Its research has found over 55 per cent of community clubs are reporting drops in participation among young people due to financial pressures with cost of fees, travel expenses and price of kit among the reasons indicated. 

But UK government data shows that the same percentage of adults in deprived areas of England are not meeting targets of a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Similar data in Scotland and Wales found only 50 per cent reached that level while in Northern Ireland, that figure was just 48 per cent with significant disparities in all four nations in comparison to least deprived areas. 

That opportunity deficit must be closed, says Sarah Kaye, CEO of Sported, which has reworked its brand as Grassroots Sport Unleashed to underline the value of local sports clubs and organisations in boosting communities and helping to transform lives, with its new strategy widening the charity’s net beyond young people into supporting adults as well.

With Sported also identifying a squeeze in volunteering, ensuring that sport’s role in addressing issues such as mental health, anti-social behaviour, isolation and educational attainment is fully recognised in tandem with getting the population active offers an incentive to invest – for everyone’s benefit. 

“There is a risk currently at play where around half of adults in the most deprived areas of the country do not access sport and physical activity,” Kaye said. “And the figure among young people makes for even grimmer reading. It means millions across the UK are missing out on all the life-changing benefits which sport unleashes. 

“We all lose out because of that. Local clubs strengthen their communities by offering inspirational environments while doubling as hubs that bring people together. The economics of this ecosystem remain fragile and we must ensure that their contribution is recognised. And it’s vital that no-one is priced out of being a part of that.  

“Because sport doesn’t just create superstars and champions. It transforms lives for the better. That’s a golden opportunity that so many take up.  

“We’re currently supporting over 5,000 groups across the country with resources and support. Government at all levels and the corporate world are a big part of making that happen. But there is a real return from placing community sport at the heart of social initiatives, and a huge willingness from these organisations to use their reach for the common good.”  

Jumoke Quadri of Nurturing Foundations, a community organisation based in Harpurhey, north Manchester, underlined the urgent the need to support young people.

She said: “Nurturing Foundations is based in one of the most deprived areas in the UK, the second worst ward in the UK.

“So much deprivation is there, and we just felt that working with the young people and the communities in that space, they have a lot of potential that we need to create opportunities for them to be able to thrive, and that is really what pushes us.”

Sported was initially established by Sir Keith Mills, one of the masterminds behind London 2012, to provide a legacy from that Olympic and Paralympic Games.  

It has now distributed more than £10 million to grassroots sport clubs and community groups in grant and presently partners with Barclays on its award-winning Community Sport Fund and with Flutter UKI, on its Cash4Clubs programme, both of which target areas of deprivation and under-represented groups. 

One in five young people have missed school or work in the last year due to their mental health, but in a recent survey, nine out of ten people who had participated in a sporting activity in that time claimed that sport can improve their mental health. 

“We all see spiralling costs in providing adequate support across mental health in our society,” added Kaye. “Sport can take a lead role in reducing pressures on the NHS and others – if it remains accessible and affordable to all.”