime and violence.  Taking a sector wide approach it acts as the key central platform, gathering key stakeholders to explore critical areas of focus including: strategic alignment and partnerships; evidence-based approaches to monitoring evaluation and learning (MEL); and investment and commissioning principles.

The YJSF is a fantastic achievement for the hundreds of community organisations – their coaches, leaders and volunteers who delivered this initiative, and another landmark step in the development of sports-based approached to community safety. We need to keep building on these successes and keep working towards the goal of ensuring a suitable sporting offer is available in every neighbourhood and community.

At StreetGames’ our primary mission is to increase the opportunities for young people from underserved communities to take part in local sport and physical activities, therefore when the chance arose to be part of a consortium of partners bidding for the Department for Education (DfE) Opening Schools Facilities programme, we were delighted to get involved.  Alongside the Active Partnerships Network, Youth Sport Trust and UK Active, we are supporting schools to open their doors out of school time to deliver sport and physical activities for both the school community and the local community in underserved areas.

In our role as a consortium partner, we deliver on three distinct aspects.  First, we help schools to embed youth voice at the heart of the opening schools facilities programming. Second, we enable schools to think more broadly about the people needed to implement the types of activities, making sure they align with the preferences of the young people. Lastly, we connect schools to our extensive network of locally trusted organisations (LTOs) that provide Doorstep Sport for young people in local community settings, assisting with delivery and engagement with young people.

Over the last few months, we have been working with Active Partnerships to ensure that we provide the right offer of support to enable schools to provide a varied and interesting offer for young people. In Hull, through a school engagement day, we encouraged schools to look at the Five Rights to Doorstep Sport; right place, right style, right cost, right people and right time. We also delivered a youth voice training session for the schools, providing ideas for the school staff on how to engage with students in such a way that the young people have the opportunity to voice their thoughts on how the Five Rights are delivered in the Opening School Facilities programme.

In the upcoming Autumn, we will be conducting extensive youth voice consultation sessions in schools across England. These sessions will empower young people, identified by the schools, to discuss the barriers, motivations, and enablers affecting their participation in sport and physical activities. This feedback will help schools create physical activity offers beyond regular school hours, catering to those who currently cannot access traditional community sports.

Schools are increasingly seen as community hubs and often have extensive facilities; through this fund, we have the opportunity to open up these assets to provide new and exciting sport and physical activity offers which meet the needs of both the school and local community.

Mark Lawrie – Chief Executive

As a former primary school teacher, PE Coordinator and first-generation TOP Sport trainer (a historical reference that some may need to Google!) I will always advocate for greater levels of resources and support for growing and developing PE and school sport. School should be the place where every child, regardless of their background and personal circumstances, has the best possible start to an active and healthy life. This week the Government published the latest iteration of the School Sport and activity plan (SSAP), setting out its ambition for PE and School sport and the resources to support its objectives.

In a post-pandemic environment, where poor mental and physical health are two of the greatest challenges facing our education and health systems, how does the plan address the ever-evolving needs of children and young people in 2023?

Positively, in a world where many of us call for closer collaboration between government departments, the SSAP is sponsored by the Department for Education, with input and support from both the Department of Health and Social Care and DCMS. The benefits of sport and physical activity cut across multiple areas of government, and to see this joined-up response is extremely heartening.

At a time when schools are under significant pressure to deliver achievement and attainment targets across the whole curriculum, the encouragement to include a minimum of 2 hours of PE time during the school day, every week, with equal access for boys and girls, reflects the vital role of PE in the overall wellbeing of children. An active child is a better learner – the evidence is compelling.

The equal access aspect of this ambition is vital. National data from the Active Lives survey for children and young people continues to show an activity gap between boys and girls. StreetGames’ experience from our award-winning Us Girls programme, is that getting the activity offer right for girls and young women from low-income families requires a clear understanding of what motivates girls to take part and how you can remove the barriers that prevent them. Fun, Fitness and Friends, the strapline for Us Girls, points towards the key motivators for those girls who might be considered ‘semi-sporty’, those for whom sport is not always their first choice. With this in mind, does the plan go far enough to consider how to address the sport and activity needs of all girls? What more can be done to engage those who perhaps do not identify as ‘sporty’ or see themselves as a future Lioness?

