1. Developing Stronger Communities Through Sport
Nik Trivedi

2. Who We Are
Sporting Equals are a national charity working towards building healthier, fairer and stronger communities locally
Key areas of work:
Increase Participation
Community Cohesion
Diversify Boardrooms of Sport
Showcase Talent
Improve Health and Lifestyles

3. Vision & Aims
Engage diverse young people through sport and build empathy and empowerment to gain social cohesion
Encourage local identity and sense of belonging
Focus on what local people have in common
Build understanding and mutual trust
Change perceptions, attitudes and behaviour
Focus on integration and interaction 4

4. Model Background
Focus on diverse young people in community tension hotspots
Partnership approach (inc.CSP, Third Sector, sports club, local auth)
Key Activities:
Sports activities
Masterclasses
Workshops
Informal sporting activities work as an ‘ice breaker’ and offer social interaction
Hence, provide comfortable safe place for dialogue on sensitive issues such as islamophobia, bullying and harassment
Focus on young people from different faith backgrounds in community tension hotspots
Participants attracted through sport and activities
Partnership approach
local authority
inter faith forum
local voluntary bodies
local sports clubs
key role models
Project enables greater social cohesion 5

5. Community Cohesion Workshops
• Oppression and hate crime by perpetrators is made up of three interwoven stages (thinking, feeling and behaving) based on assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices. These can be changed through new life experiences, knowledge and social interaction.
Social interaction and breaking down perceptions are key elements to the workshops 6

7. IMPACT (Data from our community cohesion project delivered in Croydon July 2017)
-Limiting perceptions measurably improved (80% of participants stated they had improved their ability to relate to people from different backgrounds)
-Social cohesion measurably improved (80% of participants felt their ability to make a positive difference in their local area had improved)
-Wellbeing of young people measurably
improved (64% of participants stated that
their views on the importance of being
healthy had positively changed)
15 participants requested local volunteering opportunities
10 confirmed onto consultative steering group helping to drive local change
1 participant set up his own basketball club
1 participant set up his own fitness company
4 joined a gym
1 joined a dance club
2 engaged in local football club
2 enrolled into coaching 8

8. ‘’I think there is a level of integration but when you come away from schools…I don’t think there is much integration, I think people stay within their own cultures’
‘I now have positive views about ‘Muslims’ and people of different faiths, the workshop gave us a broader understanding of different cultures’
‘ I’ve found a respect for others and a new appreciation for people of all walks of life’

9. LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY
Steering Group supported by local agencies
Pathways into training and volunteering opportunities
Greater engagement with sports activities and providers
Locally driven voice for young people from different faith backgrounds
 ‘‘Its made me feel that
our voices are ‘heard’,
it just helps you not to
give up!’ 12

10. Key ingredients
Maximising role of voluntary and community sector inc. faith groups
Local statutory agencies have a key role to play in terms of leadership and support
Effective partnership working – given multi-faceted nature of cohesion work.
Time to build relationships is important.

11. For more information please contact:
@SportingEquals