- Inactive targets smashed by CSPs and Partners delivering Sportivate
- 64,719 inactive young people participated in sportivate session’s in 2015-16 exceeding annual target by 165.2%.
- 60.7% of participants report their activity levels have increased compared to their lifestyle pre-Sportivate
- 72% of previously inactive young people continued to be sustained in activity
- 54.9% participants were female, positively addressing the gender imbalance in sport
Launched in 2011 Sportivate provides free or subsidised coaching to young people aged 11-25 years, funded by Sport England it is delivered through County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) and their partners. Last year, CSPs welcomed and stepped-up to the challenge of achieving a balanced delivery across a new three-point measurement system set by Sport England.
The changes placed a greater emphasis on long-term sustained participation in sport and physical activity to help achieve a behavioural change in sports participation. It is extremely positive that 98% of CSPs achieved the new Sportivate measures by adapting their strategic planning and operational delivery as behavioural change and inactivity are at the heart of the new Sport England Strategy Towards an Active Nation.
Lee Mason, Chief Executive Officer for the CSP Network said:
“The findings of the Year Five Sportivate Report highlights the excellent work CSPs and their local partners are doing to inspire, engage and support inactive young people into meaningful activity. As a network, we have embraced the opportunity to work with new and non-traditional partners to use Sportivate as a tool to achieve wider social outcomes linked to employability and community development and we look forward to building on this work in Year Six”
With inactivity high on Sport England’s agenda, the Sportivate Annual Report clearly demonstrates that CSPs have already shifted their thinking and approach to engaging inactive young people. Sportivate successfully reached 64,719 inactive young people, exceeding the target set by Sport England by 165.5%. Furthermore, 44% of participants were inactive pre-Sportivate; a dramatic leap from 29% last year. CSPs have achieved these figures by working with new and non-traditional partners to target inactive participants and priority groups, especially women and girls, and by providing insight to help deliverers understand the motivates of the target groups.
Middlesbrough FE College student, Emily Mullis is one student who got involved in sportivate during her first year at college and has not looked back. 16 year old Emily did not take part in sport and was unhappy with her inactivity levels and Sportivate has changed her sporting behavior.
Realising the many benefits sport can offer, Emily saw climbing as an opportunity to challenge herself and become more confident. Emily started with the Middlesbrough College Active Rock Climbing Sportivate project. The climbing sessions were designed as part of the outdoor adventure programme being developed at the college to challenge students to try something different using Sportivate for the tasters. Emily was a shy person and not a ‘team sport’ person decided to take on something ‘different’ and climbing was a sport that appealed. Emily managed to get some friends to come along with her for the first few weeks to help her to gain confidence, and this was a big factor in helping her to quickly develop new skills and improve her strength, fitness and agility.
Emily is now ‘hooked’ on the sport and is now even getting the rest of her family taking part on club evenings. The fun and informal delivery approach involving music and students having control of the climbing activity has given Emily the freedom to challenge herself and become even more confident. Emily now enjoys helping out with the club so much that she has also signed up to be part of the college Sports Leaders Academy.
CSPs have also had great success in working with partners and deliverers to sustain activity levels of young people three months following their involvement with Sportivate. A survey by Sports Structures of 895 young people indicated that 83.2% of them have continued taking part in sport and an impressive 72% of previously consistently inactive participants have been sustained. 53.7% of responders have indicated that after three months, they are doing more sport due to taking part in Sportivate.
Sustaining participation and focusing on long-term behavioural change ensuring that Sportivate helps to establish a sporting habit for life in children and young people, will continue to be a focus going into year 6 and reflects the future direction of Sport England and the sector.
The full Sportivate year 5 Annual Report 2015-16 can be accessed on the Sport England Website
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Editor Notes
Sportivate
- Sportivate is a £56 million Lottery funded programme that gives more young people the chance to discover a sport that they love
- The programme gives 11-25 year-olds who are not particularly sporty access to six-to-eight weeks' of free or subsidised coaching in a range of sports. There’s a wide range of activities on offer including judo, golf, tennis, wakeboarding, athletics, and parkour/free running.
- During the six-to-eight weeks those taking part can work towards an event or personal challenge and when the free or low-cost coaching has finished they will be supported to continue playing sport. =
- Sportivate launched in June 2011 as a four-year programme aimed at 14-25 year-olds but, due to its success, additional funding of £10m per year has been invested allowing the programme to run until March 2017
- Sportivate is delivered through the 45 County Sports Partnerships across England that collectively make up the CSP Network
About the CSP Network
- The CSP Network is a nationwide network of 45 County Sports Partnerships employing circa 670 staff with a total turnover of £57 million. Our mission is ‘To improve lives by growing grassroots sport and physical activity’. By 2020, our headline goals are:
- To get 500,000 more adults participating regularly in sport.
- To reduce the number of adults that are inactive by 250,000.
- To get 1 million young people more active.
- We do this via:
- National Reach - Local Impact: Getting the nation active by delivering or commissioning high impact customer-led solutions.
- Clubs, Coaches & Volunteers: Developing a high quality, diverse workforce and supporting them to deliver inspiring activities that are accessible to all.
- Local Leadership: Co-ordinating the effective delivery of local sport and physical activity by brokering relationships and influencing stakeholders.
- Insight and Influence: Understanding the needs of the local area to influence and guide decisions to maximise investment into sport and physical activity.
- Awareness and Advocacy: Raising the profile of sport and physical activity through innovative local and national promotional campaigns.
