Case studies

LtPF set to create young leaders in Coventry

Aptitude Youth, our local delivery partners in Coventry, are training up 10 young people as qualified sports leaders using funding from Levelling the Playing Field.

YOUTH VOICE: Emmanuel from Aptitude, Coventry

Emmanuel joined our local delivery partners Aptitude Youth three years ago after arriving in Coventry from Ghana via Italy. He says the staff and his fellow beneficiaries have become “like a second family”.

YOUTH VOICE: Five stars from Young Minds Together

For Ayathola, Sinokuhle, Keren, Chloe and Exaucee, attending Levelling the Playing Field sessions run by Young Minds Together in Rotherham is more than a weekly dance class; it’s a sisterhood that helps them overcome many barriers in life.

YOUTH VOICE: Zak Tadesse, Sport 4 Life

Tamsir Gaye is just starting out as a mentor for our delivery partner Positive Youth Foundation in Coventry - but he has already found a creative way to get his message across to young people.

YOUTH VOICE: Karim, Hilmee and Raheed from Pillgwenlly

As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘Youth Voice’ month, we visited Newport Live's Friday night LtPF session in the suburb of Pillgwenlly and asked participants Kareem, Hilmee and Raheed about the project's impact on their lives.

PKC keep South London youngsters onside

The initials in PKC Football Academy stand for ‘Prevent Knife Crime’ - but the aims of our new Levelling the Playing Field delivery partners extend even further beyond that.

YOUTH VOICE: Uzo Anosike, Street Soccer London

As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘Youth Voice’ month, we spoke to Uzo Anosike, a participant at our delivery partners Street Soccer London. The budding young sports journalist told us the impact the organisation has had on his life since he first attended their Levelling the Playing Field session last year.

YOUTH VOICE: Tamsir Gaye, Positive Youth Foundation

Tamsir Gaye is just starting out as a mentor for our delivery partner Positive Youth Foundation in Coventry - but he has already found a creative way to get his message across to young people.

STATE OF PLAY: 'Pandemic gave us time to re-focus'

Sports Key, our local delivery partners in Birmingham, feel they benefited from the ‘thinking time’ given to them by Covid-19 and have re-emerged stronger post-lockdown.

Unity Gym Project: Transforming lives - one rep at a time

Our local delivery partner Unity Gym Project in Sheffield offers so much more than an ordinary city-centre gym. It’s a community where young people can find support, motivation and hope.

STATE OF PLAY: The struggle to support those hit hardest

The pandemic has hit under-served communities particularly hard and our local delivery partners in South Yorkshire have worked tirelessly to support local children who have been severely impacted.

STATE OF PLAY: 'The pandemic has made us stronger'

Our local delivery partners Fight 4 Change have emerged stronger from the pandemic by moulding their programmes to meet the increased needs of young people.

STATE OF PLAY: Frontline workers 'at risk of breakdown'

The pandemic has led to a big rise in vulnerability among young people and support services have had to be nimble and innovative to even come close to meeting these acute needs.

STATE OF PLAY: Covid-19 and young people's mental health

The pandemic has led to a big rise in vulnerability among young people and support services have had to be nimble and innovative to even come close to meeting these acute needs.

How Tackling Inequalities Fund has given LtPF partners a lifeline

Support from youth services has never been more needed than in the last 18 months, but Covid restrictions and dwindling resources have made it tough to meet demand. Money from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF) has therefore been a lifeline for many of Levelling the Playing Field’s local delivery partners.

Community Cohesion Cup brings people and police together in Newport

Levelling the Playing Field partners and Gwent Police have joined forces to stage the Community Cohesion Cup - breaking down barriers and building trust between ethnic communities and local services.

How sport helps The Sanctuary protect new arrivals in Newport

Young refugees and asylum seekers often arrive in Newport having experienced conflict and trauma in their homelands, so when the Sanctuary project engages them in sport and physical activity, it's to achieve two very simple outcomes: to get them “sweaty and smiling”.

Guardian Angel: Palace for Life mentor set to inspire participants

Palace for Life Foundation have joined Levelling the Playing Field as a local delivery partner and Angel O’Dwyer, who will be working on the project, has all the makings of a perfect role model for our participants.

