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Prince Harry visits Sported members in first official visit to the Granite City

Post author By Sported
Post date September 21, 2016

Prince Harry spent yesterday, Tuesday 20 September, in Aberdeen to learn about some of the vital work being done by some of the city’s leading youth development projects.

The Prince visited Mackie Academy in Stonehaven to participate in the secondary school’s Diana Award Mentoring training day, before moving on to RGU’s Streetsport project and social enterprise and youth charity, Transition Extreme.

His Royal Highness was in the North East as part of a tour of community sport groups organised by the UK’s leading Sport for Social Change charity, Sported, as part of their support for the Prince’s work to further his understanding of how sport can be used as a platform for education, training, employment and personal development.

Campbell Roy, Scotland Manager for Sported said: “Prince Harry is a passionate advocate of the power of sport to transform young lives. His latest visits will help shine a spotlight on the brilliant – and life changing – work of Sport for Social Change organisations such as Streetsport and Transition Extreme, and underline their importance in breaking down barriers, tacking inequalities and improving the well-being of our nation.”

During his time with the award winning Streetsport initiative, Prince Harry received a briefing on the programme of weekly sports and creative activity sessions and how it helps to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour across Aberdeen. He then met Streetsport coaches and volunteers, and was greeted by more than 100 pupils from Kaimhill Primary School who were taking part in a range of sporting activities that the project offers.

Cameron Craddock, Co-founder of Streetsport and Senior Lecturer at RGU’s Gray’s School of Art, said: “Streetsport was initiated by Police Scotland and Robert Gordon University ten years ago as part of a joint community engagement project and we are delighted to highlight our work to Prince Harry on this first official visit to Aberdeen. His Royal Highness’ support is an invaluable vote of confidence as we seek to secure the long term future of Streetsport.

“We’d like to recognise the valuable support, insight and contribution made by students, the wider RGU community, the Denis Law Legacy Trust and Sported throughout our 10 years of operation. We look forward to continuing our work with Sported on ‘Sport for Change’, which aims to achieve inclusion and participation in sport and other creative activities for hard to reach young people.”

The afternoon saw the Prince visit the city’s world-class extreme sports facility and youth charity, Transition Extreme. After a tour of the facilities Prince Harry had the chance to talk with a few of the young people whose lives have been transformed by the charity’s initiatives.

Grahame Paterson, Transition Extreme’s Chief Executive said: “Transition Extreme is an award-winning youth charity on a mission to assist young people in making positive life transitions through extreme sports and creativity. Our whole approach, and many successes to date, has been built around our belief in investing in young people and helping them harness their energy to reach their full potential.

“Prince Harry shares our passion and belief that community sports groups play a vital role in improving the life chances of disadvantaged young people. We are delighted to have the opportunity to demonstrate the vital work we do in the North East.”

Transition Extreme and Streetsport are two of a significant number of Sported’s members across the UK who will receive Prince Harry in 2016 as part of his public support for Sport for Social Change organisations.

Tags Aberdeen, Prince Harry, Streetsport, Transition Extreme

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Sported SERVES up member collaboration

Post author By Sported
Post date August 23, 2016

Collaboration was the name of the game yesterday [Mon 22nd August], when two Sported member groups were given the opportunity to bring their young people together for a special tennis coaching session supported by the Tennis Foundation, hosted by Manchester Tennis Centre.

Sported member, John Paul II Youth Club from the Ardoyne in Northern Ireland, whilst on their summer tour to England paid a special visit to fellow Sported member club, Youth on Solid Ground (YSG) in Manchester.

The visit was organised by Sported as part of its partnership with the Tennis Foundation’s Serves programme, which has seen the two groups – plus eight other Sported member groups across the UK – become the beneficiaries of brand-new, portable, pop-up tennis courts and modified kit (soft balls, appropriately sized rackets and nets).

The Serves programme aims to introduce the sport of tennis to new younger audiences, particularly in areas which have historically lacked tennis clubs and facilities. The programme’s accompanying Tennis Activator course trains community champions in basic tennis organisation and delivery skills to confidently run sessions in a fun and informal way.

Check out the following video to hear how both groups got along…

Tags John Paul II Youth Club, Serves, Tennis Foundation, Youth on Solid Ground

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Carnegie finishes epic charity cycle challenge at Olympic Park

Post author By Sported
Post date August 16, 2016

On Saturday 6th August 2016, Carnegie Smyth – Managing Director of Signia Wealth and Trustee of Sported – departed Belfast on his bike.

