Best Sports Charity, Community and CSR
Access Sport CIO
Access Sport CIO enhances the life prospects of disadvantaged children by providing opportunities to experience and enjoy the power of sport.
We do this by building thriving community sports clubs, led by inspirational local volunteers, in the most disadvantaged urban areas. These clubs then provide life changing opportunities for local, vulnerable young people whilst creating a lasting, locally-owned community resource.
Our work supports young people aged 5-25, with a particular emphasis on under 18’s who are disabled, disadvantaged or excluded from society.
We have a multi-sport approach which recognises the importance of different sports in different settings for different participants, enabling maximum inclusivity and impact – from BMX to boxing; from running to rugby; from sitting volleyball to sailing.
Our unique experience across a wide range of sports and settings in leading cities has led us, in the twelve years since we were established in 2004, to become nationally recognised as an innovative leader in the field of community sport.
Albion in the Community
Sport – and in particular football – is fundamental to Albion in the Community’s (AITC) continued success. The charity delivered 59 different projects over the last 12 months, in a range of areas, including health, social inclusion, disability football, education and sport participation. But while the range of work AITC does is far-reaching, it has one unifying them: using the power of sport to change people’s lives for the better.
AITC helped more than 30,000 across Sussex last year. More than 3,000 people aged from five to 84 and living in some of the most-deprived communities in the country benefited from its pioneering social inclusion projects. More than 7,000 pupils at more than 120 schools enjoyed working with AITC in areas including football-themed numeracy and literacy lessons, while 1,900 children at 15 schools took part in a programme encouraging healthier lifestyles.
The charity is now the largest provider of disability football opportunities in the area, with around 30 regular sessions spread throughout Sussex, including a range of new disability-specific clubs, while AITC also delivers disability awareness training to schools and business.
And almost 3,000 people have seen their physical wellbeing improve significantly after working with AITC’s health team last year.
Everton in the Community
Everton in the Community is one of the UK’s top sporting charity’s and is firmly established on the world stage of community sports development. As the official charity of Everton Football Club it is considered one of the Premier League’s leading community schemes due to the quality and reach of its various programmes.
Since 1988 Everton in the Community has been at the forefront of social intervention across Merseyside, tackling issues which are prevalent on the streets of its local communities.
GreaterSport
GreaterSport is a high performing charity who exists to improve the health, wealth and wellbeing of the population of Greater Manchester. The charity is passionate about making Greater Manchester the most active region in England.
In 2012 GreaterSport produced their strategy ‘Changing Lives’ that set out the challenge of getting one million people active by 2017. In doing this we have made the following long term impacts:
More people adopting participation to start, live and age well.
• Healthier and independent residents especially from non-active cohorts.
• Better futures for our children through physical activity
• Better skilled and connected workforce.
• New opportunities and improved experiences for people to volunteer
• More people access employment opportunities.
• Co-ordinated network functioning across GM to maximise impact.
• GM recognised as the place for high quality sporting events.
• Economic value created through Physical activity and Sport.
This has been achieved by
• Re-structured and implemented a matrix style management
• Created a stakeholder engagement plan.
• Relationship managers were implemented
• Developed a research and insight function
• Invested in a coordinated training programme.
• Embraced the learnings from other organisations
• Open to challenge and gone through formal accreditationsIn January 2017 GreaterSport achieved its headline KPI with getting 1,045,785 people active.
Kick It Out
Kick It Out is football’s equality and inclusion organisation. Working throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change, the charity is core funded by The Football Association (FA), the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), the Premier League (PL) and the English Football League (EFL).
Kick It Out has operated across the professional, non-league and grassroots level of the game for over 20 years. With the backing of the sport’s authorities, the organisation has been able to support English football to become a more inclusive and welcoming place for people from all backgrounds.
Throughout the organisation’s history, it has been at the forefront of making social change within the sport, ensuring the messages of equality and inclusion are seen and shared across the whole of the game.
With Kick It Out’s small but dedicated team of 14 full-time staff, the organisation has engaged with thousands of people to help them understand the positive action needed to make football an inclusive place for all.
Premiership Rugby – Hitz
HITZ is Premiership Rugby’s award-winning education and employability programme which works with over 2,000 disadvantaged 14-19 year-olds every year. HITZ uses rugby’s values to get NEET young people back into education, training, apprenticeships and/or employment. The programme is delivered nationally by England’s 12 professional rugby clubs and funded by partners Land Rover, Comic Relief and Wooden Spoon.
HITZ on Track is a six-week personal development programme delivered in schools to nearly 2,000 14-16 year olds at highest risk of becoming NEET each year.
HITZ Learning Academy is a full 33 week tailored programme using rugby to get nearly 400 NEET young people each year qualified, ready for work and ready for life.
The Arsenal Foundation in partnership with Save the Children
Arsenal Football Club has always understood the power it has to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives. The Arsenal Foundation uses football as a hook to engage with young people who need support.
In 2012, The Arsenal Foundation announced Save the Children as its Global Charity Partner.
We wanted to provide a sense of hope and inspiration to children who need it most and use football as a catalyst to open a dialogue with children to give them a chance to thrive in challenging circumstances.
Together, we built two football pitches in Iraq. The pitches provide displaced children with a safe space to play – giving them a chance to escape tragic circumstances and experience the normality of childhood.
In September 2016, The Arsenal Foundation hosted an Arsenal Legends match which saw Arsenal greats take on legends of AC Milan in front of a sell-out crowd at Emirates Stadium. The money raised from the game (£1m) has allowed us to build five football pitches in Jordan and two in Somalia in partnership with Save the Children, whilst also creating and upgrading pitches locally in north London to continue to reach more young people through football in newly-created safe spaces.
The Sporting Memories Foundation
The Sporting Memories Foundation is a charity like no other. There to support and engage with older people, including those living with dementia & depression & to reduce loneliness by engaging older people through recalling memories of watching or playing sport across the UK. By sharing memories of sporting moments however big or small, people are instantly connected, reawakening thoughts feelings and times that would have otherwise been undiscovered all because of a passion for sport. Groups evolve and have gone on to set up walking football and new age kurling teams, promoting physical health as well as mental health, as well as reducing stigma & stereotypical views, proving people can live well with dementia.
We have grown organically to establish over 100 sporting memories groups across the United Kingdom. Groups are set up in partnerships with organisations such local authorities and sporting bodies who wish to engage with those who are hard to reach in their local community. We work together across generations to establish effective solutions on how to target and engage older people.
We provide the training and the resources for volunteers and for people within these organisations to run fun and friendly groups, making sure staff and volunteers have the knowledge, understanding and skills to deliver meaningful sessions that will benefit participants
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