"We see and hear anecdotally about how inclusive programmes within community sports clubs bring people together in an environment where differences are welcomed and celebrated"

Access Sport’s work aligns with multiple areas of the Sport For Development Coalition’s OpenGoal framework, this year to mark the UN’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace day on April 6^th, we are choosing to highlight how and why we are contributing to Stronger Communities and Social Cohesion area of the framework.

The Sport for Development Coalition (the Coalition) is a UK-wide movement of almost 400 charities and civil society organisations, leagues, clubs and networks working to maximise the positive social impact of sport and physical activity.

#OpenGoal is a shared advocacy framework which members of the Coalition have co-designed in order to showcase their collective impact against a series of specific health and societal outcomes.

This years #OpenGoal Campaign, in the lead up to and on April 6^th, illustrates how the positive health and societal outcomes intentionally generated by the sport-based interventions delivered by Coalition members support the Government’s Levelling Up agenda in early 2022.

Access Sport’s Role
System Change is a key strand of our work and our Stand for Inclusion Growth Strategy. Whilst Access Sport’s work to empower community clubs and volunteers to transform the lives of underserved young people is central to our vision and mission, we are also committed to using our experience and expertise to help make inclusion the norm across all community sport.

Central to our System Change work is collaborating with a wide range of partner organisations, like to the Coalition, to deliver our shared objectives to make inclusion the norm in community sport. Access Sport is a member of the Coalition and supported the Co-design process of the Open Goal framework.

Stronger Communities and Social Cohesion
This year we are planning to undertake an external evaluation to understand the impact of Access Sport’s programmes on building community engagement and sense of belonging for programme participants and how these two outcomes contribute to building stronger communities. 

The Building Stronger Communities evaluation aligns to the Stronger Communities and Social Cohesion are Open Goal, adding to the growing body of research into the use of sport and physical activity interventions to bring communities together and strengthen them through social connections.

“Our 2022 Growth Strategy identified community engagement and a sense of belonging as two of four transformational benefits individuals experience from taking part in inclusive community sport.

We see and hear anecdotally about how inclusive programmes within community sports clubs bring people together in an environment where differences are welcomed and celebrated.”
 - Helen Rowbotham, CEO at Access Sport

There are five key research questions which cover areas such as; understanding both the impact of and barriers to building community engagement and a sense of belonging, the processes or conditions which enable increased community engagement and sense of belonging, and how to sustain these two outcomes in community sport settings so they benefit future children and young people. 

We are currently seeking proposals from suitably experienced organisations  to carry out this evaluation.

To find out more about the evaluation and download the Request for Proposals document visit the webpage below:
Building Stronger Communities Research