StreetGames has announced the launch of its National Governing Bodies Offer, a support initiative designed to help NGBs of sport reach young people in low-income, underserved communities. This offer invites NGBs to join the StreetGames network, providing them with resources, connections, and expertise to engage more effectively with these young people and create lasting, positive change in their lives. 

StreetGames, an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of underserved young people through accessible sports and physical activity, aims to level the playing field for young people who face barriers to participation. By partnering with NGBs and the wider sports sector, StreetGames strives to create a sustainable shift in how mainstream sports providers interact with youth from underserved communities. The offer is part of this mission, providing NGBs with an evidence-based approach built on StreetGames’ 15 years of experience in Doorstep Sport. 

The Doorstep Sport model—at the heart of StreetGames’ approach—is designed to bring sports directly to young people in a way that resonates with them, promoting not just physical health but also resilience, social connections, and personal growth. By enabling NGBs to adopt Doorstep Sport principles, StreetGames seeks to build capacity within the sports sector to provide accessible, inclusive, and engaging sports programmes for young people in underserved communities. 

Why Join the StreetGames Network? 

Joining the StreetGames network connects NGBs with a community of like-minded partners, practical tools, and resources, while providing pathways for NGBs to develop their strategies for reaching underserved young people. The offer supports NGBs in creating opportunities that meet young people where they are, helping ensure that every child, regardless of background, has the chance to engage in meaningful physical activity. 

By supporting sports providers in adapting their practices, StreetGames hopes to address the pressing inequality in sports access and inspire sustainable change across the sector. For interested NGBs, more information can be found on the new Changing Sport – The StreetGames Approach with National Governing Bodies landing page. 

The ‘Into the Green and Blue: Watersports Festival’ gave more than 1,000 young people from some of Birmingham’s most underserved communities the chance to experience a range of watersports for free. Held at the Andrew Simpson Centre and across eight paddle sports hubs along Birmingham’s canal network, participants enjoyed activities such as Bell Boating, Kayaking, Sailing, Power Boating, and Rowing.

Organised by StreetGames in partnership with Paddle UK, British Rowing, and Andrew Simpson Sailing, the festival is part of the ongoing Birmingham Community Paddle Sports Project, which aims to increase access to watersports. As the official charity partner of Team GB, StreetGames welcomed athletes Emma Wiggs, Esme Booth, and Rob Oliver through the Team GB ChangeMaker campaign, which seeks to remove barriers in sport and inspire the next generation of athletes.

Since its inception in 2022, the Birmingham Community Paddle Sport Project, supported by StreetGames in partnership with Olympic canoeist Andy Train, Paddle UK and the Canal & River Trust, has aimed to engage Birmingham’s most underserved communities by increasing access and promoting participation in paddle sport across city’s canal network. 

This festival is an example of what can be achieved through partnership working in the city and will aim to create further opportunities for year-round sporting activity to be available to children and young people across the city in the future. 

Ray Vince, Area Lead, StreetGames said: “StreetGames exists to bridge the sporting inequality gap for young people from low-income, underserved communities. Working with our partners, we deliver Doorstep Sport to bridge the inequality gap and offer sport and physical activity in a way that meets the needs and motivations of the people we reach. I think we have started to show this weekend how we can be even more effective by working together in a multi-watersport approach.

“This event is a critical step in our mission to establish year-round, multisport opportunities in underserved communities, opening pathways for young people to grow into volunteers and community leaders. It’s a reminder to mainstream sports providers of the importance of adapting their offer to suit all young people.”

Triple Paralympic Gold Medallist, Emma Wiggs MBE reflected on her visit to the paddle sports hub in Castle Vale: “I wanted to congratulate all those involved on a fantastic weekend of paddling and water activity! I absolutely loved meeting everyone and seeing how the organisations’ passion and energy inspired the young people to get on the water…these efforts have developed new experiences and new fans of the outdoors and water, so thank you.”
 

Esme Booth, British Rowing Olympic Silver medallist said: “I feel truly inspired by all the work everyone is doing to get people out on the water and would love to see if we can make rowing part of this, making it available to the communities in Birmingham as a sustainable project that is open to a diverse group of people of all abilities and backgrounds.”

