We are delighted to announce that the Social Biobehavioural Research Group will be the new hosts of the Social Prescribing Youth Network (SPYN). 

 From 2018 to now…

 The Social Prescribing Youth Network (SPYN) was developed by StreetGames in 2018. Over the last six years, SPYN has gained more than 1,300 members and has had notable achievements including delivering resources and training.

This process has now concluded and we are pleased to announce that the Social Biobehavioural Research Group at University College London will be the new hosts of SPYN moving forward. UCL will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to this network and are hoping to grow it further in order to support increased social prescribing for children and young people across the country.

Four key individuals will be involved in the day-to-day running of SPYN:

1. Dr Daniel Hayes, an expert in youth social prescribing who will head up the network.
2. Prof Daisy Fancourt who will provide expertise in running large networks, having led the £1.25 million UKRI MARCH network and 70-country COVID-Minds network.
3. Rachel Marshall who manages research communications and impact work for UCL SBB, and
4. Nikita Arslanovski who coordinates communications and finance for the team.

Dr Daniel Hayes commented:
“Children and young people’s mental and physical health has reached a crisis point. Despite this significant need for youth social prescribing, and growing momentum and interest, its potential is unrealised. Provision is patchy and pockets of good practice remain isolated, with a lack of awareness or joined up working from the policymakers, researchers, healthcare practitioners and community assets that are fundamental for social prescribing to succeed.

SPYN is a fantastic network that has the potential to drive work in this space forwards by mobilising stakeholders, providing training and networking opportunities, and sharing good practice. We are very excited to build on our existing knowledge and partnerships in this field and take SPYN to the next level in terms of impact. We hope you will join us on this journey!”

Stuart Felce, UK Director of Strategic Business Relationships at StreetGames, commented:
“The transition of the Social Prescribing Youth Network (SPYN) to the Social Biobehavioural Research Group marks an exciting new chapter in its development. At StreetGames, we are incredibly proud to have established SPYN and grown it into a thriving network of over 1,300 members since 2018.

This move ensures that SPYN receives the dedicated focus it deserves to further its vital work in supporting the health and wellbeing of children and young people through social prescribing. While the network will now be hosted by one of the leading national experts in the field, StreetGames remains deeply committed to advancing youth social prescribing, particularly through our focus on sport and physical activity.”

How to get involved with SPYN

The Social Biobehavioural Research Group team are currently busy planning and look forward to sharing further updates, opportunities and activities for SPYN members in the New Year.

New members can join the Network here to receive future updates about the expanding world of social prescribing for children and young people. Our newsletter will bring you the latest research, resources, events, training and more – all directly to your inbox.

Membership is free and open to all those interested in bringing social prescribing and its benefits to the younger generations. Whether you are a Link Worker, social prescribing coordinator, voluntary and community worker, commissioner, funder, health professional across primary or secondary care, or a researcher – join SPYN and be a part of the youth social prescribing movement in the UK and beyond.

If you have any SPYN-related queries you can get in touch with the team at: spyn@ucl.ac.uk.

The StreetGames Awards are back for 2024, shining a spotlight on the outstanding individuals and organisations using sport and physical activity to make a difference in our communities.

Nominations are open now, and we need your help once more in highlighting the transformational power of sport for development in communities across England and Wales.

Winners will be selected across eight categories, including a new category for 2024 celebrating your Youth Voice Champions.

Nominations will close on Sunday 15th December, after which our judging panel will draw up a shortlist of finalists and select the winners within each category. Winners will be announced early next year, and invited to a special celebration event to take place in March.

Mark Lawrie, StreetGames Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to once again celebrate the fantastic achievements of our network and the transformative power of Doorstep Sport with this year’s StreetGames Sport for Development Awards. Please do get involved by nominating your local changemakers and helping us to honour their outstanding stories of impact and inspiration.”

The full list of categories for 2024 is:

• Coach/Volunteer of the Year
• Doorstep Sport Project of the Year
• #HolidaysMatter Award for Outstanding Holiday Activities Project
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Award
• Outstanding Work in Community Safety Award
• Us Girls Award for Engaging Women and Girls
• Young Volunteer of the Year
• Youth Voice Champion

Discover more about each of this year’s categories and submit your nominations.

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 British Citizen Youth Award celebrates the individual endeavours of young people from across the UK who are positively impacting their communities, helping charities or undertaking exceptional activities in support of others.

Now in its ninth year, this year’s Award honoured 21 young people dedicated to making a difference – including Emilie Violet Allen, aged 15, from South Wales.

