Evidence shows that being active brings about positive changes beyond participation and can impact positively on the health and wellbeing of individuals, on their skills and learning, and on communities, ensuring a more inclusive and healthier nation.
Sporting and non-sporting organisations can proactively use sport & physical activity as an intentional tool to achieve both increased participation and wider social outcomes.
These positive changes are most likely to happen if the organisations delivering sport and physical activity demonstrate the following;
- a clear understanding and commitment to the social outcomes the organisation wants to achieve.
- commitment to building organisational capacity
- thorough understanding of their community
- a person-centred approach
- the right staff & volunteers with the right skills set and values
- commitment to working in partnership
- commitment to removing barriers to participation and ensuring equality and inclusion
sportscotland, Scottish Government, The Robertson Trust and Spirit of 2012 are working together to deliver a wide programme of support and funding which aims to support organisations to use sport and physical activity as a driver to achieve positive individual and community change as a core element of the existing World Class Sporting System.
Research
-
Sport for change research - Robertson Trust, Scottish Government & sportscotland by Research Scotland
- Sport for change seminar (60mins) - University of Edinburgh Academy of Sport (Inc The Robertson Trust)
Watch, listen & read
- Changing Lives through Sport and physical activity overview
- Watch the Scottish Parliamentary debate on Changing Lives - 25 April 2019 - 80min video
- The social benefits for sport - outlining contributions to health, education and more - Professor Fred Coalter
- Changing lives through sport - 2min YouTube video - Leeds Rhinos Foundation
- How Cardiff FC are helping young people change their lives - 2min video - BBC
- Power of sport - sportscotland
- The power of sport – Nelson Mandela
- Article - Inclusion at Inch park - sportfirst
- How football saved Paul McNeill's life - 4min YouTube video - Scottish FA