Ten days, ten sports, 1000km of hard riding, countless hills, numerous rain showers and over £35,000 raised in aid of Sported later, he finally finished his epic ’10:10:1000 Challenge’ in style, as he rode into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on Monday afternoon [15 August].

Money raised by Carnegie from the ‘10:10:1000 Challenge’ will help Sported continue its work supporting the growth and sustainability of over 3,000 community groups across the UK. All of which use the power of sport to broaden horizons, raise aspirations and develop the life skills of disadvantaged young people.

To see first-hand the impact of his fundraising efforts, during his 1000km ride Carnegie paid a special visit to ten Sported-supported projects across the UK. Whilst there he got the opportunity to meet the inspirational volunteers and staff of community sport and learn about their challenges operating on, often, shoe-string budgets.

The ten Sported member visits also gave Carnegie the opportunity to participate in a range of sporting activities with the young people from the various clubs, from boxing and horse carriage driving to sailing and basketball.

The tenth and final challenge saw Carnegie join FRE Flyers in East London for a game of hockey at their home at the Lee Valley Tennis and Hockey Centre in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Carnegie Smyth, Managing Director of Signia Wealth, said: “Visiting community groups across the UK, I have seen first-hand the power of sport to motivate and inspire young people. The volunteer and staff which work so hard to run these groups and give young people in their community unique opportunities to develop are truly inspirational, and it’s been a real privilege to share their company over the last ten days.

He concludes: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank every Sported member that has hosted me, all the young people that I’ve met and allowed me to join their sessions and, finally to everyone that has sponsored me so far. Sported is a fantastic charity and seeing their work in action has been awe-inspiring.”

Olympic Gold medallist, Chris Boardman, said: “Congratulations on your epic journey. I’m very passionate about the power of sport to help young people and bring communities together, and I look forward to hearing about your adventures when I return from describing Team GB’s triumphs in Rio”.

Sir Keith Mills, founder of Sported and former Deputy Chairman of LOCOG, said: “Sported was born out of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, so it’s a fitting end for Carnegie to cross the finish line at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. He’s done tremendously well, not just cycling 1000km in ten days, but raising such a significant amount of money to support Sported’s work with community sport groups across the UK.”

To donate to Carnegie’s 10:10:1000 Challenge, please visit:
https://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/sported/carnegie10101000

To read Carnegie’s daily blogs from the 10:10:1000 Challenge, please visit:
http://sported.wpengine.com/our-blog/

Tags 10:10:1000 Challenge, Carnegie Smyth, FRE Flyers, Olympic Park

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Epic charity cycle ride to promote the power of sport

Post author By Sported
Post date July 26, 2016

This summer, whilst the eyes of the world are on Rio de Janerio as the finest athletes come together for 31st Olympiad, one man will be pushing himself to his own physical limits to improve the life chances of thousands of disadvantaged young people.

Carnegie Smyth will be taking the time out of his busy schedule as Managing Director of Signia Wealth to undertake the extreme ‘10:10:1000 Challenge’ with the aim of raising vital funds for the Sport for Development charity, Sported.

On Saturday 6^th August 2016, Carnegie will be setting off from Belfast to cycle 1,000km to the Lee Valley Tennis and Hockey Centre in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in ten days, via Scotland and Wales. En-route he will pay a special visit to ten Sported member clubs to see first-hand how sport is being used to turnaround and transform young lives. Not one to shy away from a challenge, during his visits Carnegie will be putting his sporting prowess to the test as he joins young people in an array of sporting activities, including boxing, archery, sailing, hockey and basketball.

Money raised from the ‘10:10:1000 Challenge’ will support the work of Sported. Born out of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the charity supports a network of over 3,000 community groups. Located in some of the most economically deprived communities of the UK, together these groups use the power of sport to broaden the horizons, raise the aspirations and develop the life skills of over 450,000 young people.

Carnegie Smyth, Managing Director of Signia Wealth and Trustee at Sported, said: “Make no mistake, it’s going to be tough, but I passionately believe sport is one of the most effective tools we have to motivate and inspire young people today. Sported supports some amazing community organisations across the UK, so I can’t wait to meet some of the inspirational volunteers and, of course, try my hand at some of the sports!”