The ability to swim is about far more than access to sport; it is a life skill and can, at times, be a life-saving skill. The SSAP outlines how the DfE will work with Swim England and other partners to ensure that all primary-age children can swim before they head to secondary school. Access to swimming is one area where the disparities between more affluent and less affluent children are most stark. The poorest families spend no more than £3.65 per week on sport and active leisure. This is not per child but for the whole family. In most leisure facilities, this would not pay for a single swim. It is for this reason that StreetGames has developed Fit, Fed and Swim, working with Swim England and Birmingham City Leisure Trust. Fit, Fed and Swim is a legacy programme from Birmingham 2022 and provides access to breakfast and regular swimming lessons for those children whose families cannot afford to take them regularly.  The SSAP sets out that schools will be able to use their Primary PE Premium to support disadvantaged pupils to access swimming. Fit, Fed and Swim offers an opportunity to creatively blend this with addressing the wider needs of these children.

So where could the ambition in the SSAP have gone even further? It is really positive that the plan includes references to both the DfE Opening School Facilities (OSF) and Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programmes. Both are important pillars in ensuring access to extra-curricular and holiday time sport and physical activity. StreetGames are delighted to be part of the consortium with the Active Partnerships, Youth Sport Trust and ukactive supporting the Opening School Facilities programme. Our offer within the programme is about ensuring that the activity offer takes into account the voice of young people. In Year 2 of OSF we will provide training that helps schools engage their young people both in sharing what works for them and in becoming part of the delivery of sport and activity outside school through youth social action.

The missing link in this ‘out of hours’ section of the SSAP is the vital role of community organisations in providing opportunities for children and young people to be active outside the school day. Competitive extra-curricular sport in school works for some young people and should always be available, but what about those for whom their motivation or ability to access is different? OSF offers a prime opportunity for schools to engage the locally trusted organisations in their community that provide the kind of informal sport and physical activity that StreetGames knows works for many children and young people from low-income backgrounds. The Sutton Trust have regularly reported on the barriers to access for disadvantaged pupils to extra-curricular activities. Their 2021 research brief on extracurricular inequality includes the stark statistic that top earners are almost four times more likely than bottom earners to have paid for out of school enrichment classes.  More than 65% of young people who attend Doorstep Sport sessions do no other sport or physical activity outside the school curriculum.

These inequalities deepen further during holiday times. With the current cost of living crisis, low-income families simply cannot afford to pay for children to regularly access sporting opportunities during holiday periods. The DfE Holiday Activities and Food programme has provided a lifeline to families with children eligible for Free School Meals and other vulnerable pupils. The expectation that all HAF provisions must include the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation of 60 minutes of sport or physical activity every day means that children most at risk of inactive holidays can find safe, appropriate places to keep moving. StreetGames founded the HAF Active group of national sport sector organisations to encourage a collective response to the opportunity offered by HAF. As members of the wider HAF Alliance, we advocate for the importance of the sport and physical activity offer within holiday provision and for the vital role of trusted community organisations in delivering HAF provision. Our learning from being involved in the pilots for HAF in Newcastle through to our coordination of the largest HAF programme in the country in Birmingham, Bring It On Brum, has shown us how HAF can serve as a catalyst to ensure that disadvantaged children and young people have access to a sport and physical activity offer that works for them both with and beyond the holidays.

Returning to my opening comments, any resources and support for PE, School Sport and activity are to be welcomed, particularly when there are so many other priorities for government spending. The challenge now is to go beyond what is outlined in the SSAP and ensure that we include those children and young people who may be at risk of missing out and who also stand to gain the most from the benefits of access to sport and physical activity.

Young people today lead complex lives, and the reasons why some fall into crime or anti-social behaviour are also complex. Factors such as family relationships, poverty, lack of opportunities, and poor socialisation can all play a role. In addition, there are a range of theories which posit that the way we perceive, label and interact with young offenders or those at risk of offending can have a significant impact on their own mindsets and actions.

For young people who are at greater risk of offending, sport can provide a twin-track approach that prevents them from entering the Youth Justice System and towards activities that build strengths, capacities and potential whilst emphasising positive behaviours and outcomes. The opportunities for engagement and for ‘relationship building’, in and through sport, provide a valuable medium through which to offer this twin-track approach to empower young people to develop social capital and pro-social identities.

