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Sported celebrates 10 years!

Post author By Sported
Post date March 20, 2018

2018 marks a special year for Sported as we celebrate our tenth anniversary, having been incorporated as a charity back on 20th March 2008.

What started as Sir Keith Mills’ vision – as then Deputy Chair of LOCOG – to provide a life-line to the thousands of community sport groups which play a pivotal role in the lives of young people, has since grown into the largest membership organisation for Sport for Development groups in the UK.

Our membership network now spans over 3,000 community sport and youth groups across all regions of the UK, delivering over 90 different sports, and tackling issues as diverse as homelessness and knife crime, to employability and mental health.

In our ten years, we’ve awarded over £3 million in grants to our members, and with the support of our brilliant volunteers have helped them to leverage and secure even more via external funding; launched Sportworks – our pioneering research and impact measurement tool; and built partnerships with leading organisations in both the sport and commercial sector – all for the benefit of our members.

Whilst we are enormously proud of what we’ve achieved, we know that our members still face huge financial and operational challenges, and the young people they serve in the poorest areas of the UK still bear the brunt of social inequalities. We know sport has an important role to play and we remain determined to help our members harness its power to transform the lives of young people and their local communities.

Over the course of 2018 we will be celebrating our tenth anniversary with member and volunteer events across all our nations and regions, so please keep an eye on your emails and our social channels for all the details.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported Sported over the last ten years, without which our work would simply not be possible. Thank you!

Tags 10 years

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Sport Relief partners with Sported to get people moving

Post author By Sported
Post date January 31, 2018

Sport Relief is back! And this year we’re delighted to announce that Sported will be helping to make it the biggest, boldest and best event ever.

From the 17th to 23rd March 2018, the nation will be coming together for a week of epic activity to get people active, raise money and help change lives here in the UK and across the world.

As part of the celebrations, Sport Relief has partnered with Sported to help youth groups plan their own fundraising activities. The charities have teamed up to create a youth group fundraising pack, chock-full of tips and suggestions to get them started.

Sported will be promoting the Sport Relief fundraising packs to its membership network of over 3,000 community groups across the UK. So whether it’s organising a five-a-side tournament, dance-athon or classic Sports Day, Sported is challenging its members to showcase their skills by putting on an event to raise money and bring the local community together.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR FREE YOUTH GROUP SPORT RELIEF FUNDRAISING PACK!

Kathryn Berry, Head of Member Services at Sported, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Sport Relief 2018. Sported’s members are the experts when it comes to getting young people moving and using sport to bring local communities together. That’s why we are asking for their support to make Sport Relief 2018 the biggest, most exciting and inclusive fundraising event ever!”

Sport Relief brings the nation together to get active, raise money and change lives. Since 2002, Sport Relief has raised over £335 million. The money raised by the public will be spent by Comic Relief to tackle the critical issues affecting people across the UK and the world. This year, Sport Relief culminates in a week of activity from Saturday 17^th to Friday 23^rd March, leading to an unmissable night of TV on the BBC.

Tags Sport Relief

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Sporteducate improves the employability of over 2,000 disadvantaged young people in London

Post author By Sported
Post date December 6, 2017

• More young people enjoy learning (increasing from 61 to 81%)

• More young people are performing at a ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ level at school (increasing from 70 to 87%)

• 57% of young people report improved behaviour at school

• More young people think a future career is important (increasing from 78 to 94%)

A three-and-a-half year intensive programme that used sport to engage disadvantaged young people in educational activities outside of the classroom, is celebrating its conclusion with the news that over 2,000 young people across London have benefitted since it launched in May 2013.

Sporteducate was developed to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (aged 10-18) acquire the skills and aspirations required to find employment after education.

The programme combined different sporting activities with regular supplementary Maths, English and language classes, homework clubs, IT teaching, employability support, job skills sessions and personal mentoring from Deutsche Bank volunteers.

