Projects funded to use physical activity to change lives of young people

Over £2 million in Go! London funding has now been awarded in principle to 44 sport and physical activity projects across the capital following the first wave of grant applications.

Earlier this year, we partnered with the Mayor of London and the London Marathon Foundation to launch the £19.5m community sports fund - aimed at improving the lives of under-served young Londoners aged 4-24 - by contributing £7.5m of National Lottery money.

Charities, youth groups, social enterprises and faith groups were invited to apply for grants of up to £150,000 to improve existing sport and physical activity programmes or deliver new services, with the first of these now awarded.

Our investment forms part of the commitment in our Uniting the Movement strategy to create positive experiences of sport and physical activity for children and young people, and our executive director of place, Lisa Dodd-Mayne, appreciates the benefits the fund will provide.

“Spanning 28 boroughs of London, this first tranche of funding support from Go! London is hugely welcome news,” she said.

“As part of our Uniting the Movement strategy, Sport England is wholly committed to helping more children and young people feel the physical and mental benefits of being active.

"Working alongside the Mayor of London, the London Marathon Foundation, London Marathon Events, and London Sport, we’re hugely proud of our involvement in Go! London, and look forward to seeing this collaborative partnership help more grassroots organisations as part of the second round of foundation grant awards.”

With less than half of young Londoners meeting the recommended levels of activity*, the fund aims to address this urgent need by investing at least £10m into grassroots sport and physical activity initiatives in the capital by 2025.

The projects awarded funding in this first phase will deliver activities across 28 London boroughs, supporting thousands of children and young people from disadvantaged and ethnically diverse backgrounds by improving their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as safety, employability and community links.
 

The latest £2m awarded has been allocated in the form of Evolution and Foundation grants, and will benefit projects like Hackney Laces Community Club, who will encourage more girls to play football, and Carers Lewisham, who will improve the physical and mental health of Young Carers through holiday clubs and monthly support sessions.

The fund will run for at least five years, offering a number of opportunities to apply - with Catherine Anderson, London Marathon Foundation's executive director, welcoming the latest announcement.

“Our vision at the London Marathon Foundation is Inspiring Activity, and we desperately need to create more opportunities for disadvantaged children and young people across London to lead active and healthy lives,” she said.

“Through the range of physical activities and support announced today, Go! London funding will have a lasting impact on the physical, mental and social wellbeing of thousands of children and young people across the capital, and this is only the beginning.

"We look forward to supporting many more organisations through Go! London – continuing their vital work of changing the lives of young Londoners through physical activity.”

Following the allocation of the first £2m from the Go! London fund, applications for the second round of grants, of up to £40,000, are now open.

*London Sport’s 2022 Children & Young People Activity Levels Report