With the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in full swing, we look back to the positive legacy of the last Games and how we’re backing this year’s event.
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Four years ago I wrote an opinion piece as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games reached its climax.
Some things have changed and Glasgow 2026 will be very different, but the allure of the Commonwealth Games and its unique place in the sporting ecosystem endures.
I’ll explain why.
It has been a bumpy four years for the Commonwealth Games with the withdrawal of the state of Victoria (Australia) and a period of uncertainty before Glasgow stepped in to deliver a re-imagined Commonwealth Games.
The Games, starting today, will feature 74 nations and territories competing in 10 sports and six parasports across a range of iconic Glasgow venues.
Notwithstanding the well-documented challenges, the future looks positive: the 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games is looming large (Malta and Gozo), and the venue for the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030 was announced late last year. They will take place in Amdavad, India, in what promises to be a ‘full-scale’ Games with some innovative twists.
So, as we look ahead to some brilliant performances and some great memories being made in Glasgow, let’s take a moment to reflect on why the Commonwealth Games is often cited as a formative and special experience.
At the outset I should stress that Team England is an inherently collaborative endeavour that’s prepared and presented by Commonwealth Games England.
They work in concert with the relevant national governing bodies (NGBs) and world class programmes to identify and select athletes (and the team behind the team) across the sports, and to prepare them for success.
But this goes beyond the athletes. The games present an important development opportunity for coaches, team leaders and practitioners, and they motivate and inspire people playing key roles in clubs and facilities across the nation.
Many athletes benefit from World Class Programme funding from UK Sport, and many of the coaches and practitioners will be employed elsewhere across the system in UK Sport-funded NGB programmes.
The Commonwealth Games is a special opportunity for British athletes to represent their home countries.
For our sporting system it's also an important chance to showcase its success and our rich and diverse sporting offer.
Glasgow will feature a portfolio of sports that are played and built in community sports and leisure facilities across the nation, including some that don’t get much airtime but that also deserve to be celebrated.
Our delegation in these games will include Team England Futures – a ‘non-competing’ Team England who will visit Glasgow as part of a carefully coordinated programme delivered by SportsAid, commissioned by Commonwealth Games England and funded by Sport England.
The initiative consists or circa 100 athletes and 30 coaches that’ll receive an immersive games experience designed to support their development.
It'll also help them prepare to thrive in the major games environment when they make their competitive ‘debut’. For many this will come when representing Team GB or ParalympicsGB at LA2028.
They will be England’s living legacy from the Games – and from what we have seen already through the programme, they have a bright future ahead of them.
Firstly, Glasgow is an ‘integrated’ games.
What that means is that para-athletes and athletes live, train and compete alongside one another, in our context, as part of One Team England.
Glasgow will feature a portfolio of sports that are played and built in community sports and leisure facilities across the nation, including some that don’t get much airtime but that also deserve to be celebrated.
Glasgow is also reported to be the largest ever Para-sport programme with a total of 47 medal events being contested.
Team England will field 60 para-athletes (or 24% of the Team England athlete delegation) in bowls, para-powerlifting, track cycling, athletics, swimming and wheelchair basketball 3x3.
All sports are presented as part of an integrated programme of competition and given equal billing, sharing the programme means that spectators get to enjoy the best sport and para-sport as a matter of course.
Team England is relentlessly focused on ensuring parity of support for all athletes, and on giving them the best possible experience and opportunity to fulfill their potential.
This has created an environment that’s genuinely special, as it demonstrates and reminds us of our common values and aspirations, not our differences – physical or otherwise.
In terms of women’s sport, the number of medals available is strikingly similar and Team England will have more women competing than men.
Amongst them is netball, which is a particularly high-profile event and the Commonwealth Games rivals the Netball World Cup for perceived importance and profile.
At the preparation camp and ‘kitting out’ – where everyone goes to collect their kit, complete their preparations and receive their final training on aspects such as anti-doping and media – there is a map of England and athletes are invited to take a photo and place themselves on the map.
This is a visual representation of where athletes originate from and how they represent the full spread geographically of the nation.
Watching the map get populated as athletes come through the prep camp is fascinating.
Besides, the team has an age spread between 14 and 73 years of age and yet we come together as one Team England of 251 athletes and para-athletes, all with their unique stories and backgrounds – a truly inspiring and exciting prospect.
All the athletes started their journeys in grassroots sport, where volunteer coaches and officials provided fun and impactful opportunities for them to explore and develop their potential.
I can’t stress enough just how much that matters and how amazing a journey can be started with that important first step, plus all those accessible and inclusive first experiences.
Now the baton of supporting the athletes passes to the team behind them.
The commitment and passion from the team at Commonwealth Games England, plus the professionalism and dedication of the sport team leaders is genuinely inspiring – these roles are hard work and I hope very rewarding too.
However, these people won’t stand at the summit of the mountain.
Instead, they are the sherpas staying quietly in the background enabling athletes to focus on their experience, process and performance. I applaud every one of them.
If you want to watch the games and share some of the magic there are different TV options, including daily highlights on Channel 5 and live coverage throughout on TNT, and also on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT.
If you love sports, you can’t miss it. For me, it’s the sports event of the summer!
At The Shaw Centre we believe that being active is about far more than physical health.
The way we see it, movement its about building confidence, creating friendships, breaking down barriers and helping people with learning disabilities become visible and valued members of their community.
For over 40 years we've supported adults with learning disabilities across Manchester to live fuller, happier and more independent lives.
