Three sports projects in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the West Midlands will receive a share of £530,554 of National Lottery funding, it has been announced today.  Using sport to improve lives, the projects will tackle social problems directly affecting young people, families, and women. The money comes as Sport England relaxed the rules for its Community Sport Activation Fund* to enable less well-off communities to apply for funding. 

The projects in the West Midlands include:

  •          Ready for that run? Getting the Inactive Active! is not going to take no for answer! Awarded £152,375, this new project run by FitCap will encourage the under 30s to get active. Focusing on people who live challenging lives in East Birmingham and North Solihull, it will offer ‘Turn Up and Play’ activity sessions to allow residents to try a range of sports without having to join a team or sign up for a term of classes.
  •          Saheli Women's Group’s new Activ8 project has been awarded £176,575 to help Asian women living in the most disadvantaged areas of Hodge Hill become more active. Providing support and encouragement, the project will offer swimming, cycling and running groups.
  •          Run by women for women, Sky Blues in The Community’s ‘In it Together’ has been awarded £201,604. Helping the women living in some of Coventry’s most disadvantage communities to overcome the fear of judgement and realise their full sporting potential, the project will offer a range of classes including: badminton, boxing, netball and yoga.

Sport England’s Director of Community Sport, Mike Diaper, said: “There are many reasons why a person may remain inactive, such as lack of confidence or worries about cost. Each one of these projects will offer targeted help to people who live challenging lives, so that they can get active and become involved in their community.

Sport has the power to transform communities, making them happier, safer and more united. It can also encourage individuals to unlock their potential and strengthen both their body and mind.”

The Community Sport Activation Fund (CSAF) is a £47.5 million National Lottery funding programme supporting grassroots activity at a very local level – with over 70% of all projects being new start- ups.  Since 2013, 13 projects in the West Midlands have already received funding, helping to get over 21,000 local people active.

Tackling inactivity, more than a third of people reported not doing any exercise prior to starting on a CSAF funded project. Crucially, 60% of these people said that they continued to be active after attending, and a whopping 85% reported that their physical and mental health improved as a result. Helping to bridge the gender gap, which currently sees two million more men than women exercising or playing sport, 77% of people attending CSAF funded projects were women.

Ordinarily, Sport England requires organisations to co-fund a proportion of their project.  However, where projects relate to areas of social disadvantage (as outlined in the English Indices of Deprivation), and the substantial majority (80% or more) of the targeted participants live in the local authority ward, this condition can be waived.