The visit started in Byker, one of Newcastle’s most deprived wards and an area with historically high levels of inactivity. Byker is a priority place for Sport England investment, making it a powerful example of how national priorities can be delivered locally through trusted relationships and community‑led approaches. Throughout the visit StreetGames were accompanied by Clare Morley, Chief Executive of RISE, the Active Partnership for the North East Combined Authority area. As two System Partners, focused upon the priorities outlined in Uniting the Movement, StreetGames and RISE collaborate in the places where we work to increase access to sport and tackle inequalities in activity levels.
Community‑led sport on the doorstep
In Byker, hosted at the Lighthouse Project, Simon met a range of community organisations working together to make sport and physical activity accessible, welcoming and relevant to local young people, including ACANE, Hat‑trick, Active Futures and Better Leisure. These organisations are embedded in their neighbourhoods and play a vital role in reaching young people from low‑affluence families who are least likely to be active.
StreetGames’ role has been to connect, support and strengthen this local network – helping create the conditions for Doorstep Sport that fits young people’s lives. This work aligns closely with Sport England’s focus on supporting the 25% most deprived communities and children and young people from lower‑income households.
The visit also highlighted recent work on poverty‑proofing at the East End Pool Leisure Centre, where StreetGames has partnered with Children North East to identify and help to remove cost, cultural and practical barriers that prevent families and young people from accessing local facilities.
Building a diverse and trusted workforce
A key theme of the visit was workforce diversity and development – and how we create pathways for local people to lead and deliver sport in their own communities.
StreetGames shared how we have helped develop a city‑wide programme for young volunteers and leaders. This approach supports young people to build confidence, skills and experience, while also creating a more representative and trusted workforce.
The visit took in a meeting with partners at Newcastle University and how their approach to community sport can play an important role in developing the workforce in the city. Together, we are developing future talent through higher education routes and grounding learning in real‑world, community‑based practice.
Using data, research and insight to strengthen impact
Strong local delivery is underpinned by robust insight. During the visit, we shared how research and data from university partners, alongside StreetGames’ own insight – including Sport England funding data and Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme information – is helping demonstrate the social value of Doorstep Sport. This insight about our audience and what works to increase their activity levels is openly shared with partners to support them in the work that they are doing with young people.
This evidence, including the work we have done with Northumbria University on social return on investment for HAF and the social value work that StreetGames has completed with State of Life, is critical in showing how sport contributes not just to physical activity, but to wider individual and societal outcomes such as wellbeing, confidence, social connection, community safety and skills for employability.
Leading place and system change in Newcastle
The final stage of the visit brought together partners working at a system level, including RISE – the Active Partnership for Tyne and Wear and Northumberland –, Newcastle City Council and Northumberland County Council, who lead on sport, physical activity and place‑based investment in their local authorities
StreetGames has worked closely with local authorities, health, education and voluntary sector partners to help shape shared place strategies for Newcastle and Northumberland. This includes the specific ambition for a Doorstep Sport City approach in Newcastle – where sport is co‑designed, locally delivered and connected into wider systems that support young people.
By mobilising funding and relationships from beyond sport, we have helped unlock new opportunities and strengthened the city’s ecosystem for physical activity.
Looking ahead
For StreetGames, the visit was an important opportunity to raise awareness of our role as a connector, partner and leader in place, addressing the needs of children and young people from low-income backgrounds living in deprived communities and to showcase how sustained collaboration can deliver meaningful change. This sustained collaboration and our role as a local network weaver is only made possible with the support of funders like Sport England.
Whilst every place has its own unique features, needs and strengths, the ingredients of our work in Newcastle are transferable and we use them to inform our approaches across deprived areas in other parts of the country.
It also provides a strong platform to build upon, with the upcoming launch of new wider partnerships with Newcastle University and Children North East, and our aim to continue to strengthen relationships across the region, including with the Combined Authority and the wider sport and physical activity system.
By working alongside communities and partners, StreetGames will continue to champion Doorstep Sport that meets young people where they are – and helps build healthier, more active and more connected places.
Thank you to everyone involved in showcasing the great collaborative work taking place in Newcastle and to Simon for the support of Sport England and for bringing the glorious weather with him!