Every person who comes through our doors has their own abilities, ambitions and potential, and our role is to create opportunities that allow those strengths to shine.
Thanks to funding from Sport England, we launched our Move&Thrive project – a programme designed to make physical activity enjoyable, inclusive and accessible for everyone.
But what we couldn't have predicted is just how much it would transform our community.
Move&Thrive encouraged people to get active through fitness sessions, walking groups and outdoor games, but the biggest changes were measured in smiles, confidence and connection.
People who previously lacked confidence began volunteering to lead warm-ups and suggest new activities, and those who were once reluctant to leave the building started exploring parks and leisure facilities across Greater Manchester.
They weren't just becoming more active – they were becoming more involved in the world around them.
Thanks to funding from Sport England, we launched our Move & Thrive project – a programme designed to make physical activity enjoyable, inclusive and accessible for everyone.
The project also opened our doors to the wider community. Local fitness instructors, musicians and volunteers gave their time, bringing fresh energy and building meaningful relationships.
These connections continue today and local organisations now recognise the value that people with learning disabilities bring to society.
Move & Thrive didn't just build healthier individuals – it helped build a more inclusive community and perhaps the greatest change has been in confidence.
When someone discovers they can complete an exercise class or walk further than they thought possible, they stop thinking they can't do it and start wondering what's next.
But the best part is that this confidence starts spreading in to every aspect of life.
Earlier this year our members took on one of their biggest challenges yet, recording an original song called '60 Years of Dreaming'.
Written to celebrate 60 years since England's 1966 World Cup victory, the song celebrates hope, teamwork, resilience and the belief that everyone deserves the chance to dream big.
For some members, recording a song was previously unimaginable.
While the theme was a separate project, we firmly believe it was made possible by the confidence our members developed through the Move&Thrive programme.
This is because Sport England's funding helped people believe in themselves and once they achieved one challenge, they became willing to embrace many more.
Today the impact continues. Our members are more active, healthier and more connected than ever before.
We're incredibly grateful to Sport England for investing in our community.
Move&Thrive has created a lasting legacy that has helped people find their voices and realise that their dreams matter.
Growing up as the only deaf person in my family, sport became my escape from the loneliness and isolation I often felt at home and at school, because constantly second-guessing conversations and struggling to keep up takes a toll.
But sport gave me freedom and a way to let go of all that frustration.
It all started with swimming. In the water I found my own bubble of silence. No worrying about misheard words or asking people to repeat themselves – just me, the lane and a sense of independence.
That feeling is something every child should have, but for many deaf children the chance to experience it simply isn’t there.
Deafness is often called 'the forgotten disability' and it’s easy to see why.
According to data by the National Deaf Children’s Society there are more than 18 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, including 54,000 children, yet the challenges they face go far beyond communication.
Social isolation is common and that often leads to mental health struggles and inactivity.
The results of Sport England’s Active Lives Surveys painted a stark picture:
These numbers support why tackling inequalities isn’t just a nice idea – it’s essential – and it’s exactly what Sport England’s strategy is all about.
There are more than 18 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, including 54,000 children, yet the challenges they face go far beyond communication.
In 2025, we launched Destination Deaflympics, a programme for 8-16-year-olds inspired by the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics.
For us it’s all about giving young people the chance to try fun, inclusive activities and closing the gap between deaf children and their hearing peers.
So far we’ve reached 3,500 deaf and hard of hearing children across 175 settings and, along the way, we’ve learned a lot about the barriers they face, like the lack of accessible community provision or coaches who don't know how to deliver inclusive sessions.
That’s why we’re working with partners like the British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People to make sure deaf children get their recommended 60 minutes of activity every day.
This work has seen great success in the education sector with teachers sharing that by taking part in Destination Deaflympics, they are also seeing benefits in the classroom with students being more focused and ready to learn.
The Deaflympics celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024 and the Tokyo Games was an event like no other.
The GB team brought home 12 medals, finishing 12th out of 80 nations, but its impact went way beyond the results.
These athletes are key role models who showed what’s possible and inspired the next generation of Deaf sport men and women.
Before the Games, one of our swimmers spent a day with deaf schoolchildren in Greater Manchester sparking excitement and ambition that will last a lifetime.
Everything we’re doing supports Sport England's long-term strategy, Uniting the Movement. We're talking about things like:
Sport should be for everyone and that’s why, by breaking down barriers and creating opportunities, we’re not just changing lives – we’re helping deliver Sport England’s vision of a fair, inclusive and active nation.
Learn about the role we play in backing aspiring winter sports athletes through our investment of National Lottery and Government funding into talent and support programmes.
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As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games start we would like to extend our very best wishes to the athletes and the support team behind Team GB (and in the coming weeks ParalympicsGB) as the spotlight of Olympic and Paralympic sport shines upon them.
It is worth remembering that during the 2018-22 cycle the winter sports and athletes were particularly impacted by the resultant post-Brexit travel restrictions and also (how soon we forget!) by the Covid pandemic.
UK Sport and the British Olympic Association have an ambitious target this year and I think, and hope, that at this iteration of the ‘winters’ we will see our athletes and sports realise their aspirations as they showcase the rich and diverse sporting offer we have in England and across the UK.
At Sport England we are extremely proud of the role that we play in supporting partners and thereby enabling aspiring athletes in winter sports to explore and fulfil their potential, but what does that support look like and why does it matter?
Starting with the second question first, let’s address the elephant in the room – why winter sports?
