Thousands more children to get active through £1.37 million partnership with Access Sport
The funding will support inclusive basketball and cycling activities for marginalised children and young people in London and across the UK
This news comes during National School Sports Week 2023, a campaign run by Youth Sport Trust, encouraging children and young people to be active for the Chief Medical Officers’ recommended 60 minutes or more every day, both at and outside of school.
Last year, Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People Survey (published December 2022) found 30% of children and young people do less than an average of 30 minutes activity a day. This makes our partnership with Access Sport even more vital, with the £1.37 million funding expected to support more than 8,000 disadvantaged children and young people to participate in activities by 2025.
This builds on our previous partnership with Access Sport, which saw more than £900,000 invested between 2018 and 2022 to create more inclusive cycling opportunities for children and young people from marginalised communities across the UK. This funding:
- Supported more than 6,000 children and young people to feel healthier and happier by taking part in cycling activities.
- Built three new pump tracks in Manchester, Sheffield and Bristol, which are each used on average 7,000 times per month for cycling, BMX and skating activities.
- Created a national network of more than 70 inclusive cycling hubs aimed at whole communities (not just existing cyclists).
The latest funding of £1.37 million will enable Access Sport to continue delivering inclusive cycling activities for disadvantaged children and young people across the UK, as well as develop an exciting new basketball programme in London. There are plans for 12 new or enhanced community cycling and basketball facilities in deprived areas – with a focus on London, whilst also building on the partnership’s previous work in other UK cities. There is also a commitment to grow Access Sport’s national network of community cycling and basketball clubs, and to upskill coaches, volunteers and young people to lead inclusive activities for their community.
Catherine Anderson, London Marathon Foundation’s Executive Director, said: "Creating safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces for children and young people to be active outside of school is paramount for their physical and mental wellbeing, and is part of our ambitious vision of Inspiring Activity for all regardless of age, ability or background.
“By evolving our partnership with Access Sport, we’ll be able to support thousands more children and young people to increase their activity levels through basketball and cycling, especially those who need more help to be active. Together, we’ll continue delivering our shared objectives in a truly inclusive way, and enable more children and young people to experience the transformational benefits that being active can bring to their lives.”
Helen Rowbotham, Access Sport CEO, said: “On behalf of the children and young people we support, we would like to say a huge thank you to the London Marathon Foundation. Over the next three years, we will scale up our inclusion activity across cycling and basketball using our partnership to positively impact over 8,000 young people from underserved communities by 2025. This will unlock key benefits for these young people including physical and mental health and wellbeing, personal development including life skills and prospects, sense of belonging, and community engagement. This is a game changing partnership for our beneficiaries.”
Including this latest funding announcement, this year, we’ve awarded more than £4.5 million to 89 projects and surpassed a monumental funding milestone with more than £100 million awarded to inspire activity since 1981.
Photo credit: Access Sport