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Partnerships announced to build movement around tackling inequalities

We're changing our investment strategy to give organisations longer-term stability as they work with us to help the whole of the nation to be active.

10th March 2022

We’ve announced the first group of 43 partners we’re working with to deliver system-wide change against our ambitious 10-year strategy to level up access to sport and physical activity across the country.

In a revolution to our previous investment model, the partners – who have all committed to tackling inequalities – will receive a total of £193 million of National Lottery and government funding between them, with each partner investment lasting up to five years.

Partners include the youth charity StreetGames, disability charity Activity Alliance, talented young athletes’ charity SportsAid, and sports’ national governing bodies from England Boxing to British Wheelchair Basketball, plus Active Partnerships working across England – from County Durham to Devon.

A woman hitting a punching bag.

This change in approach will provide longer term, upfront certainty of funding as organisations recover and reinvent from the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The new investment model recognises the partners’ important role in implementing our Uniting the Movement strategy.

It’s the first step on a journey to revolutionise our approach to long-term partnerships that will also see us build new relationships with innovative organisations, as well with existing partners, local partners and delivery partners – part of our work to build a wider movement that are working towards the same goals to transform lives and communities through sport and physical activity.

And our chief executive Tim Hollingsworth says the 43 partners all have a foundational role in the sport and physical activity sector, which is why collaborating with them is vital to helping reach those most in need.

“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,” said Tim.

“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 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 us.”

  • The first 43

    Further partnership announcements will be made in the coming weeks, but these are the first 43:
    Organisation Award
    Active Black Country £2,661,850
    Active Cumbria £2,660,535
    Active Devon £3,262,600
    Active Dorset £2,671,300
    Active Gloucestershire £2,844,303
    Active Humber £2,661,850
    Active Norfolk £2,895,250
    Active Partners Trust £5,199,000
    Active Surrey £2,678,650
    Activity Alliance £8,444,805
    Badminton England £11,189,620
    British Orienteering £1,214,190
    British Shooting £1,197,240
    British Wheelchair Basketball £1,956,548
    County Durham Sport £2,648,335
    Energize Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin £2,652,400
    England Athletics £7,318,005
    England Boxing £6,834,325
    England Golf £7,967,000
    England Lacrosse £2,962,000
    GB Taekwondo £1,087,461
    Get Berkshire Active £2,669,200
    Goalball UK £2,521,975
    Greater Sport £5,744,899
    Leicestershire and Rutland Sport £2,900,500
    Living Sport £2,573,960
    North Yorkshire Sport £2,672,350
    Northamptonshire Sport £2,653,078
    RISE North East £4,282,375
    Royal Yachting Association £6,150,000
    Rugby Football League £11,902,306
    Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership £2,662,900
    Sport Birmingham £2,785,000
    Sported £4,719,970
    SportsAid £16,465,000
    StreetGames UK £10,500,000
    Table Tennis England £9,068,000
    Team Beds and Luton £2,588,238
    Tees Valley Sport £2,660,561
    Together Active £2,679,700
    Volleyball England £2,122,584
    Wiltshire and Swindon Sport £2,773,900
    Yorkshire Sport Foundation £7,180,060

     

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These partners play a connecting, influencing or governing role within the sport and physical activity sector and are therefore well placed to create the conditions for positive change to help more people engage and reap the benefits of getting active.

Working collaboratively with organisations both in and outside of the sector, they’ve committed to tackling the inequalities that currently exist and will help more people from underrepresented groups – including women, people from ethnically diverse communities, people from lower socio-economic groups and people with long-term health conditions – to take part. The pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities too, meaning that the work to get inactive groups engaging with physical activity is more challenging. 

Part of the process to decide the partnerships saw organisations demonstrate their commitment to tackling inequalities and how they’ll take meaningful action to address long-standing and deep-rooted inequalities to ensure the investment is supporting those who need it most. 

"Certain groups are more likely to be inactive and need targeted and innovative support."

Tim Hollingsworth

Chief executive, Sport England

The partners will work with us to deliver on Uniting the Movement, recognising that together we’re stronger.

They’ll focus on having strong governance and integrity, diversity of leadership and workforces, and creating inclusive and safe cultures within sport and physical activity.

Each partner has large networks of influence, as well as the ability to work with other innovative organisations that can play a part in helping those with the greatest need to engage with sport and physical activity.

We’ll encourage and support these partners to work in local places in collaborative ways that ensure a good blend of national and local working, and to build more capacity and resource for everyone working towards the same goals.

Any organisations that are looking to innovate and help more people play sport and get active are encouraged to look at our funding pages to see how we may be able to help you.

And organisations are also encouraged to share what they’re doing to help tackle inequalities and the impact that it’s having by using #UnitingTheMovement on social media.

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