There is a rather lazy misconception that we don’t have winter sports facilities and that those sports are exclusively the pursuit of people from affluent backgrounds – the truth, like many things in life, is much more nuanced that that.
Starting with the sliding sports (bobsleigh, skeleton or luge to name a few) there is an established track record of athletes coming from the British Army - shout out at this point to our colleagues at British Army Sport which continues to be a key partner of and contributor to the UK High Performance System - or from track and field athletics.
These athletes often transition in to sliding sports (or should it be pushing sports!) through established UK Sport-led talent ID programmes such as Find Your Greatness, and those sports have brilliant pathways to take them all the way to the podium.
At Sport England we are extremely proud of the role that we play in supporting partners and thereby enabling aspiring athletes in winter sports to explore and fulfil their potential.
The skating sports are typically populated with athletes who started their careers at ice rinks and ice centres scattered across the major ‘second cities’ of England.
The National Ice Centre in Nottingham has long since been the base for aspiring short track speed skaters and a great partnership between Sport England, Nottingham City Council and recently British Ice Skating, who received Sport England talent funding into their pathways.
Other English rinks feature prominently in the athletes’ biographies and it was great to see Sheffield hosting the recent Figure Skating European Championships as part of the build up to the Games.
English Snowsport athletes often start their careers at outdoor ‘dry’ (not so much in the rain!) ski slopes, which continue to be popular and affordable community sport facilities, enabling athletes such as the Summerhayes sisters or, for Milan-Cortina, veteran James ‘Woodsy’ Woods (who will compete at his fourth Olympic Winter Games) to progress from Sheffield Ski Village to the X-Games podium.
Arguably Great Britain's most successful ever Alpine skier, Dave Ryding will contest his fifth Olympic Winter Games, having purportedly earned his stripes at a dry ski-facility up at Pendle Ski Club, a member-owned club located in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire.
Sport England investment supports the talent pathways in a range of winter sports to ensure that performance pathways in these sports are accessible and inclusive, well-led and managed, and that they offer the support needed to allow our aspiring young people to progress to the very highest level.
Through our funded partners, most prominently SportsAid, we also fund programmes such as Backing The Best and the TASS programme that collectively provide direct financial and athlete support services, such as strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and sports medicine services to enable our players to be fit, healthy and optimally prepared for graduation into high performance programmes and success at major events and games.
As an example, of the Team GB class of 2026 in Milan-Cortina, at least 10 athletes (including Dave ‘The Rocket’ Ryding) have received Sport England support through TASS - five of which are current TASS-supported athletes enabling them to be in the very best of health as they embark on one of the biggest events of their careers.
Finally, as we look ahead to the winter Paralympics, we could not be prouder of the English athletes who will represent PGB as the spotlight shines on them from 6 March, I am particularly looking forward to seeing trailblazing English wheelchair curlers: Yorkshire’s Jo Butterfield, Newcastle’s Jason Kean, Wigan’s Karen Aspey and Northumbria’s Stewart Pimblett.
Collectively, they will make history as the first English curlers ever to take to the ice at the ‘winters’.
Their inspirational journey (look them up, their stories are remarkable) was enabled through an innovative partnership with British Curling, which saw Sport England invest in performance pathways in the sport for the very first time.
Best of luck to all our athletes. No need to ask you to make us proud. We already are.
At Fulham Reach Boat Club (FRBC), we believe rivers should belong to everyone and this year we took an exciting step forward with the launch of our new accessible rowing programme on the Thames.
What began as a small pilot called Row the Rhythm for blind and visually impaired participants and supported by Love Rowing funding, has quickly grown into a powerful learning journey for our coaches, volunteers, partners and those travelling from across London to try rowing, many of them for the first time.
This is the story of how we’re opening up rowing, what we’ve learned along the way and where we hope to go next – a journey that starts before reaching the water, because one of the most meaningful parts of the programme wasn’t actually on the river, it was the journey from Hammersmith Station.
We chose to meet participants at the station to guide them safely to our Boathouse, but it became far more than a practical step.
That short journey created space for honest conversation about the barriers disabled people face, about how few accessible sporting opportunities exist and about the courage it takes to try something new when the world isn’t designed with you in mind.
These walks helped build trust before a single stroke was taken and set the tone for the kind of programme we wanted to deliver – human, patient and centred on the individual.
Rowing coaches are used to getting people onto the water quickly, but accessible rowing requires a different pace, which brought in our biggest challenge: slowing everyone down.
For safety and confidence, the first session had to take place entirely on land.
What began as a small pilot for blind and visually impaired participants has quickly grown into a powerful learning journey for our coaches, volunteers, partners and the people who travelled from across London to try rowing, many of them for the first time.
Participants learned about the layout of the site, boat handling, water safety and how rowing feels and works before ever stepping into a boat.
At first, some were disappointed not to get onto the Thames straight away, but by session two or three the benefits were clear as starting slowly meant that once on the water, participants felt calm, informed and ready.
Their progress was extraordinary!
What surprised us the most was how working in this space naturally attracted more people with complex and varied needs, far beyond our original plans.
People travelled long distances across London, and in some cases far beyond, simply because accessible rowing doesn’t exist elsewhere. That willingness to travel underlined the scale of unmet demand.
Our local partners at Action on Disability and sight loss charity, VICTA helped us understand the huge range of disabilities and access needs in our community.
That is why we chose to start by focusing on just one area of need – visual impairment and blindness – building specialist expertise before widening out.
