The Personal Best Foundation has launched a call for evidence to identify and explore how clubs, community groups, leisure trusts, local authorities, schools and charity organisations are supporting children and young people from underserved communities to access the benefits of athletics.
This new research project will aim to identify the common factors to athletics programmes that are successful in engaging and delivering positive social impact to children and young people who are at higher risk of experiencing poverty, social exclusion and discrimination.
From playground to podium, irrespective of size, shape, disability, cultural or social background, there’s a place for everyone in athletics. And no matter track, field, road or sports hall, the positive effects are proven. Better physical health, mental, emotional and social wellbeing put achieving our personal best in reach – on the track, at school and in life.
But the foundation recognises that there is still much more work to do particularly around engaging with and providing positive experiences to children and young people facing poverty and inequalities.
Children from families with the lowest incomes remain the least active and those going to school in the most deprived places in the country have not seen activity recover to pre-pandemic levels. While children and young people from ethnically diverse communities can face cultural barriers that make it almost impossible to join in.
The Personal Best Foundation’s call for evidence recognises that there are already some great examples of how athletics delivery is having a positive impact on young lives. Through shared learning and by working collaboratively, the foundation is confident that through the power of athletics the lives of even more children and young people can be improved. By getting involved with this research you will be helping to inform future funded projects, ensuring that charity funds have the biggest impact.
Furthermore, the foundation will also be seeking to award several small grants of between £500 and £2000 specifically to support club or community programmes that are already actively supporting children and young people from low-income families or those from under-represented ethnic and faith-based communities. Expressions of interest for this funding will be recorded as part of the call for evidence submission. Deadline: 12 September 2023.
Complete the call for evidence