Emilie is a gymnast and coach at Valleys Gymnastics Academy (VGA), an active member of the StreetGames network in Wales. For the past three years, Emilie has devoted her holidays to delivering StreetGames-funded Fit and Fed sessions at VGA, as well as coaching during evenings and weekends. She is also a passionate advocate for disability in sport, competing as a partially deaf athlete with the World Championship-winning Team Wales Adaptive Abilities team.

Alongside her coaching and a busy training schedule, Emilie also volunteers for Gwent Police Cadets and is a devoted Caregiver to her disabled Mum.

She now plans to put the skills that she has gained from StreetGames training and her community volunteering in practice on a trip to Ghana in summer 2025 to teach skills to young children in a remote orphanage.

Emilie is a true inspiration to aspiring young athletes of all abilities, nurturing their ambition and putting their mental health and wellbeing first. She shows her community that anything is possible with the right support around you.

On 17th October, Emilie received her British Citizen Youth Award Medal of Honour at the official presentation ceremony at Westminster Palace. Alongside her medal, she is now able to use the post-nominals BCyA in recognition of her fantastic achievements and commitment to others.

Claire Lane, StreetGames National Director for Wales, said: “On behalf of everyone at StreetGames, I’d like to congratulate Emilie and say how proud we are of her achievements. We’re so pleased that her passion and fantastic contributions to her community have been recognised in this way, and are excited to see her continue to go from strength to strength in her next steps.”

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.  

The NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit is once again hosting its #SafeInSport awareness raising week from 7-11 October 2024. The campaign reminds us that everyone has a role to play in keeping children and young people safe in sport. This year’s campaign is focusing on building safer sporting communities.

Everyone in the StreetGames community plays a vital role in ensuring children and young people are safe, supported, and empowered to thrive. Safeguarding is about adopting policies and practices that enable a caring environment where every child and young person feels listened to, valued and protected.

We know from our network survey that the mental and physical wellbeing of the young people you work with is of the highest importance. Underpinning effective Doorstep Sport is a person-centred approach which prioritises and responds to what young people need both within and beyond the activities being delivered.

This #SafeInSport week, we’re celebrating the power of our collective responsibility. Throughout the campaign, we will be recognising the valuable role of Doorstep Sport in providing a safe space for young people. You can read some positive examples from our network members below.

Football legend Gareth Bale hailed a best-ever event as he stepped up his commitment to promoting sporting opportunities for young people.

Hosted at at the Celtic Manor Resort, the third annual Gareth Bale Festival of Sport on September 14-15 saw more than 100 children from some of the most underserved communities in South Wales given the chance to sample a wide variety of sports.

Organised in partnership with Wales Golf, StreetGames and CAA Sports, the multi-sport event saw Bale try his hand at sports including cricket, badminton, table tennis and skateboarding, as he inspired youngsters from community groups to enjoy the many benefits of sporting participation.

Bale, the former Real Madrid superstar who is Wales’s record goalscorer, also took part in Q&A sessions with the young people attending before presenting the Gareth Bale Championship trophy to the winning golfer following two days of intense competition on Celtic Manor’s Montgomerie and Roman Road golf courses.

Bale said: “This is the third year that we have held the Gareth Bale Festival of Sport and this one has been the best yet. As a boy, I played every sport I could and I’m sure that helped my development as an athlete. That’s why it’s great to see young people in Wales getting the chance to try lots of different sports they might not otherwise get the chance to.”

Claire Lane, StreetGames National Director, Wales, said: “At StreetGames, we are committed to breaking down barriers and ensuring that all young people, regardless of background, have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of sport. The Gareth Bale Festival of Sport is a perfect example of how we can provide children with the chance to explore a range of sports, helping them find their passion and stay active.

“This event is also 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 to meet the needs of all young people, especially those from low-income areas.”

Theo Baker, Head of Participation at Wales Golf, said: “Both the Festival of Sport and the Gareth Bale Championship have gone from strength to strength over the last three years. We are working together to show the benefits that sport can bring to people and communities, and it’s fantastic to be able to do this at an iconic venue like Celtic Manor. These are exciting times for golf in Wales with Gareth’s involvement and next year the AIG Women’s Open Championship will be held in Wales for the first time at Royal Porthcawl.”

Working as part of an alliance with other community groups from the area and with the support of the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit, New Bury Boxing is once again providing a positive, accessible sporting offer for local young people.

New Bury and Farnworth ABC was a well-established and much-loved boxing club for many years, with a strong community focus. When the club closed around 2014, so too did the youth club which ran out of New Bury Community Learning Centre, leaving little to do for young people living in the local area.