And the appetite is growing.
Across the programme, one principle kept resurfacing: empathy and understanding go a long way. See beyond the disability. Coach for the individual, not for the sport.
We learned to ask different questions, to describe space differently, to adjust our language, to use one voice in busy environments and to understand what independence looks like for each person.
We also learned that accessible rowing isn’t just about equipment – it’s about culture, about slowing down, about listening and about co-creating the experience.
We’re proud of what Row the Rhythm achieved, but this is only the beginning.
Our long-term goal is to build a permanent, specialist accessible pathway at FRBC and to fully integrate disabled rowers into our wider club community.
To make this sustainable we're:
Our vision is a sport where disabled people can learn, progress and row independently and where adaptive rowing blends seamlessly into our mainstream offer.
This first year has shown us two powerful truths: there is a huge untapped demand for accessible rowing and that when you remove barriers, people thrive.
Participants told us the experience was “life-changing”, “freeing” and something they've never thought that they'd be able to do.
And for us, the learning has been just as transformative and rewarding.
We now know that accessible rowing is not a niche add-on – it is essential to creating a sport that truly belongs to everyone.
The river has room for all of us and at Fulham Reach Boat Club, we’re committed to making sure everyone who wants to row can find their place on the water.
At Sport England, we want to make physical activity and sport a normal part of life for everyone, as movement is not only great for everybody's mental and physical health, but because it also brings communities together, develops skills and confidence, and even contributes to boosting our economy.
However, we know that when it comes to being active, it’s not a level playing field across the country and some groups in our communities face additional barriers due to their background, gender, postcode, culture and/or disability (amongst others).
That’s why our focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) runs through everything we do and aims to tackle some of these systemic challenges, because for us it’s not about ticking boxes, but about making the world better for everyone.
As part of our long-term organisational strategy, Uniting the Movement, and our ED&I ambition to tackle inequalities, we have a specific focus on disability.
Our latest Active Lives data shows that one in five people in England have a long-standing limiting disability or illness, and that disabled people are almost twice as likely to be physically inactive.
We also know that an estimated 15% of the UK population are neurodivergent and that the more barriers people face, the less likely they are to be active.
On the other hand, we believe in the social model of disability – which means that people are disabled by society, not by their impairment – so we want to change the systemic and practical barriers they have to face as these, and not the person, are the real problem.
Historically, societal systems and sporting traditions have (often invisibly) excluded neurodivergent people and that's why at Sport England we're so excited to be working with Neurodiverse Sport and Autism Action. Together we want to begin to address these issues and drive more inclusive practice.
Everyone is neurodiverse because everyone’s brains are different, but 'neurodivergence' refers to the cases when cognitive profiles differ further from the statistical norm, as happens with autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia or dyspraxia.
As with everything, neurodivergence is different for each individual and some experience greater challenges than others.
We believe in the social model of disability – which means that people are disabled by society, not by their impairment – so we want to change the systemic and practical barriers they have to face as these, and not the person, are the real problem.
A person’s experience depends on how their unique strengths and challenges interact with their environment – so designing better environments is key to better outcomes.
Not everyone sees neurodivergence as a disability and this often links to whether they align with the social or medical model of disability, which sees the disability as the problem.
But as a disabled person, this makes sense to me – I don’t see myself as disabled if I use the medical model, yet I do under the social model.
Being disabled doesn’t stop anyone from having significant strengths, experiences or ambitions.
In fact, it definitely doesn’t stop those wanting to be involved in sport and activity, from grassroots through to elite (Paralympics, anyone?).
So what we want to see, and what our partnership with Neurodiverse Sport and Autism Action will help us progress with, is a more inclusive and skilled sector for neurodivergent people.
The investment will focus on increasing awareness, upskilling the workforce, creating health and wellbeing partnerships, and building best practice and innovation for change.
Additionally, it will develop a 'Blueprint to Inclusion' to develop, pilot and replicate neuroinclusive practices across the sport and physical activity sector that will equip it with tools and resources to change understanding and practice.
The document will be co-produced with people with lived experience and it'll focused on people's strengths, promoting practical and reasonable adjustments as standard, and considering both performance and wellbeing.
More information about how this work is developing will be shared in the new year.
In spite of our best efforts and Uniting the Movement, it’s clear that there are deep-rooted inequalities in sport and physical activity that mean many people feel excluded.
We want to reduce this for neurodivergent people by working together to understand the barriers some are facing, finding solutions and supporting the sector to take this forward.
But we can’t do this alone – not even with the extensive networks of our partners. So if you want to be involved and are curious and ambitious in how we can collectively make the world better, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
Imagine you’re missing out on talent, innovation and fresh perspectives, but not because they don’t exist, but because your systems weren’t built with them in mind.
That’s the quiet cost of inaccessibility in the workplace.
But with any challenge comes an opportunity and, in this case, it’s to realise that inclusive organisations perform better because they’re more adaptable, more trusted and more representative of the communities they serve.
And with nearly one in four people in the UK identifying as disabled, this isn’t a niche issue – it’s a mainstream one.
So, just as the EmployAbility Guide highlights: “Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s a smart business decision.”
As someone who works at the intersection of disability and fitness, I’ve seen what’s possible when inclusion is built in, not bolted on, so I’m inviting employers and training providers to be part of shaping a sector that welcomes everyone and reflects our society.
