Sported has reached a milestone by taking its total in funds awarded since its inception to £10 million.

The leading sport for development charity – founded 16 years ago by London 2012 bid chief Sir Keith Mills to create a legacy from hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games – has grown to support almost one million young people annually by providing resources and grants to nearly 5000 grassroots and community groups around the UK.

It presently assesses, distributes and evaluates funding on behalf of corporate partners seeking to make a difference to society. It has teamed up with Barclays through its highly-praised Community Football Fund, as well as separate assistance and investment backed by Amazon (Ring), P&G, Nissan and Vodafone that aim to raise the capacity and sustainability of local clubs and organisations.

The charity also partners with government agencies and charitable trusts such as Sport England and London Marathon Foundation to ensure monies reach those most in need, with a strategy that aims to deliver significant social impact in areas like mental health, community cohesion and crime prevention, educational attainment, inclusion and disability access, and employability.

Sir Keith Mills, Founder and Patron of Sported, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the impact that Sported has made right across the UK over the last 10 years, helping thousands of community sports clubs provide support for hundreds of thousands of young people. 

“Sported has been instrumental in distributing £10m to these clubs, changing the lives of young people and making a real difference to local communities.”

Sported has also introduced innovative processes in projects in Manchester, London and Birmingham in the past year, creating a groundbreaking Participatory Grant Model which insert communities into the heart of decision making and giving them a key voice in determining how, and where, funds are placed.

Sported CEO Sarah Kaye said: “Community groups deliver huge impact across the UK and do amazing work that transforms the lives of young people. Rising costs are putting these organisations and those who run them under increasing stresses.

“Sported’s role is to ensure they have the resources they need to continue to flourish, not just with grants but with advice and support too.

“We’re grateful to our partners for entrusting us with getting the right funds to the right places at the right time to make sure our next generation can access sport – and all the life benefits that it helps to unlock.”

The £10m mark was reached with a £1000 grant to Wolverhampton-based Just Ramps which provides skatepark activities for all abilities.

“We bought balance bikes for young people to use,” said Zac Calder of Just Ramps. “It allows kids to be able to come to our ramp and be able to use decent gear in a safe environment.”