Sir Keith Mills, founder of Sported and former Deputy Chairman of LOCOG, said: “Sported’s members pride themselves on the same values of the Olympics and Paralympics – friendship, respect, excellence, determination, inspiration, courage and equality. So it’s fitting that in the month when these qualities come to the fore, Carnegie takes on this extremely tough challenge for such a worthy cause.”

To donate to Carnegie’s 10:10:1000 Challenge, please visit:

https://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/sported/carnegie10101000

10:10:1000 Challenge Itinerary:

Day 1 [Sat 6^th August]: Belfast to Glasgow (Sported members visiting: Gleann Amateur Boxing Club & Rathfern Company of Archers)

Day 2 [Sun 7^th August]: Glasgow to Moffat (Sported member visiting: Reach for Sky Basketball)

Day 3 [Mon 8^th August]: Moffat to Carlisle (Sported member visiting: Sports Driving Unlimited)

Day 4 [Tue 9^th August]: Carlisle to Kendal

Day 5 [Wed 10^th August]: Kendal to Chorley (Sported member visiting: Preston United Youth Development)

Day 6 [Thurs 11^th August]: Chorley to Liverpool to Glyn Ceirog (Sported member visiting: Positive Futures North Liverpool)

Day 7 [Fri 12^th August]: Glen Ceirog to Telford (Sported member visiting: Canolfan Ceirog Centre CYF & Telford Sailability)

Day 8 [Sat 13^th August]: Telford to Worcester (no Sported member visit)

Day 9 [Sun 14^th August]: Worcester to Oxford (Sported member visiting: Disability Karate Federation)

Day 10 [Mon 15^th August]: Oxford to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (Sported member visiting: FRE Flyers)

Tags 10:10:1000 Challenge, Carnegie Smyth, Signia Wealth

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England Boxing partner with Sported to launch Box On programme

Post author By Sported
Post date June 13, 2016

The financial security of boxing clubs in some of England’s most economically deprived areas has been given a major boost with the roll-out of Box On, a Sport England funded programme developed in partnership between England Boxing and Sported.

‘The noble art’ of boxing is famous for its proud tradition of developing young people’s skills, discipline and attitudes, both in and outside of the ring. Box On was developed to ensure that young people who historically face barriers to sporting participation, including girls, disabled people and those from lower socio-economic areas, continue to benefit from the power of sport by ensuring their local boxing clubs remain open, accessible and financially sustainable.

Ron Tulley, Head of Development at England Boxing, said: “Box On is all about investing in boxing clubs’ long-term sustainability. It’s not about quick fixes or short-term programmes. Rather, helping club leaders develop the business skills, knowledge and practices they need to make the most of investment opportunities and safeguard the long-term future of their clubs.”

Sport England is funding Sported to manage and deliver Box On following its successful pilot in 2015.

Box On is a unique grant-support programme, focused on helping boxing clubs improve their capability to secure and effectively utilise grants and funding. Each of the nine boxing clubs on the pilot benefitted from a carefully tailored package of member services from Sported, including a two-day workshop on capacity building and club development, and three months of one-to-one professional support from a Sported volunteer mentor to develop a robust three-year business plan. On completion, each club became eligible to apply for a £7,500 grant from Sport England as part of its 2013-17 whole sport plan investments.

Following the pilot, Box On is now being rolled out to a further 60 Sported boxing club members across England.

Paul Steele, project lead on Box On at Sported, adds: “By leveraging Sported’s membership network, volunteers and sector knowledge, we are helping England Boxing extend its support to boxing clubs serving young people who may otherwise find it difficult to access sporting provision. These boxing clubs are vital assets for their communities and provide life-changing opportunities. Box On will lay the foundations for their continued growth and success.”

Phil Smith, Director of Sport, Sport England, says: “Following last year’s successful pilot, we believe Box On will help us to reach people living in some of England’s most deprived areas, and enable them to become more active.

Boxing is currently having a resurgence, and boxing clubs have an important place at the heart of communities, often where our funding is most needed. This money will support these clubs to become more self-sufficient, ensuring they can continue to serve their local community for years to come.”

CASE STUDY: One Nation Community Centre, Sheffield

One Nation Community Centre was founded by Wajid Nazir and Israr Asif to provide young people with positive diversionary activities, in response to escalating criminal activity in the local area. It was soon having a dramatic impact, with a 53% reduction in local anti-social behaviour being credited to the opening of the club.

Despite its success and a growing number of participants, key operational challenges were limiting the club’s growth – its facilities were in need of urgent repair, it lacked adequate changing rooms and revenue streams were limited.