The EmployAbility Leisure Strategic Partners Group was formed in 2022, and its members include Activity Alliance, CIMSPA, Community Leisure UK, EMDUK, Sport England, ukactive and UK Coaching.
The researchers are Professor Brett Smith and Dr Juliette Stebbings, and the lived-experience professionals are Lee Welch, Sam James and myself.
Together, we’ve developed three practical guides that support:
As someone who works at the intersection of disability and fitness, I’ve seen what’s possible when inclusion is built in, not bolted on, so I’m inviting employers and training providers to be part of shaping a sector that welcomes everyone and reflects our society.
Our mission now goes further and we promote sector-wide change by highlighting career pathways for disabled people, supporting inclusive education and recruitment and creating accessible cultures – physically and digitally.
As a partially blind person, I was excited – and curious – about training as a fitness instructor through the InstructAbility programme.
In 2014, I became the YMCA Fit’s first visually-impaired Exercise to Music trainee.
That milestone launched a career delivering audio-described dance fitness for blind groups, accessible fitness sessions for diverse audiences across the sector, and corporate energisers and team-building services.
I’m now an Exercise referral specialist and a member of the EmployAbility Strategic Partners Group.
I believe that inclusion must go beyond access to physical spaces and it must include the digital world, too, because we’re living in a digital age and accessibility is vital across the entire journey – from recruitment to training, development and as a constant on daily tasks in the workplace.
Accessible formats for blind and visually impaired people include Word documents and websites built to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), enabling screen-reading software to convert text into speech.
While I’ve had great support from training providers, some newer online platforms introduced unintended barriers, such as being incompatible with screen-reading software.
The good news? These issues are easily addressed through accessibility audits and expert scripting, making the platforms usable again.
You don’t need to scrap your systems but you do need to review them, so start where you are, get an audit, plan for access in your budgets and keep moving forward.
In the UK, 16.1 million people, that is 24% of the population, are disabled yet only 54.2% of working-age disabled adults are employed, compared to 82% of non-disabled people, causing a 27.9 percentage point gap.
In our own sector, the gap is more acute with just 9% of disabled people saying they’ve had the opportunity to coach or deliver sport and physical activity, compared to 24% of non-disabled people.
At the same time, disabled adults are almost twice as likely to be physically inactive as non-disabled adults (39.5% vs. 20.2%).
I’ve experienced inspiring commitment from training providers like YMCA Fit and dance fitness brands like Clubbercise and SOSA Dance Fitness, who’ve trained and certified instructors with a wide range of disabilities.
Employers using Guide C have already improved our sector through an increased level of confidence among the staff, made recruitment more inclusive and enhanced feedback and onboarding processes.
Our free guides are here to support you, your team and your workplace. You don’t need to get it all right immediately, but taking steps forward is what matters.
We also want to say that we’re here for you and since Activity Alliance is currently acting as secretariat for the group, you can contact Dawn Hughes, their strategic partnerships advisor, and/or their workforce lead, Helen Newberry if you’ve got any questions, want to highlight any barriers or give us your feedback.
Let’s have a conversation, swap ideas, compare notes, celebrate your wins, tackle the challenges and keep learning together.
In 2020 we looked for innovative solutions to support those most affected by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and offered support (financial and non-financial) to ensure that they could continue with it.
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Tackling inactivity
For more than 10 years, I’ve had the privilege of being part of a partnership between Sport England and the National Trust that’s been quietly but powerfully changing lives.
This is more than just getting people outdoors – it’s about creating real, lasting opportunities for everyone, especially those who need it most, to connect with nature and feel the benefits of being active in green and blue spaces.
Being outdoors and connected to nature has demonstrable health and wellbeing benefits.
Studies have shown impact such as lowering stress levels and reducing cortisol and inflammation, which are increasingly seen as factors in depression, autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Our work at the National Trust is shifting towards a more ‘place-based’ approach, but what exactly do we mean by that?
Rather than parachuting in with one-size-fits-all solutions, we’re considering what’s already happening in local communities, at National Trust properties and on their land, and finding ways to make those spaces more accessible, more welcoming and more connected to the people who live nearby.
This is more than just getting people outdoors – it’s about creating real, lasting opportunities for everyone, especially those who need it most, to connect with nature and feel the benefits of being active in green and blue spaces.
Whilst we consider how to be more locally responsive, we continue to work at a national scale on initiatives such as improving navigational and orientation signage to ensure paths are easy to find and follow, and refining path-grading methodologies to better reflect the diversity of users.
This work focuses on describing the path itself rather than the person using it and it goes in line with the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) principles and the Equality Act.
What I love about our work is that it’s about making meaningful connections between the land and the community.
It’s not just about trails or facilities – it’s about creating safe, natural, traffic-free environments where people can walk, cycle, run, paddle or simply be.
I’ve seen firsthand how many barriers can stand in the way of people accessing the outdoors.
Things like fear of getting lost, finding themselves in unfamiliar terrain, safety concerns, challenges around travelling to our places or just not knowing where to start.
We’ve worked hard to design experiences that support people who are new to the outdoors and it’s making a real difference.
For that we’ve been able to capitalise on the strength of the National Trust brand.
Our properties are trusted spaces, with essential facilities like cafés and toilets, which makes them perfect for families, groups or individuals who might be taking their first steps into nature.
The multi-use trails that have been developed are a great example. They’re accessible, enjoyable and range from three to 5km, which makes them ideal for walking, wheeling, running or cycling.
And the impact has been incredible!