It is precisely this approach that has shaped the recent hugely successful intervention from the Ministry of Justice, the Youth Justice Sport Fund. Managed by The Youth Justice Sports Fund (YJSF) Consortium, which brought together StreetGames, The Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice, and was chaired by the Sport for Development Coalition, the consortium enabled the. investment of £5m supported 220 projects across England and Wales to use sport to enhance positive outcomes for vulnerable young people. The funding facilitated voluntary and community sports organisations to undertake targeted work supporting children and young people with a secondary level of need who are understood to be at risk of either entering the criminal justice system or being a victim of crime.

The aims of the programme were twofold:

Aim 1: Support vulnerable young people aged 10-17 at risk of involvement in crime, anti-social behaviour and serious violence through involvement in local sporting activities.

Aim 2: Build capacity and the capability of sport sector delivery organisations to work effectively with their local criminal justice partners, including Youth Justice Services, Police and Police Crime Commissioners (PCC)/Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) structures.

7,832 young people were involved in the programme, with a total of 68,741 attendances during the twelve-week period. An average of 36 young people engaged per organisation, although this varied between organisations. Of the young people engaged, 82% came from the most deprived communities within the bottom four IMD deciles. As the initial evaluation report clearly highlights, this programme demonstrated that a sport-plus approach offers more opportunities to undertake meaningful work with young people experiencing high levels of challenge in their lives and enabled staff to build a strong rapport with young people. It also enhances young people’s skills and knowledge and provides access to additional support.

This success was based on more than just sport; it relied on the extensive expertise of the organisations involved in coordinating the programme and the high levels of trust enjoyed by the local organisations delivering on the ground.

This experience ensured that some of the most influential characteristics of the fund were baked into delivery across the board. These included:

• Ability to flex the original project plans to respond quickly to any unforeseen challenges and adapt their delivery to continue to meet the overall aims of the programme.
• Autonomy to decide budget priorities to reach and engage the targeted young people in their projects.
• A high level of trust was placed in organisations to deliver what was needed in their communities whilst meeting the expectations placed on funded projects.
• The consistent and ongoing support offered to projects throughout the programme by the Consortium, including MEL support, enabled them to collect and report data that would previously have been impossible without a blend of financial support and guidance.
• Underpinning the programme with the shared Theory of Change and clear expectations of projects made clear from the outset.

The ability to provide this level of flexibility to respond to local leads and to support the provision of meaningful MEL data was a critical success factor for the programme. Projects that were supported through the YJSF were able to demonstrate, at the point of application, that they were able to meet clearly articulated expectations on MEL, as well as the ability to effectively implement the different aspects of the Theory of Change, to engage young people with a secondary level of need. As a result, the 220 projects who received funding were in a great position to succeed.

That flexibility to design projects that they felt would be best suited to the targeted young people and to adapt projects if needed in response to the reality of the context they faced proved hugely important and underscores exactly why LTOs are best placed to carry out this kind of work. Their natural agility, combined with the strong trust they already enjoy in local communities, means they can reach the young people that others find hard to reach and engage them on their own terms.

The tremendous success of the YJSF, and the incredible speed with which it was effectively rolled out and delivered, should be taken as demonstrable evidence of the power of sport, the effectiveness of trusted sporting organisations and the role that sport and physical activity can play in supporting vulnerable young people towards personal growth and development.

The Youth Justice Sport Fund was established to utilise sport as a powerful tool to engage at-risk young people, diverting them from crime and antisocial behaviour. Launched in December 2022, the programme allocated £5 million across 220 trusted community organisations nationwide. Now, the evaluation report has proved the programme a success, providing evidence that shows the programme effectively engaged at risk young people and helped to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

The fund managed by StreetGames, with support from the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice and the Sport for Development Coalition is the first of its kind delivered by the Ministry of Justice, and forms part of the government’s wider £300m investment into youth justice services over the next three years.

With the publication of the Youth Justice Sport Fund evaluation report, there are fresh calls for even greater use of innovative sports-based early intervention approaches for young people in a way that can help prevent the cycle of offending, minimise the long-term impact of criminal behaviour and support young people to find positive pathways. The report highlights that sport, when provided in a safe, supportive environment, gives young people a sense of belonging, and exposes them to a diverse array of positive role models.

