In late 2024, ConnectSport relaunched as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, working with Universities to develop and train students in media and communications focused on sport and sustainable development. In this blog, ConnectSport founder Simon Lansley (pictured right) speaks about its mission and purpose for the year ahead, and beyond.
"Who’s your favourite 'sport for change' journalist?" Now there’s a question you don’t hear very often….
For ‘sport for change’, we also mean ‘sport for development’, ‘sport for sustainable development’ or even ‘sport for good’. This is according to one particular definition that we co-created with network members during my time with the Sport for Development Coalition.
But to many people working in sport across the UK, none of those terms mean much.
DEFINITION
According to the same definition, ‘sport for development’ is the intentional use of sport or physical activity-based interventions to address inequalities and achieve a series of social, health and economic objectives. These range from reducing crime and unemployment, to supporting mental and physical health and wellbeing, increasing educational attainment and employability, and community cohesion.
Furthermore, it’s about how sport and physical activity can counteract and help to build resilience against the effects of climate change in our communities, whether that’s poor quality air or polluted waterways, flooded pitches, or carbon-intensive behaviours and associated sedentary lifestyles.
Above: ConnectSport founder Simon Lansley speaks to students at the University of Bath.
In a world beset by conflict, social upheaval and a climate emergency, we think the contribution of sport and physical activity-based interventions in addressing these issues has become just too obvious and important not to become part of the mainstream news agenda. And that's me speaking as a former Sports Editor of the Press Association.
Think about it; in the UK alone there are thousands of organisations working in ‘sport for development’, from the charitable foundations and community arms of football, rugby and cricket clubs, to small local charities founded by local heroes dedicated to their communities and supported by volunteers. All contributing in some way to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, simultaneously, to UK policy objectives or ‘5 Missions for a Better Britain’ as laid out by the incoming Labour government last year.
DEDICATED
From CSR (corporate social responsibility) to ESG (environmental, social, governance) strategies across the private sector, to public health initiatives and local authority-backed community safety schemes, it’s a whole other side of sport to what you’ll hear about on the back pages or social media channels of the nation’s newspapers and broadcasters.
But it’s a story which needs to be told more frequently and more directly, so it becomes part of our national dialogue and sporting narrative. Last year the UN revealed we are only 17% towards achieving the SDGs, and we need solutions fast. On a national level, many of the organisations that can help already exist in our communities, but need awareness, support and funding, which is why at ConnectSport we are dedicated to helping create more ‘sport for change’ journalists for the future.
Above: Working with students at Manchester Met University.
Since 2018, we’ve been supporting the Sports Journalists’ Association with its ‘Sport for Change’ category at the annual British Sports Awards, and now we’re excited to be officially launching the search for the first ‘Sport for Change’ journalist of the year at the prestigious British Sports Journalist Awards which take place at the end of March. There are some brilliant (well known and not so well known) journalists up for this new award.
It’s also why we’re working throughout the 2024-25 academic year to deliver guest lectures and practice opportunities to trainee journalists and content creators across a growing number of UK Universities, to help them understand more about sustainable development, the contribution of sport and physical activity to it, and equip them to support this growing new sector – both now and throughout their future careers.
AWARENESS
Since the majority (85%) of charitable funding in England and Wales goes to just 4% of charities, we will also make it our mission to connect our students with overlooked and underfunded organisations that need to increase awareness and investment, so they can add to the growing contribution of UK sport to those globally-recognised sustainable development goals. If you’d like us to help tell your organisation’s story, drop us an email at hello@connectsport.co.uk
We’re also keen to hear from fit-for-purpose service providers and suppliers who are keen to support our mission, and be seen across the sector. Brilliant organisations like Altair Ltd which has supported ConnectSport’s relaunch as a non-for-profit Community Interest Company. Being a CIC enables us to reinvest all our profits in growing the model, so we can work with more young people so they, in turn, can help to showcase more ‘hidden’ people and projects using sport and physical activity to do important work in their local communities.
We think it’s a win-win.
Above: Sky Sports broadcaster and ConnectSport board member Johnny Phillips presents the 2024 SJA 'Sport for Change' Award, sponsored by Altair, to the Clean Water Sports Alliance.
Finally, in the coming weeks, we are excited to be unveiling ConnectSport’s new non-executive board which will be formed of colleagues from across sport, sport for development, academia and the media, and who all share our vision of raising awareness of the ‘power of sport’ to benefit people, places and the planet.
Collectively, we think it’s an exciting new way of thinking about sport. Yes, it’s often far removed from the bright lights and TV cameras of elite sport…. but we believe it’s every bit as important, if not more so.
So let’s start showcasing and sharing those stories!
To find out more and get involved, visit connectsport.co.uk or contact hello@connectsport.co.uk