One of the key success factors of sporteducate was that all educational activities were designed and delivered by local community sports clubs. Drawing on the intimate local knowledge, personal networks and trusted relationships of their staff and volunteers to break down barriers to learning and re-engage young people in their education, both inside and outside of school.

Sporteducate was run by leading sports charity Sported in partnership with Deutsche Bank’s Born to Be youth engagement programme – an initiative that aims to break the cycle of youth unemployment through early intervention, focusing on education-led initiatives.

SPORTEDUCATE’S IMPACT

• Sporteducate had a dramatic impact on young people’s attitudes, educational performance and personal development. The number of young people performing at a ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ level at school increased significantly, from 70% pre-programme to 87% after three years on the programme.

• The programme’s model of combining sport and education made a huge difference to young people’s enjoyment of learning, increasing from 61% to 81% after three years. The positive effect on attitudes also saw corresponding improvements in participants’ school attendance, punctuality and completing homework on time.

• The complementary role of sport in developing non-cognitive skills is also evident in the programme’s results. After three years, 96% of participants agreed that it helped build their confidence; verbal and written communication improved; and more young people felt comfortable working as part of a team.

• Finally, since taking part in the sporteducate programme more young people envisage themselves going to college or university, and more would also like to be in a full-time job in the next three years.

Nicole Lovett, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility UK at Deutsche Bank, said: “We are delighted with the results of sporteducate. We have always held a firm belief in helping young people unlock and fulfil their potential, and creating a level playing field on opportunity. The work that community sports clubs do every day with vulnerable young people, to ensure no one gets left behind, is testament to the success of the programme. We would like to thank our partner Sported and all the hard work of everyone involved, particularly the young people who took part.”

Chris Grant, Chief Executive at Sported, said: “Sporteducate’s results prove how powerful sport and community groups can be in transforming young lives when given the right support and resources. Tackling educational inequality shouldn’t stop at the school-gates, it requires a holistic and creative approach in order to reach and engage those who could benefit most.”

He adds: “There has been a significant investment from Deutsche Bank and we would like to thank them for their commitment and support, including all their volunteers for making the programme such a great success. Their vision and conviction to make a difference will have a lasting impact on the lives of thousands of young people for years to come.”

Dominic (11), participant on sporteducate: “I come here to improve my Maths and English, and prepare for my SATS. Lessons at school have lots of people, so it’s hard to get help, but here it’s a small group. The teacher is great – she answers my questions and helps with my work.”

The results are based on the comparison of 878 pre-programme surveys and 718 post-programme surveys, completed by young people between March 2014 and May 2017. The report was produced by EdComs.

Sporteducate will continue to help young people fulfil their potential after the programme’s end, with learning and insight developed over the three-and-a-half years distilled into a new toolkit to help other communities groups launch and run their own Sport for Development programmes.

SPORTEDUCATE – KEY STATISTICS & ACHIEVEMENTS:

• 33 community sport clubs in London benefitted from funding, training and volunteer support from Sported and Deutsche Bank to run education and employability activities alongside their core sports offering.

• 2,103 young people (aged 10-18) in London engaged over the course of sporteducate’s 3.5 year duration.

• 130,673 hours of education, employability and sport sessions delivered.

• 2,065 hours of time volunteered by 325 Deutsche Bank employees

– END –

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT:

To download a copy of the full Sporteducate Programme Evaluation Report, please click HERE.

IMAGES (high-res versions available on request):

Sporteducate image 1, click HERE to download.
Sporteducate image 2, click HERE to download.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Matt Shaw, Media & External Affairs Manager at Sported, on 07775 601956 or m.shaw@sported.org.uk.

Tags Sporteducate

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Sported and Women in Sport unite to transform the lives of vulnerable girls and young women

Post author By Sported
Post date September 13, 2017

Sported and Women in Sport have come together to launch a new Sport for Change programme to help girls in the most deprived areas of the UK to fulfil their potential by opening up access to sport.

The programme is funded by Comic Relief as part of its ‘Levelling the Field’ initiative.