The programme successfully engaged over 7,800 young people, with 82% of them coming from 40% most deprived areas, providing them with structured sports activities and additional personal development opportunities.

77 of the 220 participating organisations had an annual turnover of less than £100,000 and 63% of the hours delivered by participating organisations were dedicated to mentoring and other ‘sport plus’ activities that help delivery staff build a strong rapport with young people and accelerate their personal development.

The report goes on to make a number of recommendations including –

1. Learn from the successful delivery of the YJSF programme, particularly the Consortium approach and support provided by StreetGames, to effectively engage vulnerable youth in sport and sport-plus projects.
2. Base future investment decisions on principles of trust, collaboration, and high expectations, considering organisations’ ability to meet expectations, provide monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) data, and engage young people with secondary-level needs.
3. Recognise and involve young people in the programme by celebrating their participation and providing opportunities for their formal engagement in evaluation and decision-making processes for future programs.
4. Support project flexibility in designing and adapting initiatives to suit the specific needs of targeted young people while upholding the principles of the StreetGames Theory of Change.
5. Maintain and leverage regional and national networks established through the programme to facilitate effective sharing of best practices and ongoing relationships.

Alan Webster, Deputy Director for Youth Justice, Ministry of Justice said: “Prevention is the principal aim of the youth justice system, and we know the impact that physical activity can have in helping people make more positive choices in their lives. That’s why we created the Youth Justice Sport Fund, the first time Government has invested in sports as a diversionary route for children and young people at this scale and we are incredibly proud of the fund and its achievements. Almost 8,000 children have accessed activities that may not have been available to them, learning new skills and gaining qualifications along the way. We will continue to explore innovative ways sports can be used to support children at risk of being involved in crime and anti-social behaviour”.

Mark Lawrie, CEO of StreetGames said: “Through the Youth Justice Sport Fund, we have witnessed the powerful impact of investing in sport to support vulnerable young people, reducing their risk of involvement in crime and victimisation and helping them to develop a pro-social identity. It is crucial to intervene early and engage at-risk youth to prevent them entering a cycle of offending behaviour and to support them to make positive life choices. . The success of the programme was rooted in the collaborative efforts between national and local sport sector organisations and national and local criminal justice partners, emphasising the immense potential for future collaborations across sectors.”

Hitesh Patel, Executive Director of the Sport for Development Coalition, added: “The Sport for Development Coalition thanks the Ministry of Justice, StreetGames, the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice, and of course the 220 community-based organisations who united to deliver the Youth Justice Sport Fund so effectively across England and Wales.

This report provides powerful evidence of the value of investing in proven sports-based early intervention schemes. This can achieve a significant impact across multiple policy priorities for the Government, which in turn can help to save public costs in the long term – as demonstrated by the Coalition’s #OpenGoal framework.

Ahead of the publication of a new nationwide sports strategy, we encourage all arms of Government to collaborate with the Coalition and its partners to deliver effective early-intervention schemes that could help lighten the load on the public purse.”

James Mapstone, CEO of the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice said: “It was a pleasure to work alongside StreetGames, the Sport for Development Coalition and other partners and we are delighted that project has resulted in such positive outcomes for young people and the community sport organisations who support them.

The Alliance of Sport’s purpose is to build a better and safer society through the effective use of sport and physical activity, so we are delighted that this project has been able to strengthen the evidence base and advance the case for sport’s role in crime prevention.”

The British Olympic Association (BOA) has announced charity partnerships with StreetGames and YoungMinds, two of the country’s leading young people’s charities, focusing on physical activity in underserved communities and mental health and wellbeing respectively.

As part of the partnerships, and in line with the BOA’s and the British Olympic Foundation’s social impact strategies, the charities will be able to leverage the power of the Team GB brand and its athletes to support their objectives in tackling conditions that adversely affect young people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing, at home and in the community.

The BOA’s own research has identified that significant portions of the population feel that Team GB can legitimately talk about physical and mental health, and believe that Team GB athletes are positive role models in this regard.

The BOA will work with YoungMinds, the UK’s leading young people’s mental health charity, to support a much-needed shift in the conversation around mental health. Team GB’s athletes will be lending their voice to the fight for a world where all young people get the mental health support they need, when they need it, no matter what.