To overcome these challenges, One Nation joined the Box On pilot. As part of the package of support offered by Sported, the club was awarded a volunteer business mentor to develop a robust business plan and assist with their grant application.

One Nation subsequently went onto to successfully secure a £7,500 grant from Sport England and match-funding from a variety of other funders and stakeholders, enabling the club to completely refurbished its facilities and make it wheelchair accessible.

Wajid Nazir, Chair at One Nation Community Organisation, said: “When we joined Box On we had a basic business plan, but with the help of Sported and England Boxing we were able to develop a much more long-term approach. Our Sported volunteer mentor was brilliant – she prioritised what we needed to do and opened our eyes to the fact we had to build new partnerships to generate new revenue. Undoubtedly, the support and funding from Box On has been the catalyst for our recent growth.”

Tags Box On, England Boxing, Sport England

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Shortlist announced for Vanessa Brown Volunteer Award 2016

Post author By Sported
Post date June 10, 2016

To conclude our Volunteers’ Week celebrations we are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Vanessa Brown Volunteer Award 2016.

This annual award recognises and celebrates the contribution made by Sported’s volunteers to the charity’s work, the growth of its 3,000-plus members, and the development of the Sport for Development sector as a whole.

Congratulations to the following Sported volunteers who have been nominated for this year’s award by their respective National or Regional Manager.

Alan Smith – Scotland

David Smith – South West

Jonathan Fearon – Yorkshire & Humberside

Kathryn Josselyn – London

Ken Johnson – North West

Lee Butler – South East

Linda Narbeth – Wales

Martyn Brawn – West Midlands

Paul Bayman – North East

Roger Gochin – East of England

Roy Roberts – East Midlands

Wendy Robinson – Northern Ireland

The award commemorates the life of former Sported employee, Vanessa Brown, who sadly passed away in June 2014. During her time at Sported, Vanessa was instrumental in laying the foundations for the charity and helping Sir Keith Mills realise his vision of a UK-wide membership organisation for the Sport for Development sector.

The winner of the Vanessa Brown Volunteer Award 2016 will be announced at a special celebratory dinner at the House of Lords on Tuesday 5^th July 2016.

Chris Grant, Chief Executive at Sported, said: “It’s fitting that in the week when we celebrate the contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK, that we express our gratitude to Sported’s own army of volunteers. The impact of their time, effort and support is felt far beyond the walls of our members’ clubs. It’s not an exaggeration to say that directly because of their selfless work, thousands of young people from some of our most disadvantaged communities have been afforded life changing opportunities.

He adds: “I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those nominated and to thank every one of Sported’s 250 volunteers, without who our work would simply not be possible.”

Tags Vanessa Brown Volunteer Award, Volunteers' Week

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Sport and education combine to improve life chances for young people in London

Post author By Sported
Post date April 12, 2016

The power of sport to inspire and capture the imagination was on show on Friday [8^th April 2016], as over 90 young people from across London came together in a unique event that combined innovative educational sessions with sporting activities.

The ‘SPORT-to-EDUCATE’ tournament was part of sporteducate – a pioneering sport for development programme in partnership between Deutsche Bank’s Born to Be youth engagement programme and Sported, to improve the life chances of young people from some of the capital’s most deprived areas.

Participants were given the opportunity to take part in a series of fun and informal workshops, designed to develop key life skills and educate young people about a range of pertinent issues, using sport as the central theme. A range of partner organisations were invited by Sported and Deutsche Bank to deliver the workshops.

Drawing on its vast experience using football to educate young people across Africa about HIV, the charity TackleAfrica delivered a session on sexual health. With 1 in 10 children and young people experiencing diagnosable mental health issues, Mind’s workshop focused on raising awareness and promoting understanding. Other educational sessions included tackling discrimination led by

Show Racism the Red Card; personal finance by MyBnk; communication skills by Inneri and raising aspirations by former Olympian and GB track cyclist, Bryan Steele.

Complementing the day’s educational activities were a range of sporting activities, which are traditionally difficult to access and not often played by young people living in central London. Among which were golf, rowing, cricket, rugby and netball. All the educational and sport sessions were supported by Deutsche Bank employee volunteers.

The young people that took part in the ‘SPORT-to-EDUCATE’ tournament all attend one of the 33 community sport clubs on sporteducate, and benefit from regular supplementary educational, employability and mentoring sessions as part of the programme.