Research[1] shows that living in a deprived community can have a negative impact on girls’ aspirations – including their educational choices, career pathways and participation in sport or physical activity. Gender stereotypes are particularly entrenched when it comes to sport. Only 43% of girls say they have the same choice as boys at school in sport and exercise; and amongst secondary school-age children, being ‘sporty’ is still widely seen as a masculine trait[2].

The joint programme seeks to address this problem by helping community sport groups in deprived areas of Scotland, South West England and the West Midlands to tackle gender stereotypes by improving the sport offering for girls and women and better meeting their needs.

The community groups will benefit from expert workshops, gaining insights from Women in Sport’s research into the values and motivations that guide girls’ decision making, and how to apply these to the design, delivery and marketing of tailored sports activities. Each group will be supported by Sported volunteer mentors and regional managers for six months to embed the insights from the training and develop a business plan with a focus on girls’ engagement and inclusion.

Additionally, nine girls from across the project will be identified as peer influencers. The girls will be coached and supported by Women in Sport to encourage their female peers to participate in sport and expand their aspirations.

Chris Grant, Chief Executive at Sported, said: “Sport and activity could play a far greater role in helping girls from deprived communities overcome the barriers they face. With Comic Relief’s funding and Women in Sport’s knowhow, we will help our members create new opportunities for girls to reap the benefits of tailored sporting activities that are uniquely engaging, appealing and accessible.”

Ruth Holdaway, Chief Executive at Women in Sport, said: “Our research tells us that playing sport has wide ranging benefits from building confidence to enhancing career prospects and improving health and wellbeing. Women in Sport campaigns for gender equality in every aspect of sport; from the field of play to the board room. We’re excited about the potential of this programme to transform the lives of vulnerable girls and young women across the UK and to open up sport to a group who are currently hugely under-represented. We are very grateful to Comic Relief for the opportunity this grant gives us to deepen and broaden our work with Sported. By combining forces, together we will harness the power of sport to build a fairer society.”

[1] The State of Girls’ Rights in the UK (2016). Plan International UK

[2] Changing the Game for Girls (2012). Women in Sport

Tags Comic Relief, inequality, Levelling the Field, woman and girls, Women in Sport

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Sported win Sport NI funding to expand work in Northern Ireland

Post author By Sported
Post date August 7, 2017

Sported is delighted to announce that it has been awarded funding from Sport Northern Ireland and the Department for Communities to get more young women and girls physically active and playing sport in Northern Ireland.

The funding is part of Sport Northern Ireland’s ‘Active Fit and Sporty’ project, and will support the expansion and continued delivery of Sported’s Engage-HER programme in partnership with Women in Sport, following a successful five-month pilot.

As part of Engage-HER, community sport groups benefit from insight, training and Sported volunteer support to improve their engagement with women and girls, and create more tailored participation opportunities.

The extension to the programme will see Sported staff, volunteers and selected partners trained to deliver Women in Sport’s insight workshops, in order that the charity’s expert knowledge can be disseminated to community groups across Northern Ireland.

Ten further community sport groups and two sporting National Governing Bodies (NGBs) will benefit from Engage-HER. Each will receive training on how to effectively attract and retain women and girls in sport and activity, plus volunteer support from Sported to develop and implement a women and girls engagement plan.

Sported members from the original pilot will also receive further support to deepen their understanding of the topic.

Brenda Kelly, Northern Ireland Manager at Sported, said: “Following the successful pilot of Engage-HER with Women in Sport, it’s fantastic that Sport NI and the Department for Communities have awarded us funding to continue the programme. This unique package of support will help our members break down barriers to participation and get more young women and girls benefitting from the life-enhancing effects of sport.”

George Lucas, Sport Northern Ireland Chair added: “Sport NI is delighted to continue supporting and collaborating with Sported as part of our ‘Active Fit and Sporty Project’, together with the Department for Communities and our other partners. We share their commitment to helping women and girls across Northern Ireland enjoy, engage and excel in sport through the delivery of quality sporting experiences, and look forward to seeing the continued impact of the ‘Engage-HER’ programme.”

