Sport for Change Overview - The Robertson Trust
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Linda Macdonald, of The Robertson Trust's Innovation and Learning team, presents on Sport for Change - the context, challenges, what works and what's needed. Sport for Change is one of The Robertson Trust's Innovation and Learning themes. Find out more at www.therobertsontrust.org.uk
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Sport for Change Overview - The Robertson Trust
- 1. Sport for Change Linda Macdonald Innovation and Learning Manager @loobersmacd
- 2. • Largest independent funder in Scotland • £17m last year in 704 awards • Improve the quality of live and realise the potential for people and communities in Scotland
- 3. Researching sport for change Sports Development, Community Sport or Sport for Change? Assumed benefit of sport – the participation myth The evidence base for the impact of sport What conditions need to be in place to help sport be impactful What support is needed for organisations seeking to move “beyond sport” The context for the research
- 4. Sport for Change: Definition Using sport and physical activity to intentionally bring about positive benefits for individuals and communities, to address specific needs.
- 5. What’s the difference? Sports Development • Access to sport and facilities • Increase participation • Improve performance • Additional impacts are an assumed bi-product Sport for Change • Intentional benefit beyond participation in sport • Sport is the tool or the catalyst for change INTENTION
- 6. What difference can sport make?
- 7. What is the context?
- 9. What works? Valued, committed and inspirational staff and volunteers Understanding community and individual need Adopting a youth work or community development approach Working jointly with others Consistency and sustainability of approach A clear intention to bring about change
- 10. What do we need to know? Who? How long? What difference?
- 11. Support needs Funding and resources: building capacity and sustainability Evaluation and demonstrating impact Building strong staff and volunteer teams The perceived low priority of sport for change work Joint working
- 12. Next steps Agree common language and outcomes Leadership: making the connection to policy and the system for sport Networking and support needs Connecting funding opportunities
- 13. Challenges? Bums on seats model! Strengthening the case Capacity and skills within the sector
Editor's Notes
- In 1961 the three Robertson sisters, Elspeth, Agnes and Ethel, donated their shares in the family business developed by their grandfather and father to The Robertson Trust for charitable purposes. This decision to hold the now global company of Edrington in Trust has seen over £150m invested back into charitable organisations, of all sizes, across Scotland.
- Involvement in Sport emerged out of our trustees interest in sport as a tool to provide positive outcomes for people – particularly young people – particularly as a diversionary tool Started with mailbag applications – Over £2m given away over the last 5 years It became a development area – this is where we, through our own work identify that the area or sector in question could benefit from support to strengthen policy, practice or the evidence surrounding it Definitions – what is the difference and does it matter? Confusion over the distinction Assumed benefits of sport – sports transforms life – can it – and which lives is it transforming – do you transform it for every person who crosses your path? If not – at what point do you start transforming lives – after 1 session? Under developed evidence base about what it was that worked and why – everyone who works within sport will tell you about the transformational nature – but not an evidence base to back this up SO COMMISSIONED RESEARCH WITH SG SS AND SPORT FOR CHANGE NETWORK: What the best way to support this approach was
- So what is sport for change and what makes it distinct from other approaches to delivering sport? Why is this important? Why the distinction from other types of sport? These benefits don’t happen automatically for every participant We know that there are certain people less likely to take part in physical activity: people with a disability, older people, long standing poor health, women and girls Also some (less well defined) socio economic factors We also know that the barriers to participation can be complex – and need to be considered
- Words and definitions are important here! Sports development – often there is less focus on the individual and who is involved SD – at its most reductive, it can be a numbers game – 5000 people involved in sport – SO WHAT?? Sport for change – the starting point and focus is the impact or benefit that you want to make for the individuals or communities you are working with to address some need that they have This is beyond access to or participation in sport The two can (and do) co-exist What sits across all of this at a national level is the Active Scotland Framework – and within that the Inequalities agenda
- So what difference can sport make? Probably not a surprise to you that these are the kind of outcomes that happen These changes are more likely to happen if you set out with these as the main goal – rather than assuming that they will happen as a result of people participating in sport
- So what is the context for this work? Participation and performance sit in box 6 – but you will probably recognise where you are working in some of the other boxes System for sport sits underneath this
- 6% - mainly for participation and performance Sports clubs, sports governing bodies 69% both P&P and wider outcomes Leisure trusts, Some of this was about access to facilities and costings 25% - mainly about the impact Sports social enterprises, NHS boards, youth organisations Do you recognise where you sit? If you are in the left, might just want to think about who is attending and for how long – how can you support more people to be active?
- Well trained, committed staff and volunteers – not just in sporting skills – Board – working at right level asking questions that include sports activity but are not limited to it Volunteers – two way relationship Most of you will be embedded within a geographical community – opportunity to work with and support that community –do you have an understanding of the challenges facing individuals within your community? Are you speaking regularly with people/individuals who can help you with this Youth work approach – focussing on the indivdiuals needs, looking a progression pathways for individuals that might not necessarily be about sporting pathways - could be other skills, coaching, facilities management Building relationships and trust takes time Intentionality -
- Well trained, committed staff and volunteers – not just in sporting skills – Board – working at right level asking questions that include sports activity but are not limited to it Volunteers – two way relationship Most of you will be embedded within a geographical community – opportunity to work with and support that community –do you have an understanding of the challenges facing individuals within your community? Are you speaking regularly with people/individuals who can help you with this Youth work approach – focussing on the indivdiuals needs, looking a progression pathways for individuals that might not necessarily be about sporting pathways - could be other skills, coaching, facilities management Building relationships and trust takes time Intentionality -
- Participants in the research said they felt that funders didn’t have an understanding of sport for change, that they were having to reshape their activities in order to get funding. My personal take on it is don’t reinvent what you do only to get money – it is the road to ruin/rod for your own back If your key interest is participation and performance that is absolutely fine – but be aware that most funders won’t necessarily be interested What they will be interested in is the outcomes you will be delivering through the activity One of the best ways to be able to make your case is to have evidence of what works – but real challenges in doing this – particularly around the soft outcomes Organisations that can help with this SIGNPOSTING DOC!! – SPORTED Huge challenges of a workforce that is so driven by volunteers We need to be better at making the case for why sport is important – no longer good enough to talk about participation and performance Organisations often felt isolated – potential partners as competitors, people not understanding the sport for change agenda Relationships are build on trust and areas of common interest – think out of the box – non sporting partners
- NEXT STEPS – intention was always that the report would lead to action Networking and support needs: funding, capacity and sustainability, using a sport for change approach and measuring impact Messaging to funders