Sport in Our Community

Sport Northern Ireland’s Sport in Our Community Programme

In response to identified and ongoing need, Sport Northern Ireland developed the Sport in Our Community investment programme to deliver a range of sports and physical activities. £3.6 million was invested in 34 projects from the voluntary, community and statutory sector to deliver innovative and creative projects over a four year period (2006-2010).

Successful applicants to the programme demonstrated that their project met at least one of the following three cross-cutting themes:

• Development and improvement of physical literacy;
• Development of opportunities for people with disabilities; and/or
• Creation of sport or physical activity in areas of high social need for those who have not previously had a sustained interest in sport or physical activity.

A total of 121,171 participants were reported as having participated in the programme, of these:

• 53,289 (44%) programme participants were women or girls;
• 89,251 (74%) programme participants were children or young people aged under 16 years of age;

• 6,725 (6%) programme participants had a disability;

• 6,758 (6%) programme participants were older people; and

• 2,545 (2%) programme participants were members of minority ethnic communities.

A significant increase was reported in the number of projects delivering health referral programmes using sport and physical recreation as a primary health tool.

A final evaluation of the Sport in Our Community Programme, ‘Get Active: Stay Active’, which includes a number of case studies and personal stories, demonstrates the positive impact of the programme on the host communities and individual participants.

A copy of the full report and a series of related factsheets are available to view.

Get Active - Stay Active - Women and Girls

For more information on the Sport in Our Community Programme, please contact Angharad Bunt on 028 9038 1222.