National Lottery making a difference

We know that sport and activity has the power to transform lives.

Whether it’s the news that 10 minutes of brisk walking each day can make a big difference to your health, pioneering investment to look into the role of sport in tackling crime or accreditation schemes to support talented young athletes, sport and activity has a huge role to play.

CATERING FOR EVERYONE

It sounds obvious, but the impact of doing something is better than doing nothing at all. It only takes a small amount of regular activity to make a big difference – especially for those who are least active.

The benefits of regular exercise stretch beyond mental and physical wellbeing too, improving local communities, the economy and social development.

This is why we’re working so that everyone in England, regardless of age, background or ability, feels able to take part in sport or activity. Some might be fit and talented, but others won’t be so confident.

Without the support of the National Lottery, we wouldn’t be able to do much of the work that we do

From traditional team sports to activities like walking or going to the gym – we’re building an active nation that caters for everyone.

Key to this vision is funding from the National Lottery. It is behind many of the projects we’ve supported over the years.

For 2016-17, National Lottery funding made up around 66 per cent of the money we awarded to projects for the year, with the remaining 34 per cent provided by the Government.

INVESTING IN SPORT AND ACTIVITY

The total money raised by National Lottery players is distributed by 12 bodies independent from Government, including ourselves and organisations like the Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund and UK Sport.

£1.5bnNational Lottery money invested in grassroots sport since 2009

Our Code for Sports Governance – developed alongside UK Sport and launched in October last year – sets out the levels of transparency, accountability and financial integrity required from those who ask for Government and National Lottery funding.

Since 2009, we’ve invested more than £1.5 billion of National Lottery money into projects that are making a difference to lives across the country.

Whether it’s a clubhouse we’ve rejuvenated in the north east, a new project that gets more disabled people active in south London, or one of the hundreds of sports that have been funded to get more people active, we’ve been able to back great initiatives thanks to National Lottery players.

Without the support of the National Lottery, we wouldn’t be able to do much of the work that we do.

SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

To recognise this, we’re showcasing a number of National Lottery-funded projects that have impacted on the lives and wellbeing of young people as part of a month-long campaign by National Lottery distributors.

The campaign is being coordinated by the Big Lottery Fund, which is responsible for distributing 40 per cent of all funds raised for good causes by the National Lottery.

Its funding supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities – and the role of young people plays a big part in that.

Getting more children and young people into sport and activity is one of the key features of our strategy

Getting more children and young people into sport and activity is one of the key features of our strategy.

We're working to ensure young people from the age of five all the way up to university-age and beyond are able to enjoy the benefits of sport and physical activity.

We want them to feel more motivated, confident and able to get active – which will also increase the likelihood of being active later in life.

CASE STUDIES

We’ve spent more than £23 million of National Lottery money in the last year on youth-focussed projects.

Some of these include social sport sessions for people with a disability in Derby, our annual sporting extravaganza, School Games, and low-cost taster sessions with the student budget in mind in Portsmouth.

Get active, stay active – University of Portsmouth

Students at the University of Portsmouth are settling into university life with a series of sport and fitness taster sessions.

Thanks to £299,412 of National Lottery funding, ‘Get Active, Stay Active’ offers students the opportunity to take part in a variety of sessions for all abilities.

Students can be as competitive as they want – and the free or low cost involved is in keeping with the student budget in mind.

There are a variety of sports on offer, including badminton, touch rugby, trampolining and volleyball.

One futsal taster gave a student the perfect opportunity to get back into sport after dropping out of football four years ago.

It’s easy to get involved. Students don’t have to be a member or sign-up to take part – they can just go along and get active.

School games – Active Gloucestershire

Collaboration has been the secret to success for Active Gloucestershire in getting more young people active.

Thanks to £45,000 of National Lottery funding and its partnership with the likes of Youth Sports Trust, Hartpury College and local primary schools, more young people are now enjoying the benefits of sport and physical activity.

More than 150 further education students, teaching assistants and teachers are now trained to deliver sport and activity – while year 5 and 6 students provide Change4Life activities during lunchtimes or after-school clubs.

Change4Life is a nationwide campaign that encourages everybody to play their part in improving the nation's health and wellbeing by eating well, moving more and living longer.

“We look forward to expanding the programme further into 2017/18,” says Tom Hall, head of education at Active Gloucestershire.

Healthy Lifestyle Project – Chesterfield College

Free breakfast is one initiative being trialled at Chesterfield College to help get further education students active.

Thanks to £160,000 of National Lottery funding, the college’s new ‘Healthy Lifestyle Project’ will support students who aren’t currently doing the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity per week.

The project team will be responsible for working with college staff and local community organisations to set up new programmes that get students active as well as supporting new students to access existing activities.

One of the initiatives piloted includes a breakfast club, which involves providing free breakfast for students alongside physical activity opportunities that take place before timetabled lessons begin for the day.

The project will work with partners and target vulnerable students, typically from lower socio-economic backgrounds, who might be at risk of dropping off their course or who face mental health issues.

Fit4Work - Furness College

Safe lifting techniques for construction industry students is just one of the ‘Fit4Work’ programmes on offer at Furness College.

Thanks to £71,693 of National Lottery funding, the college is tackling inactivity by targeting students who aren't currently active due to physical, social or emotional barriers.

The college will embed physical activity into the timetable for at least one term to allow students to get active and experience the benefits to health and mental wellbeing.

The activities on offer through Fit4Work are directly linked to the requirements of the students’ prospective careers.

These include programmes to develop safe techniques for construction industry students and core strength support for students who spend long days on their feet.

All Active - Hereford Sixth Form College

Tailored programmes for inactive students are part of the new ‘All Active’ project run by Hereford Sixth Form College.

Thanks to £69,000 of National Lottery investment, students and staff that are currently not doing the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity each week will be targeted with a set of personalised activities.

Long-term behaviour change is the aim.

Ben Parfitt, physical wellbeing manager at Hereford Sixth Form College, says: “We want young people progress to a stage where they don’t just leave college with a great education, but are confident and healthy enough to fulfil their potential.”

The funding will go towards making sport an active part of college life for further education students, including a one-to-one referral scheme for students with mental health issues, difficult home lives or those struggling with their studies.

We will be highlighting the impact of our awards on children and young people using the themes of health and fitness and skills and employment in the coming weeks.

Find out more about some of the projects above – and look out for more stories on social media that showcase the impact of National Lottery funding both in sport and other sectors in the coming weeks.