Sport Inspired provides fun, free sports experiences that unite communities and improve the physical and mental wellbeing of children living in the UK’s most deprived places. This project tackles inactivity in children by running a fun year-long sports programme for 200 primary children in Year 4 in Tower Hamlets. Tower Hamlets has one of the highest percentages of children living in poverty in England. The project brings these children together to grow confidence, make friendships and learn new skills through participation in sport and physical activity. Teenagers from a local secondary school also train as sports leaders gaining a level 1 Sports Leadership Qualification.

Working with schools, Sport Inspired chooses suitable and exciting new sports such as parkour, street dance or martial arts. Children and young leaders then come together to learn, and put into practice, team-building and problem-solving skills at a one day festival. The emphasis of the day is placed on team spirit, enjoyment, and being your best, creating an inclusive open-to-all environment, and promoting a true sporting culture. This helps to grow confidence and improve physical and mental wellbeing.

Following the festival one of the sports, deemed as having the highest impact by both the children and teachers, is set up as a free extracurricular club in each school, for a minimum of 20 weeks. Empowering the children to choose the ongoing activity gives the best chance of ongoing participation and long-term behavioural change.

On completion of the 20 week programme, Sport Inspired supports each school to run the programme independently in the future.