We’ve seen a 23% rise in visits from people of ethnic backgrounds, which indicates we’re reaching new audiences and helping more people feel like they belong in these spaces.
This is fantastic news since we strive to improve the experience for communities that often find barriers to exploring the great outdoors.
I’ve also been inspired by the way this work helps those who may need deeper support.
Whether it’s supported paddling sessions, inclusive activities for families with SEN, or community-led cycling groups like the Muslim Cycle Sisters at Osterley, there’s a real commitment to inclusion.
And it’s not just about participation but about representation, too.
The Trust is working with partners to tackle underrepresentation in the outdoor workforce, for example through our walking leaders programme, which is such an important step toward long-term change.
Nature restoration and biodiversity play a big part in our work.
Our infrastructure developments are designed to improve visitor experience and get people active whilst protecting some of the most sensitive nature areas.
We are strengthening our knowledge and skills in designing experiences that deliver real, meaningful and lasting nature connection to inspire more people to care for nature and their local environment.
As I reflect on the past decade, I feel proud of what we’ve achieved and even more hopeful about what’s to come.
Our partnership with Sport England shows that when we focus on people, place and purpose, we can create spaces that are not only beautiful, but truly inclusive and life-enhancing.
And that’s something worth building on.
There has never been more opportunity for young people with a disability to access and thrive in cricket.
In my short time as Chair of Lord’s Taverners, I’ve been privileged to witness the transformative power of our disability cricket programmes, not just for the young people who take part, but for their families, schools, and communities.
These experiences aren’t just inspirational, they are life-changing.
The need for our work has never been greater. That’s why I’m proud to be leading an organisation committed to making cricket the UK’s most inclusive team sport. And few moments capture that ambition more powerfully than the recent Disability Cricket Day at Lord’s.
This landmark event, delivered in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), and with the support of Sport England, was far more than a celebration of cricket. It was a bold statement of inclusion.
Together, we opened not just the gates of the Home of Cricket, but doors for thousands of young people across the country – offering a glimpse of what is possible when barriers are removed, and potential is given room to grow.
From grassroots to elite, the day showcased the full spectrum of disability cricket. This was the largest celebration of its kind and a testament to what can be achieved when organisations unite with a shared purpose.
Stakeholders from across the sporting landscape, disability advocates, educators and representatives from international cricketing nations gathered to witness and discuss how we can continue to evolve and grow the game.
There were moments of pride and passion throughout, not least in the conference sessions exploring inclusion across junior, recreational and elite levels. We heard directly from young people whose lives have been transformed through cricket. Their voices – often underrepresented – helped underline why inclusive sport isn’t a luxury or a bonus. It’s a necessity.
One of the day’s highlights was our own Lord’s Taverners’ National Table Cricket Finals, where 12 regional champions competed at Lord’s after a nationwide series involving hundreds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools from across the UK during the previous six months.
Table Cricket – a brilliantly adapted, fully inclusive version of the game – opens up a world of opportunity for young people with a wide range of learning and physical disabilities. It helps build confidence, foster independence and teach vital teamwork and leadership skills – all within the joy and discipline of sport.
To see these young athletes compete on the same day and at the same venue as their elite counterparts was incredibly powerful.
Together, we opened not just the gates of the Home of Cricket, but doors for thousands of young people across the country – offering a glimpse of what is possible when barriers are removed, and potential is given room to grow.
The event closed with history being made: the first ever international disability cricket fixture played on the main ground at Lord’s, a mixed-disability T20 between England and India. It was a moment that united grassroots passion with elite aspiration, showing every young person in attendance what’s possible.
This remarkable alignment – national youth competition and elite international showcase, side-by-side – is a beacon for what sport can be when inclusion is placed at its heart. It’s a demonstration of the pathway that exists and is strengthening year-on-year for cricketers with a disability, and a reminder of the importance of representation. Because when young people see others like themselves competing at the highest level, they begin to believe: this is for me, too.
The success of the day was only possible because of the strong partnership between the ECB, MCC, and the Lord’s Taverners – a spirit that reflects Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy. Together, we’re not only creating unforgettable moments; we’re laying the foundations for long-term change.
Cricket – like all sport – holds the power to change lives. But that power is only realised when it’s accessible to all. Too many young people with a disability still face barriers: lack of opportunities, inaccessible environments, or simply not seeing themselves reflected on the field. The message they hear can all too often be: this isn’t for you.
At the Lord’s Taverners, we are here to change that.
And thanks to events like Disability Cricket Day – and the partnerships that make them possible – we’re showing that our sport can lead the way in making inclusion not just a principle, but a reality.
People might not expect Hazel, who is blind and living with complex disabilities, to enjoy skiing – but it’s an activity she absolutely loves!
Hazel is a lot of fun – she’s got an amazing imagination and the warmest smile. However, because she’s blind and disabled, there have been times in her life when Hazel has been isolated and hasn’t had any opportunities to join in activities.
Amongst the many barriers preventing people like Hazel from being active is the lack of knowledge within the sports workforce to ensure disabled people feel included in activities.
The 2023-24 Annual Disability and Activity Survey by Activity Alliance shows that the number of disabled people agreeing that ‘The activity leader met my needs’ has continually decreased over the past four years.
The role of the coach is crucial to the experience that a participant has in sport and physical activity.
We know it’s challenging for any coach to ensure their session is engaging for everyone in their group, so imagine working with a group of participants with complex disabilities, like Hazel.
