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Sports Collaboration Fund launched to help young Londoners

We're working with the Mayor of London and the London Marathon Charitable Trust to support children and young people take part in sport and physical activity.

22nd July 2022

We’ve partnered with the Mayor of London and the London Marathon Charitable Trust to launch a new £17m fund that will support young people in London to take part in sport and physical activity.

The Sports Collaboration Fund, which will go live in early 2023 and is also supported by London Sport and London Marathon Events, will provide organisations with small and large grants that will last between 12 months and three years to help underserved young Londoners in areas of low participation in sport.

The money will be targeted at underserved young Londoners and will also directly invest in young people to develop their ideas and become future leaders in the sector, while there will be an opportunity for organisations to participate in workshops and events across London to help shape the funding programme this autumn.

A girl playing rounders

Tim Hollingsworth, our chief executive, said the investment would especially help those from less affluent families that had been most impacted by the pandemic.

“The pandemic caused real disruption to children and young people’s activity levels with those from less affluent families and underserved communities the most affected,” he said.

“This funding is going to help develop more opportunities for people across London to engage with sport and physical activity - and the anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic Games is the perfect time to announce it.

“The evidence is clear that children and young people who take part in sport and physical activity have better life chances thanks to improved self-esteem, being part of a community and better attainment at school.

“We’re delighted to be teaming up with partners across London to deliver the funding, which will complement our national mission to tackle the stubborn inequalities that exist in participation levels for sport and physical activity.”
 

"The evidence is clear that children and young people who take part in sport and physical activity have better life chances thanks to improved self-esteem, being part of a community and better attainment at school."

Tim Hollingsworth

Chief executive, Sport England

The fund will be formally announced this morning at a special event to mark the 10th anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The event will be hosted by Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy and will welcome an audience of Olympians, Paralympians, community groups, schoolchildren and others involved in the Games and legacy work.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the fund would build on the legacy of the of the Olympics.

"London 2012 showed our capital at its best," he added. "It was a time that displayed the inclusive, diverse and welcoming heart of our city in all its energy and vibrance.

"As we emerge from the pandemic, I’m proud to channel that Olympic spirit by investing in young Londoners so that we can continue building a fairer, safer and more prosperous city for all.

"Today’s wonderful event reflects on the Games themselves but also the legacy we pledged when we bid for the Olympics – this sports fund is helping to deliver that legacy and transform opportunities for our young people across the city."

The fund will play an important role in our long-term strategy Uniting the Movement, which has tackling inequalities at its heart.

Our most recent Active Lives Children and Young People Survey found that children and young people’s activity levels continued to be negatively impacted by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, with those from the least affluent families the least active.
 

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