Today, Sport England has announced the first 43 partner organisations to
benefit from its new longer-term funding model, as part of its mission to level up access to sport and physical activity right across the country.
The 43 partners - including the youth charity StreetGames, disability charity
Activity Alliance, talented young athletes’ charity SportsAid, National Governing
Bodies of sport from England Boxing to Goalball, and Active Partnerships across
England from Country Durham to Devon – have been chosen because they
have a foundational role within the sport and physical activity sector. In addition, they have committed to tackling inequalities and helping level up access to sport and activity. They will receive funding for up to five years, with over £193 million of government and National Lottery funding being invested between the partners.
This is the first step on a journey to revolutionise Sport England’s approach to
long-term partnerships. The new funding model provides the critical financial
security needed to deliver Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy and to help transform lives and communities through sport and physical activity. This is particularly important as organisations seek to recover and reinvent themselves from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Uniting the Movement aims to help everyone play sport and get active"
Sport England research shows that some groups are less active than others –
like women, people with long-term health conditions, disabled people, people from ethnically diverse communities and lower socio-economic groups. The
pandemic has exacerbated these existing inequalities, meaning that the work
to get inactive groups engaging with physical activity requires a more focused
and strategic approach.
The 43 organisations were chosen for their unique position to be able to
influence positive change and improvement throughout the sector, their own
networks and beyond, to tackle inequalities. The partners will focus on having
strong governance and integrity, diversity of leadership and workforces, and creating inclusive and safe cultures within sport and physical activity. Examples
of organisations include:
Active Partnerships across England playing a role to connect communities and local organisations, to change the conditions locally that means opportunities aren’t equal for everyone and supporting others to create more equal and inclusive places for people.
National Governing Bodies of Sport which will use their influence in governing and developing a wide range of sports to diversify their professional and volunteer workforce and reduce barriers to ensure all communities are welcome and better represented at all levels.
Activity Alliance is a leading disability organisation in the sport and physical activity sector as well as StreetGames and Sported, with their focus on the potential of sport in developing communities and individuals.
Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England, said: “Uniting the Movement aims to
help everyone play sport and get active– no matter who they are, where they
live, or what their background is."
“But right now, the opportunities to get involved in sport and activity depend too
much on background, gender, bank balance and postcode. Certain groups are
more likely to be inactive and need targeted and innovative support."
“We can only tackle these inequalities with collective action, and a focus on
long-term change. That’s why our new longer-term funding model should have
a transformative impact."
“The 43 partners we’ve announced today all play a foundational role in the sport
and physical activity sector; they are uniquely placed to create the conditions
for change and co-deliver Uniting the Movement in partnership with Sport
England.”
The foundational partners are just one type of partner Sport England will work
with as it builds a wider movement made up of other innovative organisations,
place-based partners, and delivery partners, all working towards the same
goals. There will be other funding routes available for wider partners via Sport
England’s open funds:
https://www.sportengland.org/how-we-can-help/our-funds#ouropenfunds-168
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*Further partnership announcements will be made in the coming weeks:
Active Black Country
Active Cumbria
Active Devon
Active Dorset
Active Gloucestershire
Active Humber
Active Norfolk
Active Partners Trust
Active Suffolk
Active Surrey
Activity Alliance
Badminton England
British Orienteering
British Shooting
British Wheelchair Basketball
County Durham Sport
Energize Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin
England Athletics
England Boxing
England Golf
England Lacrosse
GB Taekwondo
Get Berkshire Active
Goalball UK
GreaterSport
Leicestershire and Rutland Sport
Living Sport
North Yorkshire Sport
Northamptonshire Sport
RISE North East
Royal Yachting Association
Rugby Football League
Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership
Sport Birmingham
Sported
SportsAid
StreetGames UK
Table Tennis England
Team Beds and Luton
Tees Valley Sport
Together Active
Volleyball England
Wiltshire and Swindon Sport
Yorkshire Sport Foundation