Five key Changes – Access Sport's Manifesto for Change
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To celebrate the United Nations’ International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, we are launching our ‘Five Key Changes' – Access Sport’s Manifesto for Change.

This manifesto sets out five ways that we can better support disabled and disadvantaged children and young people through inclusive community sport.

Too many young people remain unable to access the transformational benefits of community sport. The barriers to access are significant and are slowly creating a generation of young people who are less active, more unhappy and less sociable.

This is a serious issue that demands an urgent response from the Government, the sport for development sector and grassroots community sport providers.

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which takes place annually on 6 April, offers an opportunity for us to recognise the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and people’s lives across the globe.

Helen Rowbotham, Access Sport CEO said:

“We are so pleased to launch our Manifesto today in celebration of the United Nations' International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. The manifesto reiterates our belief that community sport has the power to change young lives for the better. We hope that it can be a clear call to action for future governments and all national organisations committed to reducing societal inequalities.”

Our manifesto was developed collaboratively with underserved young people, clubs, coaches, volunteers and representatives from our Youth Board – it puts forward a positive call for systemic change that will lead to thousands of young lives being transformed.

Dren Matoshi, Access Sport Youth Board Chair said:

"Sport brings many of us together, but a sense of belonging and community make us stay together and create a difference in our lives; something that all young people should have access to, something Access Sport’s Manifesto for Change emulates!"

As we enter an election year we have identified, drawing on 20 years of experience, five ways to improve disabled and disadvantaged young people’s lives:

1. Disabled and disadvantaged children have the right to 60 minutes of physical activity, just like every other child.
   
   
2. Inclusive community sport and school sport need equal priority and funding.
   
   
3. Investing in the club leaders, coaches, and volunteers, of today and tomorrow, is critical if we want to make community sport truly inclusive.
   
   
4. Sense of belonging and community underpin the wider transformational benefits of sport and need to be prioritised in the way we support and fund the sector.
   
   
5. Community sport is complex but this is a strength not a weakness. It’s time to embrace and empower the whole sector. 

By embedding these recommendations in our strategy, we believe that the Government, the sport for development sector, and community sport providers can collaboratively make a tangible, positive difference in communities across the country.

Read the document in full via the link below. 

Manifesto for Change>