Millwall on board with Levelling the Playing Field

Millwall Community Trust are the latest addition to our Local Delivery Partners in London. They have been using sport to achieve positive social impact in their local community for over 35 years.

Wolverhampton Wrestling Club reach out to autistic children

Our local delivery partners Wolverhampton Wrestling Club have launched a project to engage autistic children in sport and physical activity.

Coventry youngsters set to become leaders

Participants at Levelling the Playing Field sessions run by Aptitude Youth, our local delivery partners in Coventry, are set to become leaders for the next generation.

How Warwicks CB are engaging diverse communities through cricket

Warwickshire Cricket Board have joined Levelling the Playing Field as a Local Delivery Partner – and their projects targeting specific communities are set to enrich our evidence base.

Exiles Together uniting communities through sport

Exiles Together is a brilliant partnership between Newport County FC and the ethnically diverse community right on the club’s doorstep. Their activities promote diversity, inclusion and diversion from crime through the power of sport.

Diversity is strength at Big Brother Burngreave

Tess Awoke says being part of an ethnically and culturally diverse ‘brotherhood’ at Big Brother Burngreave in Sheffield has helped give him a sense of identity, connection and purpose.

How Platform Cricket thrives on diversity

Co-founder Chris Willett says Platform Cricket wouldn’t be able to achieve its impact without the diversity of its young participants.

Sithule a role model for Rotherham’s aspiring young dancers

We are proud to have Sithule Mguni as a Local Delivery Partner on Levelling the Playing Field. Her organisation, Young Minds Together, uses performing arts to empower girls from ethnically diverse communities in Rotherham to overcome many barriers in life.

Fight 4 Change the right hook to engage Lambeth youth

Young people at Fight 4 Change’s Levelling the Playing Field sessions on Wednesday nights in Lambeth will receive coaching, guidance and support from the very best in the game.

Aces aim to change 'Newport state of mind'

Newport Aces are the latest Local Delivery Partner to join Levelling the Playing Field in Gwent. Their founder, Asa Waite, has a great phrase to sum up the issues his community basketball club tries to tackle with children in the area.

How Sport 4 Life's mentors turn young lives around

Mentoring has had a profound effect on Keanna Arnett’s life – and Levelling the Playing Field’s support for mentors is set to spread that positive impact across our four delivery areas.

London Thunder give youngsters chance to dream

London Thunder have a reputation for producing elite-level basketball players, but their community sessions - open to all young people in the culturally diverse borough of Lewisham - are the club's beating heart.

Community House a 'second home' to youth of Newport

Youth empowerment and social cohesion are the aims of Community Youth Project in Newport, which has become the first organisation in Wales to join Levelling the Playing Field as a local delivery partner.

Platform Cricket drives social cohesion in inner-city London

Chris Willetts can testify to sport’s positive social impact after a 20-year career managing sports initiatives in diverse but deprived areas around the world. He says the opportunity “to be part of a collective all helping to evidence of the power of sport” made joining Levelling the Playing Field an easy decision.

"More than just a wrestling club"

There can be few more ethnically diverse environments than that of Wolverhampton Wrestling Club. Situated in a Sikh gurdwara, it is melting pot of religions, nationalities, backgrounds, ages and sporting abilities. Once through the door, all are treated as equals.

Street Soccer London help youngsters set new goals

Children so often find themselves labelled these days: ‘socially excluded’, ‘at risk’ or ‘disadvantaged’. One of Street Soccer London’s philosophies is that these tags are left at the door.

How dance reduces social isolation for girls in Rotherham

Self-expression and social cohesion are the buzz words at Young Minds Together in Rotherham where girls from diverse local communities enjoy dance, acting, singing and poetry.

OnBoard offers sanctuary for Sheffield's young skaters

Amy Cooper’s childhood home in Sheffield had an ‘open door’ to local youngsters who needed shelter and support. When her father Mick died of leukemia in 2012, his family were determined to continue his ethos of caring for disadvantaged young people. OnBoard skatepark is his legacy.