Nicole Lovett, Head of Corporate Citizenship UK at Deutsche Bank, said: “It was fantastic to see so many young people come together to engage in a day of sport and education. This tournament captured the essence of sporteducate as a holistic programme. It’s about improving the life chances of young people from some of the capital’s most deprived areas, developing the whole person – their well-being, academic achievement as well as key life skills, to help them realise their full potential.”

Chris Grant, Chief Executive at Sported said: “The government’s new sport strategy is all about harnessing the power of sport for social good and this is exactly what we’re doing through sporteducate. We’re creating fun, engaging and culturally relevant educational opportunities, so that young people facing disadvantage in London get the life chances they deserve.”

Tags Deutsche Bank, education, Sporteducate, Volunteers

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Britvic partners with The Wildlife Trusts and Sported Foundation to strengthen communities from the grassroots up

Post author By Sported
Post date April 7, 2016

Leading soft drinks manufacturer, Britvic, is delighted to announce The Wildlife Trusts and Sported as its new long-term community partners.

Both The Wildlife Trusts and Sported have been chosen by Britvic to complement its sustainable business people and planet focussed strategy. In particular, the strategy’s priorities around promoting active lifestyles, protecting the environment and supporting local communities.

Each charity will benefit from a combination of corporate support, employee volunteering support and fundraising initiatives. In 2015, Britvic’s employees raised over £288,000 for a wide variety of charities, with previous corporate partner Cancer Research UK receiving £100,000 over a three year period.

Sported supports over 3,000 local sports groups across the UK and collectively, its members deliver over 100 different sporting activities to reach, engage and transform the lives of over 450,000 young people. Funding and volunteer support from Britvic will help Sported extend its services to even more community groups, and support sporting opportunities for disadvantaged young people that are inclusive and accessible to all.

There are 47 individual Wildlife Trusts across the UK, all working towards protecting wildlife and encouraging people and families to get active outdoors, leading to better health and wellbeing. Together the Trusts provide opportunities for millions of people to connect with nature in the local communities where they live. The Wildlife Trusts care for around 2,300 nature reserves and advise thousands of landowners and organisations on how to manage their land for wildlife. They also run marine conservation projects around the coast, collecting vital data on the state of our seas and celebrating the UK’s amazing marine wildlife.

Alison Rothnie, Senior Sustainability Manager at Britvic, commented: “We are proud to be partnering with The Wildlife Trusts and Sported as both charities are making a significant difference to local communities.

“We are determined to make a positive contribution to society more broadly and partnering with The Wildlife Trusts and Sported supports our ambition to encourage people to lead healthier and more active lifestyles as well as protecting the environment for posterity.”

Stephanie Hilborne, Chief Executive at The Wildlife Trusts, said: “We are honoured to be chosen as one of Britvic’s charities. Millions of people benefit from the work of The Wildlife Trusts, whether from participating in wildlife projects, volunteering with us or visiting the thousands of inspirational wild places we care for. The support of Britvic and their employees will help us to ensure that more people have the opportunity to connect with wildlife across the UK.”

Chris Grant, Chief Executive at Sported, said: “We are delighted that Britvic has chosen Sported to be one of its charity partners. Our members use the power of sport to turn around the lives of some of the most vulnerable young people in our society. With the support of Britvic and its employees we can make sure these important assets in our communities remain and thrive long into the future.”

– Ends –

About Britvic

Britvic is a leading international soft drinks company, with a strong British heritage. We have operations in GB, Ireland, France and Brazil and have been taking our brands around the world, exporting to over 50 countries. In the UK and Ireland, we are the number one supplier of still soft drinks and the number two supplier of carbonates.

Our purpose is to make life’s everyday moments more enjoyable.We offer a wide range of soft drinks to meet the many and varied needs of our consumers, our portfolio includes iconic brands such as Robinsons, Fruit Shoot, Tango and J2O.

Tags Britvic, charity partner, The Wildlife Trusts

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Sported joins Inspiring Impact Northern Ireland Phase 2 Programme

Post author By Sported
Post date March 16, 2016

Following the success of the Inspiring Impact Northern Ireland project in 2014/15, Sported is delighted to announce that it is one of seven voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in Northern Ireland to have been awarded a Building Change Award through the Inspiring Impact Northern Ireland Phase 2 Programme.

