Research and Policy Change

We are committed to using our experience and expertise to help make inclusion the norm across all community sport.

Access Sport regularly contributes to national research and policy change work undertaken by system partners.

The goal of this work is to better understand our programmes and improve the sector’s overall ability to support underserved communities through sport, including:

Contributing to relevant national research and policy change work undertaken by system partners including, for example, the Sport for Development Coalition and Activity Alliance
Commissioning research to address critical knowledge gaps
Leading on targeted research projects that support the development of our programmes, whilst also supporting others to raise their game.

Recent research partner organisations include University of Bath, Loughborough University, Canterbury Christchurch University, Kingston University and Frontier Economics.

We want to work in partnership with organisations that share our vision of improving the sector through collaborative research and policy change.

If you would like to find out more, please leave your details in the form below and one of our team will be in touch.

You can read more about previous research and policy projects below.

Return to System Change Homepage >

Supporting Disabled Teenage Girls to be Active

Access Sport has launched a research project to identify the barriers that prevent disabled teenage girls from taking part in sport and exercise. Read more

Building Stronger Communities

In 2023, we commissioned the University of Bath to launch a research project looking into how our programmes create a sense of belonging and strengthen communities. Read more

Latest

Access Sport Welcomes Russell Jefferys to our Board of Trustees

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Russell Jefferys as our newest Trustee, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience in sport, community health, marketing, communications and income generation.
Help Shape Access Sport’s Next Strategy

We’d like to invite you to take part in a survey to help shape our next five-year strategy.
Access Sport Launches Annual Impact Report

Access Sport has today launched its 2025–2026 Annual Impact Report, celebrating a year of significant growth that saw us support 40,909 disabled and disadvantaged young people to access inclusive community sport.
Ignite Bristol Hosts Uplifting Multi-Sport Festival at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex

Bristol was buzzing with energy last Friday as Ignite Bristol hosted its latest multi-sport festival, welcoming 120 young people from across the city for an inclusive and inspiring afternoon of activity.

Join The Team

We're always on the lookout for enthusiastic new people! Take a look at our current vacancies and placement opportunities...
Who We Are and What We Do

Find out more about who we are and what we do
Apply to AIPFF
London
Nuffield Health Partnership

Access Sport is delighted to announce that we are joining forces with the UK’s largest healthcare charity, Nuffield Health, in an innovative new project to combine resources and expertise to tackle the unmet needs of 15,000 disadvantaged local young people and their families in the next two years.
Bristol
Manchester
How We Do It
Growth Strategy
Hayley Barton

Delivery and Impact Director