In 2020, through their ‘community-led approach’ work, Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit invested funds into New Bury as a community in need. Local consultation identified key priorities for the area, which included more positive activities for young people. It was clear that boxing still meant a lot to the community, with a strong desire to re-establish the boxing club.

As part of an alliance with other local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, and with the support of StreetGames, Bolton-based community boxing gym Elite Community Hub received funding to run boxing sessions in New Bury, marking the start of a revived boxing offer for local young people.

The following year, New Bury Boxing was reopened with brand new coaches from the local community, including parents who were keen to support the provision of positive activities for children and young people in the local community. The club has been building up slowly since then, allowing it to become sustainable beyond the initial community-led programme. The community-led alliance continues to go from strength to strength, with collaborative funding applications and delivery and the development of sustainable local partnerships.

On Monday 12th August, New Bury Boxing held a celebration event to mark its third anniversary. More than 20 local young people came along to celebrate all that the club has achieved, with activities including fitness games and a free raffle, with boxing gloves, a 1-2-1 training session and chocolates handed out as prizes. The young people also enjoyed some pizza and cupcakes.

As part of the celebration, the club shared its brand new banner which was put up outside to promote their new timetable. Having initially started with only one weekly session in their first year, the club expanded to four sessions per week in their second year and are now looking forward to offering six sessions per week for young people aged 8-18, with an additional three sessions for over 18-year-olds.

Along with the exciting news of their expanded offer, the club showcased their new boxing equipment which has been funded by Sport England, and were also able to put up the boxing ring which had been purchased through participating in the Hits Radio Cash for Kids Sports Challenge.

The club has also been successful in securing funding from The National Lottery and Bolton’s Fund, enabling them to offer 1-2-1 mentoring and small group sessions called Talk and Train to help young people with social, emotional and mental health issues.

New Bury Boxing club currently has five coaches, all from the area, along with five amateur boxers. The team is actively looking to expand, including encouraging more local parents to get involved by offering training and support into coaching or admin roles.

Comments from young people and parents on the ‘Feedback Wall’ at the celebration event highlight the importance of New Bury Boxing for the local community:

“New Bury Boxing is a place I feel safe and I can talk to the coaches”

“It’s been great for [x], it has given him extra confidence”

“Confidence and fitness level has improved”

“I like New Bury Boxing for the people (coaches) and friends”

Developed and established in Brighton by the team at Across Rainbows, the Back Off. Back Up. (BOBU) initiative exists to signpost LGBTQ+ people to their nearest safe place in their local town.

Funded by the JD Foundation, StreetGames’ Pride Activity Network has now enabled this vital and life-saving project to be trialled in Kendal in Cumbria. The project empowers LGBTQ+ people and anyone who has ever felt unsafe on their walk home, to ask for help should they need it. Using the BOBU app, users can see where the LGBTQ+ friendly spaces are and can be assured that all registered BOBU venues have undergone LGBTQ+ inclusion training, delivered in-person by the ‘Across Rainbows’ team.

Luciana from Across Rainbows said: “Our vision is to create a network of BOBU safe spaces across the UK. Adding the 10 Kendal venues was a very exciting milestone in the BOBU journey. Kendal is the first BOBU city in the North, and it was a great experience to meet the diverse venues in person and conduct the BOBU training with them.

It’s immensely satisfying and reassuring to know that LGBTQ+ people have safe spaces to go to in Kendal when they are out and about. Kendal is our shining BOBU flagship in the North”.

In June, Beth Warriner (PAN Coordinator and StreetGames Doorstep Sport Advisor) visited the BOBU venues in Kendal, during Kendal Pride weekend. ‘Proud in Kendal’, who plan and deliver Kendal Pride each year, have been intrinsic in enabling the BOBU project to start up in Kendal.

Jamie Hooper, Chair of Kendal Pride and coordinator of BOBU Kendal said: “We were absolutely thrilled to partner with the BOBU team in Brighton to bring their expert knowledge and experiences to Kendal and the South Lakes area. Through the support of StreetGames in making this happen, we have been able to support 10 local businesses in the town to further their awareness of LGBT+ people, and to help create a network of safe spaces for LGBT+ people in the area”.

Young people from local LGBTQ+ Youth Club ‘Out in Kendal’ (OinK), run by the Brathay Trust, said: “No one should ever have to feel unsafe living in their hometown. From a task as simple as a coffee date with a friend or walking your dog, there is the possibly of someone lurking behind the corner, so I think BOBU is a great thing and gives me reassurance for a safer future […] I think it is ‘crystal queer’ that this needs to happen in Kendal and other towns and cities”.