Heather Smith, Innovation Manager at Women in Sport, said: “We are delighted that further funding has been given to the Engage-HER project. Through the pilot we saw the positive changes that organisations were able to make to the way they worked with women and girls as a result of the support provided. To be able to share Women in Sports insights with those involved in giving opportunities to women and girls in Northern Ireland is very exciting and we can’t wait to get started!”

Tags Department for Communities, Engage-HER, Northern Ireland, Sport NI, women and girls

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Sported and Deutsche Bank announced as Charity Time Awards finalists

Post author By Sported
Post date July 28, 2017

Sported and Deutsche Bank have been shortlisted in the Charity Times Awards 2017 in the Corporate Community Local Involvement category for sporteducate.

Sporteducate was developed to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (aged 11-18) acquire the skills and aspirations required to find employment after education. Uniquely combining sport with education and employability workshops, the programme has benefited nearly 2,000 disadvantaged young people since it was launched in May 2013

Sanaa Qureshi, sporteducate Programme Manager at Sported, said: “We are delighted that sporteducate has been shortlisted for the Corporate Community Local Involvement award. Deutsche Bank volunteers played a key role in supporting the young people and club leaders, and shows what can be achieved when you design a programme around the needs of the local community.”

The Charity Times Awards continue to be the pre-eminent celebration of best practice in the UK charity and not-for-profit sector. Now in their 18th year, the awards are run by Charity Times Magazine – the leading title for UK non-profit professionals. This year’s winners will be announced at the Charity Times Awards Gala Dinner & Ceremony on 4 October 2017 at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London. The event was attended by over six hundred guests in 2016 and this year is set to be bigger and better than ever.

About the Charity Times Awards:

The Charity Times Awards continue to be the pre-eminent celebration of best practice in the UK charity and not-for-profit sector. The awards are free to enter and open to any UK-based registered charity, or international charity with registered UK offices. Now in their 18^th year the awards are run by Charity Times Magazine, the leading title for UK non-profit professionals: www.charitytimes.com/awards @CharityTAwards #CharityTimesAwards

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Sported celebrates continued Comic Relief funding for volunteer programme

Post author By Sported
Post date July 26, 2017

Sported is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a two-year grant from Comic Relief to continue the funding of its volunteer programme.

Sported’s volunteer programme gives people the chance to utilise their professional skills and knowledge to support the growth and sustainability of community sport and youth groups operating in some of the most deprived areas of the UK.

Since Comic Relief first funded the programme in 2015, Sported has expanded its volunteer services team and launched a range of flexible new services for the benefit of its members and volunteers alike. It includes Sported’s new short-term ‘Light Touch’ service, to help community groups with their one-off operational challenges. To date, over 150 Sported volunteers have donated their time to the service, to the benefit of over 400 Sported members.

The new wave of Comic Relief funding will support the ongoing delivery and expansion of Sported’s volunteer services offer through to 2019. This includes the development of further flexible volunteer options, volunteer recruitment and retention with a focus on women and BAME groups, and creating new training and development opportunities.

Sandra Hillyard, Volunteer Services Manager at Sported, said: “A huge thanks to Comic Relief for their continued support of our volunteer services and the wider Sport for Change sector. Sported’s volunteers play a vital role in supporting our members in key operational areas, such as business planning or finance. The new funding will help us to expand our offering and create new opportunities for our members to benefit from our volunteers’ professional expertise and knowledge.”

Tags Comic Relief, Volunteers

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Sported announces shortlist for Vanessa Brown Volunteer Awards

Post author By Sported
Post date June 7, 2017

As Volunteers’ Week 2017 draws to a close we are delighted to announce the regional shortlist for this year’s Vanessa Brown Volunteer Awards.

The following Sported volunteers have been nominated by their respective Regional and National Managers, and the Volunteer Services team, for their outstanding contribution to the work of the charity and supporting our members’ growth and sustainability.