Ellesmere Youth: a project powered by passion

“I just love what I do,” says Imran Ali from the Ellesmere Youth Project. “As a kid, I went to the same youth club as I’m standing in right now. Even if I become a millionaire tomorrow, there’s no way I’ll be leaving.”

Sky Blues offer kids chance of a brighter future

Sky Blues in the Community, the charity arm of Coventry City FC, exemplify the ways that collaboration between sport and criminal justice can bring positive outcomes for children.

Zest enriches lives of inner-city Sheffield community

These are tough times in Sheffield. At the time of writing, Tier 3 lockdown measures are in place and it’s October half-term, with holiday hunger a major topic of conversation.

Sporting Elite keep Birmingham's youth onside

Every Friday night at Goals five-a-side centre in Nechells, inner-city Birmingham, up to 90 young males aged 14-19 gather to play football. In-between matches, Sporting Elite director Seb Hamilton and his staff mingle and chat.

Aptitude show that youth work works!

Frustrated and fearful at the lack of opportunities for children in her community back in 2017, Tara Foster wanted to bring back the “lost art” of youth work to help. Aptitude, in the deprived Radford area of Coventry, was the result – and its impact has been phenomenal.

How yoga is helping reduce youth crime in South London

A new organisation which uses yoga to engage and divert children away from crime, gangs and anti-social behaviour is joining the Levelling the Playing Field project as a local delivery partner.

Not just for kicks: how InPower transforms mindsets with martial arts

Changing mindsets and building resilience are the cornerstones of the InPower Academy in Wolverhampton, which uses martial arts to engage children who are at-risk of entering, or already involved with, the Youth Justice System.

Sport is the key to social cohesion in Birmingham

Sports Key are a valuable addition to Levelling the Playing Field’s network of Local Delivery Partners in the West Midlands. They use sport as a ‘magnet’ to attract people from their largely disadvantaged but hugely diverse local community, helping to make it more active, healthy and cohesive.

Sport sparks better prospects for young people in Birmingham

Sport 4 Life use sport as a ‘hook’ to engage young people in Birmingham and guide them towards sustained education, employment or training. Last year, 79% of their beneficiaries were from BAME backgrounds and 15-20% have an offending history. For Levelling the Playing Field, they’re a gift-wrapped delivery partner.

Positive Youth Foundation - a lifeline for Coventry's young people

The Positive Youth Foundation has built such an esteemed reputation for supporting young people's needs over the last 23 years that the decision to approach them to be a Local Delivery Partner for Levelling the Playing Field was a no-brainer.

NPV giving Wolverhampton's at-risk youngsters a sporting chance

Joe Jackson, founder of NPV Football Development, has worked with at-risk young people from diverse backgrounds in Wolverhampton for the last 22 years. His organisation's reputation and vast experience make it an ideal Local Delivery Partner for Levelling the Playing Field. Find out more about their frontline work.

Reach Up Youth inspiring young people in Sheffield crime hotspot

In the underprivileged Sheffield area of Burngreave, young men and women wearing distinctive blue, red, grey and black t-shirts are recognised on every street corner. But this is no ordinary urban gang.

Local Strategic Partner: Newport Live

Newport Live's highly-regarded Positive Futures initiative has come on board as LtPF's Local Strategic Partner in Gwent. Find out all about their award-winning and innovative work with young people and how they plan to support the area's at-risk BAME young people through our project.

Local Strategic Partner: Sport Birmingham

Sport Birmingham is an independent charity that uses the power of sport and physical activity to improve lives. We're delighted to have them on board as a Local Strategic Partner and spoke to Operations Director, Tom McIntosh, about our forthcoming partnership.

Local Strategic Partner: Yorkshire Sport Foundation

The Yorkshire Sport Foundation is Levelling the Playing Field's Local Strategic Partner in South Yorkshire. We hope to help them build on their exemplary work with local sport-based projects that support young people from BAME communities.

Local Strategic Partner: London Sport

London Sport's ambition is to make London the most active city in the world. As one of LtPF's Local Strategic Partners, we will work with them to engage and energise at-risk young people from minority backgrounds across the capital. Read on to find out how.