Activity Alliance secures five years’ Sport England investment

Activity Alliance will receive an investment of £8,444,805 (over five years) of government funding from Sport England. Activity Alliance has been awarded long-term funding because it has committed to co-deliver change at a national and local level, to help more people enjoy the benefits of playing sport and being active.

All partner organisations were selected by Sport England due to their ability to influence positive change and improvement throughout the sector, their own networks, and beyond.  This is the first step on a journey to revolutionise Sport England’s approach to long-term partnerships which will see it build new relationships with innovative organisations, as well with existing partners, local partners and delivery partners to further the Uniting the Movement strategy.

Sport England research shows that some groups are typically less active – like women, people with long-term health conditions, disabled people, people from ethnically diverse communities and lower socio-economic groups. Right now, the opportunities to get involved in sport and activity – and reap the rewards of being active – depend too much on your background, your gender, your bank balance and your postcode.

The Sport England investment will enable Activity Alliance to drive our twin goals of changing attitudes towards disabled people in sport and activity and embedding inclusive practice into organisations. There has never been a more crucial time to tackle the deep-rooted inequalities and ensure that we can work together to achieve our vision – fairness for disabled people in sport and activity.

Over £193 million is being invested for this first group, with the 43 partners including Activity Alliance receiving funding for up to five years. This new funding model from Sport England provides longer-term financial security as organisations recover and reinvent from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England, said:

“Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy aims to help everyone play sport and get active– no matter who they are, where they live, or what their background. But we know that certain groups are more likely to be inactive and need targeted support and investment. We can only innovate and tackle these inequalities effectively with collective action, recognising that this is about long-term change. Activity Alliance is one of a huge number of partners we are looking to work with on exactly this over the coming years. They play a foundational role within the sport and physical activity sector and are therefore well-placed to create the conditions for change. They will also act as a resource for other innovative organisations with the same goals as we seek to create a more equal society with everyone benefitting from sport and physical activity.”

Barry Horne, Chief Executive at Activity Alliance, said:

“We are delighted to secure this investment from Sport England, a long-term partner in our work. It highlights their ambition to truly put millions of disabled people at the heart of this movement. With five years’ funding, it means we can apply our robust insight and valuable expertise to breaking down barriers, over a longer period than ever before. This commitment to our work ensures we can help even more organisations to increase the range of accessible, inclusive, and welcoming ways for disabled people to be and stay active. We and Sport England cannot build a movement alone. We are excited about the collaboration and opportunities this funding will bring to others too.”