• Dave Ellis – North West

• David Sharman – East Midlands

• Gareth Coombes-Olney – South East

• Jenni Robinson – Northern Ireland

• John Timson – West Midlands

• Laurene Edgar – Scotland

• Martin Bisp – South West

• Maureen Botham – East of England

• Rachel Quirk – Yorkshire and Humber

• Ravi Vedi – Wales

• Sara Newson – North East

• Simon Penhall – Volunteer Services

• Tim Sice – London

Sandra Hillyard, Volunteer Services Manager at Sported, said: “Congratulations to all our volunteers nominated for the Vanessa Brown Volunteer Awards 2017. It’s the third year of the awards – commemorating the passing of our friend and Sported colleague, Vanessa – and such is the calibre of all our volunteers, the shortlisting process never gets any easier!

She adds: “Our volunteers are a special group of people, taking time out of their busy lives to offer support to our members. Their commitment, passion and enthusiasm, never fails to inspire and I’d like to take this opportunity to say a heart-felt thank you to everyone involved.”

The shortlisted volunteers will be invited to a special celebratory event later on in the year, when the overall winner will be announced.

Tags Sported volunteers, Vanessa Brown Volunteer Award

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FREE junior entry for your group at the Vitality Westminster Mile!

Post author By Sported
Post date May 3, 2017

Exclusive offer for Sported members…limited time only!

We are delighted to offer all Sported members FREE junior entry (17 years and under) for young people from your group at this year’s Vitality Westminster Mile on Sunday 28^th May 2017.

All you have to do is click HERE to register your participants and enter the discount code SPORTED17 to claim FREE entries for your group!

Please hurry though, entries close at 17:00 on Monday 8 May. The number of FREE junior entries available are strictly limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. So don’t delay, get your free race entries today!

The Vitality Westminster Mile is organised by London Marathon Events and is held on the most iconic mile in the world, starting on The Mall and finishing in front of Buckingham Palace.

Last year over 5,000 people took part. The event is suitable for all ages and abilities…so get your young people ready for a packed day of sporting family fun!

Every finisher gets a medal and a goody bag and there’s a huge range of free family-friendly activities all day long at the Vitality Wellness Festival in Green Park.

For more information about the Vitality Westminster Mile, please click HERE.

PLEASE NOTE: Sported’s free junior race entry applies to children between 12-17 years old (inclusive). The event is free to enter for all children aged 11 and under. Adult race entry for the Sported Wave costs only £8 (£1 reduction for Westminster residents). TO COMPETE IN THE SPORTED WAVE YOU MUST USE THE LINK PROVIDED ABOVE. All proceeds from this designated wave will go to Sported.

Tags Vitality Westminster Mile

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Sported announces new insurance partnership with Miller

Post author By Sported
Post date March 23, 2017

Sported is pleased to announce it is partnering with Miller Insurance Services LLP who will be providing Sported members with access to specialist insurance advice and cover.

The partnership will give Sported’s membership network of over 3,000 community sport and youth groups the opportunity to benefit from competitive and bespoke insurance policies, in addition to advice and recommendations from Miller’s team of specialist sport insurance experts.

Miller offers access to insurance policies which meet the needs of community sport and youth groups. Examples of the cover offered by Miller include:

• Employers’ liability

• Public liability

• Property

• Personal accident

• Group travel

Kathryn Berry, Head of Member Services at Sported, said: “Sported’s members are predominantly small community sport and youth groups, and we know it can be tricky for them to find the right insurance cover when they have such complex requirements. This is why we’ve partnered with Miller. They have a wealth of experience in the sports insurance sector and their friendly team of experts will be on-hand to answer our members’ questions and advise them on an appropriate policy for their specific needs.”

“We recognise the vital role that sport can play in the lives of disadvantaged young people and are excited to be a part of the inspirational work carried out by Sported. Our experience and specialist knowledge will enable Sported members to make the right decisions regarding insurance cover. I am very much looking forward to beginning our partnership”, commented David Griffiths, Miller’s highly-experienced sport broker.

Sported members can get a quote from Miller by logging on to Your Sported Network.

Tags insurance, Member services