Retired Olympian Andy Train, who has been the driving force behind The Birmingham Community Paddle Sport Project, said: “It has been a great festival! Our partnership with StreetGames, who also support our hubs year-round, has meant we were able to attract a further 500 families this weekend. Our community paddle sport hubs are based on the doorstep of the most underserved communities. The canal network in Birmingham reaches into everyone. In this way have been able to give young people and families a real opportunity to get into water sport and if they want, stay with it.”

Further feedback from partners involved has been overwhelmingly positive:

“This event has been a great opportunity to showcase different organisations working in partnership to reach into the underserved communities giving young people from low-income families the chance to access water sports. We are especially grateful to the role that StreetGames has played in enabling engagement through their network of locally trusted organisations and in bringing us all together to make this happen very effectively. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with StreetGames and to expanding this way of working not just in Birmingham but also across England.” – Greg Van Heerden, Recreational Programmes Lead (Paddle UK). 

“Truly inspirational! I can’t really say more than that. Other than, I am very excited for the possibilities of what’s next.” – Rebecca Gibson, Love Rowing.  

“It was brilliant to hear The Andrew Simpson Centre were able to support 150 individuals getting out on the water. Given the large initial expressions of interest, we, of course, would be happy to work with all to offer further opportunities to access watersports.” – Richard Percy (CEO Andrew Simpson Foundation) 

 “I’m delighted to hear of the event’s success last weekend; a great testament to the creativity, vision and dedication of the partnerships that has been brought together.” – Caroline Slocock, ASF Fundraising Manager.  

StreetGames and Wales Netball are proud to announce the launch of Blitz Netball®, an exciting new netball format codesigned in collaboration with young people from low-income communities across Wales.

Blitz Netball® is designed to be played anywhere and requires limited equipment, offering an informal and accessible version of the sport delivered on young people’s terms, right on their doorstep. The product is supported by an Activator Workshop and resources which provide volunteers, youth and community workers, sports coaches and young leaders with game ideas, basic rules and fun ways to introduce netball to young people in their own communities.

StreetGames and Wales Netball were keen to better understand and address key barriers to participation in netball for young people living in low-income, underserved communities in order to develop an attractive offer in a safe, friendly and engaging environment with activities tailored to their interests.

To ensure that the end product was meaningfully co-produced with young people at its heart, StreetGames worked with three community organisations in North Wales – Aura Leisure & Libraries, Active Wrexham, and Coleg Cambria – to recruit a group of Young Advisors who were tasked with exploring the fundamentals of netball and the varied challenges experienced by their peers with accessing the sport.

Initial planning sessions were held in the community organisations’ own premises, with the Young Advisors working with StreetGames and Wales Netball staff, including Welsh Feather and Cardiff Dragons’ player Phillipa Yarranton, to share their lived experiences and perceptions of the sport. The Young Advisors then came together at a ‘concept day’ to test and evaluate their co-designed activity and games, actively listening to feedback to refine their plans whilst working as a team to ensure that the activities and games were fun and accessible across a spectrum of needs, environments and motivations.

Claire Lane, StreetGames National Director for Wales, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Wales Netball on this project and are thrilled with the outcome. By actively involving young people in the design process, we have developed an offer that truly reflects their needs and interests. This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of listening to and valuing youth perspectives.”

Keira Edwards, Wales Netball’s Head of Participation, said: “Working with StreetGames and learning from their expertise to create a version of our sport for young people, designed by young people has been brilliant. We’re so excited to see Blitz Netball® come to life over the coming months and years, and can’t wait to welcome the new faces Blitz Netball® brings to the Wales Netball family.”

Organisations can register their interest in the Blitz Netball® Activator at https://www.streetgames.org/the-training-academy/training-menu/blitz-netball-activator/

The Welsh Sports Association Sports Industry Awards are the event of the year in terms of celebrating and showcasing the amazing work going on across the sport sector in Wales, and this year, StreetGames were nominated and shortlisted in the ‘Best Collaboration Initiative’ category. Our collaboration with Wales Golf to deliver the Gareth Bale Festival of Sport alongside the Championships in September 2023 was a huge success, and it is fantastic to be recognised for this achievement at such a prestigious event.

