The Sport for Development Coalition is well-placed to support the aims of the Government's Levelling Up White Paper. Here Mark Lawrie, StreetGames CEO, explains how his organisation will contribute:
"StreetGames harnesses the power of sport and physical activity to create positive change in the lives of young people from low-income, underserved communities right across the UK. StreetGames' work helps to make young people and their communities healthier, safer and more successful. Our work aligns closely with Missions 7, 8 and 11 of the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper.
"Our Doorstep Sport approach is specifically designed to engage children and young people in left-behind communities to take part in sport and physical activity, often for the first time in their lives. 70% of Doorstep Sport participants do not take part in any other organised sporting activity outside of school or college. By providing these young people with the chance to get active we are not only increasing their general wellbeing, we are also helping to close the Healthy Living Gap between the poorest communities and the rest.
"The Doorstep Sport approach is adopted by locally trusted community organisations enabling them to provide bespoke support to local communities facing additional challenges. Doorstep Sport can be shaped to deliver interventions targeted at improving mental health and wellbeing, or reducing neighbourhood crime. Through programmes like Fit and Fed and Safer Together Through Sport, we provide trusted community organisations with the means and expertise to support families who struggle during school holidays, and help to prevent knife crime and serious youth violence.
"We look forward to learning more and playing our part in the Government’s vision for delivering on the Levelling Up agenda. In particular we hope that the wider role that sport can play as a lever for positive social change will be recognised in the Government’s Levelling Up delivery strategy."
Read more at streetgames.org
