Who we support

In order to become a sported. Member, there are five specific criteria that you must meet

1. Your project must focus on using sport as a vehicle for development rather than participation.

We define sport for development as "where sport is intended to be used as a tool to engage disadvantaged young people and communities, to help improve lives in a sustainable way."

The five outcomes we use to measure sport for development are:

  • Building strong communities
  • Reducing crime and anti-social behaviour
  • Removing barriers to participation for marginalised groups
  • Developing young people by providing them with skills for the workplace and life
  • Education in health and well being

2. Your project must provide opportunities for young people aged between 11 - 25 years.

3. Your project must be based around sport or physical activity.

4. Your project must take place within a disadvantaged community.

5. Your project must  fit into one of the following categories:

  • Un-constituted clubs or groups
  • An individual running community sport activity
  • Local or regional charities
  • Social enterprise companies/ Community Interest Companies
  • Constituted clubs or groups specifically offering sport for development of young people

In addition to meeting the key five criteria, you should ensure that you meet the following, if relevant:

6. If you are currently a Community Interest Company, or soon to become one, then you must be of the following structure:

  • A private company limited by guarantee
  • Have a minimum of three directors, a majority of which must:

a)      be unpaid; and

b)      not be related to or otherwise personally connected with any other director or member of the CIC.

  • CIC's must supply their Articles of Association to the Member Services Coordinator prior to their eligibility phone call.

7. If you are a  branch of a local/regional organisation or charity, you will need to:

  • Be locally managed and locally constituted
  • Addresses local need and manage your own funds
  • Simply pay an affiliation fee, not follow a national strategy or receive development support from your umbrella organisation.

8. If you are a Small National Charity/Organisation, you will need to:

  • Work in four counties or less and be able to identify a lead region where you will be based

However not every organisation is eligible for our help and unfortunately we DO NOT support the following type of organisations:

  • Local branches of a national charity who do not meet the above criteria,
  • Local Authorities or statutory funded programmes,
  • School based programmes or activities - we classify these activities as those which only operate/are looking for support for projects that run only during curriculum time, before school clubs or after school clubs,
  • Politically motivated organisations,
  • Profit making organisations,
  • Programmes or activities thatonlyrun during holiday periods,
  • Umbrella organisations who do not directly deliver any activities to young people,
  • Affiliated clubs who only run "sport for sport's sake" project; those who would answeryesto the following questions:

-              Do you exclude anybody based on skills and ability?

-              Are youonlylooking to develop competitive opportunities?

-              Are youonlyworking towards developing talent pathways?