The awards ceremony, held at The Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff on the 6th June, saw organisations from across Wales come together to celebrate and recognise each other’s outstanding achievements over eight different award categories. The evening was a truly brilliant showcase of the power of sport in Wales, and the way in which it is changing lives.

To be shortlisted for the award with Wales Golf is a huge achievement and one of which we are incredibly proud. The partnership approach between the StreetGames team in Wales and such a forward thinking NGB is the key to the success of this project, and one which is set to grow as we move into the future.

Category winners, Disability Sport Wales were praised for their Para Sport Festival and the way in which multiple partners come together to make a truly inspirational multi-sport, multi-venue event happen. Fellow nominees Cricket Wales and Cymru Football Foundation were also applauded for their work together to deliver the Ponthir Community Hub and multi-sport facility.

Claire Lane, National Director for StreetGames in Wales said: “The event was a great celebration of sport in Wales, and the impact each organisation is having both individually and collectively. It was great to be amongst the nominees, and congratulations to all the winners. We pride ourselves on our collaborative ways of working with partners in Wales, so it was brilliant to be recognised for that in this particular category!”

About the Gareth Bale Festival of Sport

The Gareth Bale Festival of Sport is an annual event, piloted in 2022, that enables young people living in some of the most underserved communities in South Wales to access a safe, fun and exciting one-day multi-sport festival, held at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.

The aim of this event is to highlight the importance of non-specialisation in sport for younger children and provide opportunities for young people living in low income, underserved communities to try a range of different sports and activities. After a pilot event in 2022, the festival was delivered at scale in 2023. To date, sports on offer have included golf, football, badminton, cycling, table tennis, street dance, bowls, rugby and basketball.

The event is delivered alongside the elite junior golf championships event, hosted in partnership with Wales Golf, CAA Sports and Gareth Bale, which takes place on the same weekend.

The 2023 Festival of Sport supported 50 young people who live in underserved communities across South Wales to access the event. Working in partnership with seven national governing bodies of sport, the event showcased the power of sport and physical activity and the difference it can make to those that may not otherwise get the opportunity to take part. 87% of participants, and 50% of the adult leaders had never been to The Celtic Manor before, despite all living within a 45-minute radius, and some young people being able to see the resort from their homes. 98% of participants stated that they tried a new activity at the festival. The participants, aged between 11 and 22 years old, were supported to try new activities in a relaxed and informal way, with fun at the heart of everything.

When asked what impact events like this can have on the participants, one group leader said: “For our young people it gave them confidence to try new things … and a chance to be with peers in a safe environment.”

Another leader said: “The event was probably a once in a lifetime chance, one that they will never forget.”

Participants were all awarded a signed certificate and signed shirt for their organisation, as well as having the chance to take part in a Q&A session with Gareth Bale. Gareth Bale took the time to talk with every participant and leader, participated in activities with them, recorded videos and took photos as well as signing t-shirts. The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% of participants and adult leaders saying they would attend another event like this in the future. When asked what the best part of the event was, one participant said “I got to meet my hero, I will never be able to say thank you enough”, with another adding, “I tried loads of new stuff, it was the best day of my life.”

Claire Lane, National Director for StreetGames in Wales, said: “The event was a fantastic testament to sport in Wales, demonstrating how powerful multi-sport opportunities are. Every single young person left the event having tried something new, met new people and expanded their horizons. The activity providers were fantastic, adapting to suit the needs of the young people and we cannot thank Gareth Bale enough for the time he spent with all participants. It really is a day that they will never forget.”

The festival will return to Newport in 2024 on Sunday 15th September; watch this space for more details coming soon!

StreetGames have been working in partnership with Chance to Shine since 2018 to provide opportunities for young people from underserved communities to play cricket. There are currently 16 StreetGames local delivery partners delivering Chance to Shine Street cricket across England reaching more than 200 young people on a weekly basis. In 2023 alone, 615 sessions were delivered by organisations in the StreetGames network, many of whom have had no prior experience in delivering cricket as part of their offer.

Building on the success of the programme in communities that cricket has traditionally struggled to reach, Chance to Shine invited StreetGames to support and co deliver on their 2-day Street Coach training course that is offered to all the coaches in their network.