In addition to adapting to their skill level, a coach must also consider their level of vision and hearing, their mobility and their understanding of the task.
They must ensure that both the environment and their own approach are tailored so that each participant can actively participate in the activity.
This requires changes to how a coach prepares, communicates and interacts.
Amongst the many barriers preventing disabled people from being active is the lack of knowledge within the sports workforce to ensure disabled people feel included in activities.
It's also important to reflect on the idea of ‘active participation’.
Any coach can deliver an ‘off-the-shelf’ session but it takes real commitment, care and creativity to develop opportunities which ensure people with complex disabilities can engage meaningfully and appropriately – in a way which supports them to achieve all the outcomes they want to achieve by being active.
Whether it’s their physical, mental or social wellbeing they are trying to improve, it’s never been more important for a coach to ensure they are meeting their participant’s desired outcomes.
Sense’s Potential and Possibility research found that 26% of people with complex disabilities report their health as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’, compared with 9% of the general population.
In response to this data, we are determined to ensure that no-one is left on the sidelines.
We believe that everyone, no matter how complex their disabilities, should have access to high-quality opportunities that help them achieve the outcomes they desire.
That’s why our recently launched Complex Disabilities in Sport training has been designed to help coaches understand the outcomes people want to achieve from sport and physical activity and design their sessions in a way which supports them to do so.
The training was developed following consultation with Sense’s own coaching networks, as well as the wider sport and physical activity sector, who identified training on ‘How to plan sessions which are person-centred’ and in a face-to-face format, as the most desirable learning scenario.
Following plenty of piloting and tweaking, we’re now in the process of delivering these three-hour, practical and theory-based workshops across the country, targeting sport and physical activity providers who have a real commitment to utilising their newly learnt skills with a complex disabilities audience.
And we’re really pleased with the results so far, with coaches reporting on average a 30% increase in their confidence in coaching people with complex disabilities, post-workshop.
It’s safe to say that Hazel’s positive experience with skiing would not have been possible, had instructor James not taken a person-centred approach to delivery.
By understanding Hazel’s need to take things slowly, allowing her to explore her surroundings and feel supported, James created an environment in which Hazel slowly started to feel more comfortable.
We hope that over the remainder of our Sport England funded ‘Active Lifestyles’ programme and beyond, we can continue to build the confidence of the coaching workforce, allowing more people, like Hazel, experience what her key worker Tracey describes as ‘a real sensory explosion’.
I’ve lost count of the times people assume better inclusion means compromise or something that’s expensive, difficult or time-consuming. It doesn’t.
What it really means is changing how we think and design spaces, activities and experiences so they are built with everybody in mind.
It also means not asking large parts of society to work around barriers that shouldn't be there in the first place, because 24% of the population are part of the disabled community and, what many don’t realise, is that any one of us could join them at any point in our lives.
At the heart of Accessible Outdoors Month is a simple message: being active outdoors should be for everybody, in whatever way works for each person.
That could mean simply stretching in a quiet garden and moving through a local park, or taking on something more high-energy like skateboarding or climbing.
The campaign returns this July for its second year as part of ParalympicsGB’s Every Body Moves, powered by Toyota.
Too often disabled people are left out of the picture when it comes to getting active, particularly outdoors.
There are different reasons for this: the terrain’s wrong, the facilities don’t meet the community’s needs, signposting isn’t accessible or access just wasn’t a consideration.
When access isn’t considered, people are excluded. Not because of their ability, but because the environment wasn’t built with them in mind.
According to Activity Alliance's research, only 44% of disabled people say it’s easy to access outdoor spaces, compared with 78% of non-disabled people.
And yet, around three-quarters of disabled people want to be more active and many of them want to do that outdoors: on beaches, in parks or through forests or towpaths, to name just a few.
So the demand is real but it’s not always being met.
Accessible Outdoors Month is our way of showing how, together, we can start to close that gap between demand, provision and uptake.
It’s a social media-led campaign platforming real people and real experiences that launched in 2024 with community-led content showing accessible beach days, inland water sports, inclusive cycling, adaptive mountain biking and all-terrain wheelchair walks.
We didn't use glossy ads on our campaign, but simply honest, joyful stories rooted in lived experience.
When access isn’t considered, people are excluded. Not because of their ability, but because the environment wasn’t built with them in mind.
We saw standout examples right across the UK along with moments of challenge and connection with people saying: “Let’s try to make this work for everybody.”
We saw people refusing to ignore the problem and we saw movement in every sense of the word.
Together, those short clips reached over 240,000 people and generated more than 4,000 meaningful engagements.
This year we’re attempting to go even further by shining a light on more inclusive ways to get active outdoors.
That part’s a given and this time it’ll include urban parks, coastlines and more examples of the disabled community choosing to move in whatever way works for them across our great outdoors.
We now want even more of you to get involved and embrace the idea of a truly accessible outdoors.
At the heart of the campaign is the social model of disability, which tells us that it’s the environment, not the individual, that disables people, so meaningful progress relies on collective action and everyone (designers, organisers, providers, funders etc) has a role to play.
The outdoors shouldn’t be a privilege.
It should be welcoming with everybody in mind, so we’re encouraging organisations, community groups, clubs and disabled people to join the conversation and we want you to share what’s happening in your area.
Post about your experiences and help grow visibility using the hashtag #AccessibleOutdoors, all in the spirit of celebrating the great examples we know are out there and that crucially encourage change, so more and more of our outdoor spaces are available to everybody.