In working with StreetGames, Team GB will support the drive to tackle some of the most pressing issues faced by young people growing up in underserved communities, helping to make them healthier, safer and more successful.

British Olympic Association CEO, Andy Anson, OBE said: “We are very excited about our partnerships with StreetGames and YoungMinds and the impact these relationships can create.”

“Our athletes are part of a global movement who want to push for significant social change. We have also witnessed a much-welcomed shift from athletes in their openness to conversations around mental and physical health. We look forward to working with both charities to utilise the power of sport to create positive change for young people across the UK.”

Laura Bunt, Chief Executive of YoungMinds, said, “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Team GB and to work with a range of inspiring athletes who are sharing their messages about mental health with young people.

“Young people today are growing up facing huge pressures following a global pandemic and emerging into a cost of living crisis. We know that hearing messages of support and hope from people who are under pressure to perform publicly can be really powerful. Working with Team GB will increase our reach and ensure that more young people are able to access advice about their mental health when they need it. It will also remind them that whatever they are doing and whatever they are going through, their mental health matters.”

John Cove, Chair of StreetGames, said: “Our partnership with Team GB empowers us to use the immensely positive power of Olympic sport and the incredible passion, skill and commitment of athletes to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people. Together, we can bridge the sporting inequality gap, deliver vibrant sports sessions, and share authentic stories that inspire and empower. Through this powerful collaboration, we are transforming lives and creating a future where every young person can thrive through sport and physical activity.”

The charities will partner with the BOA until the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

The new partnerships will complement Team GB’s existing youth engagement programme Get Set. Originally created as the official education programme for London 2012, Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s Get Set offers a broad programme of free, cross-curricular resources and activities for schools and community groups, and has engaged with over 93% of UK schools since its launch.

Aiming to support all young people in fulfilling their potential and maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, the programme helps pupils to embrace the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect and the Paralympic values of determination, inspiration, courage and equality.

At StreetGames, we are driven by our passion for creating an excellent, diverse local workforce that reflects the richness and diversity of the communities our LTOs serve. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every young person living in a low-income, underserved neighbourhood has access to the right sporting opportunities, free from barriers and limitations.

The StreetGames Training Academy plays a crucial role in achieving this goal. We develop and deliver bespoke training programmes that equip coaches, volunteers, and sports development staff with the necessary skills, confidence, and knowledge to bring Doorstep Sport to every underserved community.

Our training empowers the workforce to initiate positive change by focusing on areas such as building relationships, adapting mainstream sports delivery, community safety, as well as mental and physical well-being.

What sets us apart is our dedication to making learning easy, practical, and interactive. This approach allows us to reach and engage individuals who may not have had previous access to training or positive learning experiences. StreetGames training has a higher percentage of candidates from ethnically diverse communities than most NGB training offers – “we take our training to the doorstep of these communities instead of just online, or at central venues that suit us – we are the people beside the people and it’s all about ‘Frontline First’.” – Mark Roughsedge, Workforce Lead, LSE.

By expanding their knowledge, skills, and behaviours, we broaden their opportunities and boost their confidence to pursue further training, volunteering roles, and employment with Locally Trusted Organisations who are committed to utilising the power of Doorstep Sport to transform lives and local communities.

Over the last year, the StreetGames London South East team have delivered over 70 courses to nearly 1000 candidates, with 66% of participants coming from ethnically diverse communities, showing that we are training people who traditionally face barriers to mainstream coaching qualifications. 58% of those accessing our training also come from LSEG groups 1-4, showing that we are reaching those people who face numerous other barriers to CPD opportunities in the sports sector.

Through these initiatives, we have supported LTOs to adhere to the 5 rights of Doorstep Sport (Right Place, Right Time, Right Price, Right Style, Right Leaders) to make sure the community sport offer is what children and young people want it to be so they keep returning to be healthier, safer and more successful in their own communities.

Leading our workforce development work in London is, Dan Dodge and Mark Roughsedge who are our Workforce Development Managers.

For more detailed information about our comprehensive training offer, or to arrange for StreetGames to come and deliver training at your venue for your team and partners, please visit The Training Academy section on the StreetGames website or email training.academy@streetgames.org