Inspiring Impact is a UK-wide initiative that aims to change the way the voluntary and community sector thinks about impact and to make high quality impact practice the norm for charities and social enterprises by 2022. The programme for Northern Ireland is linked to the UK wide Inspiring Impact Programme which is a coalition of some leading third sector organisations across the UK.

The Inspiring Impact Phase 2 programme will build on the learning and resources developed in Phase 1 and will provide intense support to a cohort of four member groups, to enable them to embed the impact practice cycle in their organisational working – to measure, assess and share the difference that they make in their local communities.

In being able to reliably measure their impact and articulate clearly the difference they are making, Sported members will be able to improve their services, attract new funding streams and allocate their revenue more effectively.

The Inspiring Impact Northern Ireland Phase 2 programme will not only complement Sported’s existing array of impact measurement services and resources used to support our members’ impact practice development across the UK, but also support ongoing development in this important area.

Sported are embarking on this important learning journey alongside our member groups. We will continue to ‘practice what we preach’, by further developing how we embed impact practice into our organisational planning and work streams. Building on the learning of Phase 1, we are engaging our staff and volunteers to implement the actions from our own Measuring Up! assessments.

Brenda Kelly, Northern Ireland Manager at Sported, comments: “Sported are delighted to be able to work with our members in Phase 2, to support their ongoing development and understanding of impact. By embedding the impact practice cycle into their work, they will continue to develop their sustainability and planning for the future.”

At Sported, we know our member groups make a massive positive impact in their local communities – the learning from this programme will help them prove it!

About Inspiring Impact
This Project is funded through the Inspiring Impact NI Programme – a Building Change Trust initiative supporting VCSE organisations and their funders to better understand and apply impact practice.

As the Northern Ireland partner on the UK board, The Building Change Trust has invested over £750,000 over a 4 year period (2014-2017) in a dedicated programme of support for the VCSE sector and its funders locally. This has been supplemented with £240,000 from the Department for Social Development (DSD).
For more information, please visit www.inspiringimpactni.org

Tags impact measurment, Inspiring Impact Northern Ireland

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International Women’s Day 2016

Post author By Sported
Post date March 8, 2016

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2016, here are some stories about Sported members led by strong women, aiming to fulfill the potential of young women across the UK, and how we are supporting them to achieve that.

Water Adventure Centre (Manchester)

The Water Adventure Centre is a vibrant youth centre with a difference. Their exciting activities focus on building confidence and self-esteem, whilst encouraging children and young people to take responsibility for themselves, others and their environment.

In the past, the centre ran projects focused around young women, but due to a lack of funding the women’s project had to be cancelled. The tragic murder of long time member, Leane McNuff, compelled the centre to try and address the real issues around domestic violence amongst the members of the organisation, and also in the local community.

Leanne McNuff, aged 24 was murdered by her ex-partner in front of her four year old son. The centre, and in particular, Lillian Pons, who has worked at the centre for over 30 years, realised how important their work was to building the confidence and self-esteem of young women, thus helping them avoid ending up in violent and unhealthy relationships.

The memory of Leanne McNuff placed new impetus on the importance of tackling these issues and the WAC were determined to get new funding to re-start the women’s project.

How Sported has helped

The Water Adventure Centre secured funding from Sported to deliver weekly kayaking and canoeing sessions alongside youth work for the Girls’ and Young Women’s Night Project. These sessions are supported by workshops and discussions on the real issues these young women face on a daily basis. The support network helps increase emotional well-being, develop good mental health and independence of young females to reduce their chances of being in/staying in a relationship where they will suffer from domestic violence.

Granby Somali Women’s Group (Liverpool)

Granby Somali Women’s Group (GSWG) was established in 1994 following the committed effort of several Somali women’s groups due to the raising influx of refugees from Somalia.

The organisation’s main objective has always been to provide a safe environment for Somali women and children who have been forced to flee their own country due to civil war and famine. However, due to the large influx of BME Communities in Liverpool, the centre has now adapted its ethos with its open door policy and provides services to all women, children and families residing in the Princes Park Ward.

How Sported has helped

In 2013 GSWG project worker, Fatima, approached Sported for help developing a structured sports programme for their young women. A few activities had been run ad-hoc during the summer holidays, but Fatima had some very clear objectives in mind.

Sported placed a volunteer mentor with the group and a football project for girls began to develop.

As Fatima explains: “We’d never run a sports project before, but with our mentor’s help I learnt to write funding bids that were sports-specific. Budgeting for revenue and expenditure for sporting activities was not something I’d attempted before! The support Sported gave us was invaluable. The financial support gave us a kick start but it was the mentoring that really prepared us for running a sport project successfully.”