Throughout July, we’ll be curating and sharing those stories through our social media channels with @EveryBodyMoves and on our website.
We’ve also launched the ‘Every Body Moves Club' on Strava to help more people connect, so please follow along and join the conversation with like-minded people.
Every Body Moves is co-produced with disabled people and exists to transform how sport and physical activity are delivered, represented and accessed across the UK.
Campaigns like #AccessibleOutdoors help shift public perception, influence design decisions and create ripple effects that stretch far beyond a hashtag.
There’s still a way to go, but the more people taking part or spreading the message, the closer we can get and I hope you’ll be part of it.
Follow #AccessibleOutdoors Month or join us on social media by searching @EveryBodyMoves on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.
The Prime Minister has announced a bold new vision for school sport, introducing plans for new School Sport Partnerships and an Enrichment Framework.
The announcement also sets a clear commitment for equal access and the protection of two hours of high-quality physical education for every child each week, along with the introduction of new ‘sport profiles’ that outline each school’s sport and enrichment provision.
We welcome this announcement as the latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey Report highlights persistent and significant challenges in how children and young people engage with sport and physical activity, reinforcing the urgent need for more inclusive, youth-led and enjoyable movement experiences:
The announcement sets out a clear strategic vision that will benefit generations to come.
We welcome this announcement as the latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey Report highlights persistent and significant challenges in how children and young people engage with sport and physical activity.
Given the strong link between physical activity and improved whole-school outcomes – from embedding essential life skills to broadening horizons and helping young people build a positive, lifelong relationship with movement – we support plans for this more concerted effort around the school sport agenda.
The announcement builds on the work the government is already doing with partners including the Youth Sport Trust and ourselves to boost participation, having already invested £100m to upgrade sports facilities back in March this year.
We strongly believe that this new approach to school sport should build on the existing strengths, assets, and resources of the current school sport system.
We look forward to working with government to bring this new approach to life, sharing the insights from the recent School Games Organisers Network Review (whose Objective A report will be published towards the end of the month), shaped by the contributions and time of many colleagues across the school sport landscape.
At Sport England, our mission, which we call Uniting the Movement, is clear: to ensure that sport and physical activity are accessible to everyone, particularly those who need it most.
As part of this commitment, we are excited to launch the Place Need Assessments.
These are a collection of key resources designed to help organisations better understand the specific needs of different communities and where (and how) to target efforts in tackling inequalities, so everyone is able to be active.
The new assessments demonstrate how our Inequalities Metric and Place Need Classification can enable us and our partners to make more informed and data-driven decisions.
But what exactly are the Inequalities Metric and Place Need Classification?
The Inequalities Metric is a tool that identifies the key characteristics that have the most impact on people's minutes of activity.
It shows that those with two or more characteristics of inequality (for instance, someone with a disability and who is also over 65 years old) are significantly less active than those without these attributes – helping us focus our support where it’s needed most.
On the other hand, the Place Need Classification highlights the areas with the greatest need by combining data on physical activity levels and wider social information, including the Index of Multiple Deprivation and Community Need Index.
The new assessments demonstrate how our Inequalities Metric and Place Need Classification can enable us and our partners to make more informed, data-driven decisions.
This classification helps us and our partners target investment and action in the areas where it will have the most impact.
These tools have been instrumental in shaping our work and informing investment decisions..
A key message from the Inequalities Metric is that intersectionality has an impact on activity levels.
If we're to level the field so everyone is able to be active, we need to do more to cater for people with multiple characteristics of inequality.
The numbers are clear:
These figures prove that if adults with one, two or more characteristics of inequality were active at the same levels as those with zero characteristics of inequality, there would be over four million more active adults and an estimated £15.6 billion more annual social value created by sport and physical activity.
Therefore, the good news is that there is an opportunity to be more focused and tailored to those whose behaviour we’re trying to influence and where (which places).
This doesn't mean we should solely focus on people with two or more characteristics of inequality, or that there aren't other groups who experience inequalities in participation or who experience discrimination.
What it means is that where we're applying the Inequalities Metric (and Place Need Classification, of which the Inequalities Metric is a component), we're using the data to inform (not restrict) our decisions, and we'd expect the same from our partners and other organisations.
The Place Need Assessments are designed specifically to support other organisations to use the Inequalities Metric and the Place Need Classification to support localised decision-making.
These two tools provide a structured approach to identifying and understanding inequalities in sport and physical activity at local and neighbourhood levels.
Using national and local data, organisations can:
The assessments are an example of how to take a data-driven approach to guide decision-making and ensure that investment, support and interventions are directed towards, and tailored to, the communities where they can create the most meaningful change.
Thanks to our Place evaluation we know that this type of analysis is an important foundation for locally productive partnerships.
And we also know that partners collaborating on an approach like this can help build shared understanding and purpose, increasing the likelihood that combined actions are aligned and effective.
They are not an exhaustive approach and, within them, we highlight where different types of data (e.g. local, national, qualitative – including lived experience – and quantitative) can play a role.
They are intended to provide a framework where organisations might need support but, of course, there are other datasets and other means of analysis that can achieve similar outcomes.
We've developed a range of resources to support organisations to use the Place Need Assessments. These are:
By using these resources, you'll be able to better target interventions, ensuring that sport and physical activity reach those who need them most.
If you’d like to learn more, please visit our new webpages or get in touch to discuss how the assessments can support your work.
Let’s continue working together to tackle inequalities and to create more opportunities for everyone to be active.
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