The course is part of Chance to Shine’s Street offer to County Cricket Boards and local community organisations in the StreetGames network, to upskill the coaching workforce in their delivery of the programme. The course contains a mixture of practical sessions as well as a 3-hour workshop delivered by StreetGames, which incorporates content from a number of the courses available on our Training Menu including:

• Working with Young People from Underserved Communities
• Engaging Women and Girls in Sport & Physical Activity
• Understanding Young People from Underserved Communities
• Addressing Challenging Behaviour
• Trauma Informed Practices

The inclusion of the StreetGames workshop on the course has helped to develop a better understanding of how to deliver cricket in underserved communities across the Street coach network, particularly amongst those from County Cricket Boards. Since the introduction of the course, more than 200 Street cricket coaches have attended and completed the course with feedback being overwhelmingly positive. The courses have also served as a great opportunity for organisations in the StreetGames network to connect in with their local County Boards and develop partnership opportunities.

Commenting on the success of the partnership, Rohan Randhawa, Inclusive Programmes Manager at Chance to Shine said:

“Since January 2023, we’ve tailored seven bespoke two-day Street coach training courses in partnership with StreetGames that have covered all regions in England, empowering more than 200 coaches. With workforce development at the forefront of what we do at Chance to Shine, in partnership we crafted each course to meet the needs of the group, earning stellar five-star feedback. StreetGames’ expertise in managing challenging behaviour and working with young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences has elevated our training, ensuring our coaches deliver exceptional experiences for young people in underserved areas which has become invaluable. As our partnership evolves, I eagerly anticipate the transformative impact these modules will have as they ripple through communities, driven by the passion and dedication of our Street coaches.”

Andrew Diggle, StreetGames National Workforce Lead who delivers the StreetGames element of the course, has been delighted with the engagement from coaches during the workshop:

“Delivering to the Chance to Shine Street training has given StreetGames a platform to develop the workforce’s understanding of how to adapt activities to engage specific target groups, including Women and Girls inactive young people living in underserved communities. Our Managing Challenging Behaviour workshop has also been well received. Participants have been engaged and enthused, with the feedback from all courses being extremely positive. Our flexible approach has allowed us to tailor the content to the needs of coaches, which will help to continue to grow and develop our partnership with Chance to Shine going forward, and most importantly, best support a growing workforce.”

StreetGames are extremely grateful to Chance to Shine for recognising our vision to create healthier, safer and more successful communities through sport and for supporting strides towards one of our ‘End Game’ goals: For all mainstream sports providers to change their practice to meet the needs of young people from low-income, underserved communities. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Chance to Shine, enhancing the skills of their coaching network and bringing more cricket to the young people who stand to benefit the most.

England Squash has announced a new partnership with StreetGames on an initiative that will create more squash opportunities for young people in some of the most underserved communities in Birmingham. 

The pilot project will see 14 community organisations deliver squash activation sessions to hundreds of children aged 4-16 who are eligible for free school meals as part of the Birmingham Holiday Activity and Food programme this Easter.  

Participating organisations will be given free training and squash equipment including a squash rebound net, rackets and balls as well as tickets to the prestigious British Open.  

Following the Easter programme, further support will be provided to help these organisations run regular and sustainable squash activities, and link young people into existing local squash facilities. 

Asma Ajaz-Ali, Community Engagement Manager at England Squash said: “We’re thrilled to team up with StreetGames on this fantastic new initiative to make squash more accessible for young and diverse audiences in Birmingham.  

“Sport has the power to make a real impact on communities and enrich lives, and this squash programme will provide an enjoyable way for young people to learn new skills, get active and improve wellbeing. 

“Squash offers something new and different to young people, best of all, you don’t need a squash court or sports facility but just ample space to knock a ball around.” 

Jenny Carter, Holiday Gap Director at StreetGames said: “We know from our 1,000 Young Voices research that there’s a strong appetite among children and young people for building more sport and physical activity into their lives. However, cost is a key barrier to taking part, with a third feeling that the cost of living crisis has negatively affected participation. 

“We’re excited to be partnering with England Squash to provide new opportunities to children and young people that will enable them to lead happier, healthier, and more successful lives.” 

To find out more about how England Squash is enhancing the diversity of the sport visit englandsquash.com https://www.englandsquash.com/inclusion-and-diversity