The project was designed to remove accessibility barriers to sport for Black Muslim young women. GSWG now has a girl’s football team training twice a week, not only improving their health but also their self-esteem and emotional health. It has also meant that the young women are travelling outside their immediate community for matches and interacting with other young women from different backgrounds to themselves.

“In the beginning, the girls were very shy and tended to keep to themselves. As the project has gone on they’ve become more confident in themselves and their abilities. Even the sweets and fizzy drinks have been replaced by water and fruit!”

S Factor Academy (London)

S Factor Academy is the brainchild of Lewisham native Lisa Miller – a former Commonwealth Games Silver medallist. Founded in 2010, S Factor uses high quality athletics coaching as a way of engaging young people in healthy activities and enhancing their life skills.

How Sported has helped

Thanks to Sported’s Sporteducate programme, S Factor has been able to launch a new weekly session at local secondary school, Bonus Pastor Catholic College in Lewisham, to provide educational support to girls from Years 7 through to Year 9 who are underachieving in class.

S Factor’s Sporteducate sessions combine dance and multi-sports to channel the girls’ abundant energy and enthusiasm, followed by one-to-one and group mentoring to address the behavioural issues preventing them from achieving their full potential in class.

Lisa describes the pupils that attend S Factor’s Sporteducate sessions as smart, chatty, energetic, but often misunderstood. Using sport as a way of fostering a fun and supportive atmosphere away from the social pressures found in the classroom, Lisa and her team work to break down barriers, build trusted relationships and change attitudes to learning.

As Lisa explains – to date – the programme has been a resounding success: “We have retained 95% of the female pupils, who have improved in their core subjects. Behaviour and confidence levels have increased which was the whole purpose of setting this up. It’s a great joy to be a part of such an exciting project and we have shown that linking mentoring with fitness and sport has a great impact on school life. Thanks to Sported and Deutsche Bank for providing us with the opportunity to make such a positive impact on pupils’ lives!”

Likewise, Sporteducate’s impact has been widely praised by the girls attending the sessions, as the following quotes testify:

“The dance mentoring sessions have really helped me settle into school and make me feel a part of the place. I have made many new friends and find that the different cultures and styles of dance are interesting. I also feel like I have great support in making sure I always do my best in school.” Flavia (Year 8).

“When I first joined school I used to get into a bit of trouble. Nothing big but I had quite a few arguments. I have talked this through with my mentor and I feel KB gives me something to work towards at school. We are planning a performance in the summer.” Allayah (Year 8).

Urban Fit (Bristol)

Urban Fit was founded by Emma Cochrane in response to a recognised lack of opportunities in the Bristol areas which has led to a number of social problems including anti-social behaviour, drug dealing, teen-pregnancies and gang culture.

The charity aims to boost teenage girls’ confidence through fitness, dance and also deliver schemes to help teenage girls who are victims of sexual exploitation and gang violence

Ayana who volunteers with Urban Fit said: “The girls come because they want to, no one makes them which is really important. They have fun and they enjoy working on a range of projects, something they can be proud of. I am completely voluntary, I don’t get paid for this, but I get as much from the girls as they get from me.”

Urban Fit has been a member of Sported for 1 year now. They currently receive support from a Sported mentor who offers advice on governance, finances, funding and marketing so the club can continue to grow and be sustainable, to offer more opportunities for young women.

The Blair Project (Manchester)

The Blair Project is working to increase participation in grassroots motorsports. As part of its mission to promote greater equality in motorsports, The Blair Project has developed a Girls in Motorsports Project, to help bring through the next generation of female drivers, mechanics and engineers. The project also aims to empower girls and young women through motorsport, as well as using the sport to provide opportunities for learning in the STEM subjects (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Maths)

Marilyn is the director of business development with responsibility for PR and sponsorship. She has been honoured by HRH The Queen in 2009 with an OBE for services to womens’ enterprise.

Sported mentoring has supported the Blair Project with brand development and supporting on a presentation to a key sponsor. The Sported mentor, Tony, also helped review governance and systems around the whole organisation, to ensure they have the right foundations for sustainability and getting the confidence of funders and sponsors.

Tony has made such an impact on the business side of the project, always ensuring the project gets to a sustainable state, as well as having the opportunity to grow, that Marilyn herself stated this was “A great mentoring success story!”