Sport Unites Insight Fortnight 

About the Sport Unites Insight Fortnight

In response to GLA research showing that community sport sector organisations are interested in having a space/platform to share best practice and learn from each other; the Insight fortnight is five conversations aligned to the five Sport Unites social outcome areas.  Each meeting is designed to:

 Provide an engaging platform for physical activity and community sport practitioners to share good practices and experiences that have helped to achieve the Sport Unites outcomes for Londoners;
 
 Ensure the voice of the London community sport sector is included in the future direction of the Sports Unites investment fund; and
 

 Contribute to the planning of Phase 2 of the Sport Unites investment fund – moving toward a shared understanding and common vision.

The Hosts

Dr. Damian Hatton, inFocus Consulting

Damian is the Managing Director of inFocus and a dynamic social entrepreneur and Leadership Coach. He combines a broad range of skills and experiences from the last 25 years. Having initially trained as a medic, he worked as a doctor in the UK and Australia, prior to founding and running one of the most exciting, impactful and fastest-growing charities in the UK (Street League). He has since worked across all five continents, supporting many different types of social impact actor to develop and grow their skills and capabilities to run high performing charities, foundations and social enterprises.

Graham Spacey, inFocus
Consulting

Graham is a Senior Consultant at inFocus.  Originally trained as a Physical Education teacher, Graham has over ten years of experience research and evaluation and 16 years working in teacher training, sport management and the sport for development and peace at the University of Brighton. For inFocus, he has project managed and lead the evaluation team for several projects in the globally, including inFocus' work with the GLA on the Sport Unites and MEEF programmes,  where he has designed and delivered complex multi-year evaluations in a range of topics

Meeting 1: Addressing Social Isolation/ Mixing Through Sport

Overview

Facilitated by Keri Anderson from the GLA, this first meeting focused on how we can enhance social mixing and reduce social isolation through sport and physical activity. During the meeting, the panellists answered the question: ‘how do we encourage social integration in communities in a way that feels equal and respectful?’. The main points of discussion focused on early intervention; communities creating their own definitions of social integration; social integration happening at a staff level; and working in partnerships with other organisations.

The meeting aims were to:

  • Share and exchange good practices and experiences of how community sport and physical activity can contribute to reduce social isolation and increase social mixing/ integration.
  • Reflect upon and discuss what these experiences might mean for the next phase of the Sport Unites Investment Fund.

About the Panelists:

  • Azi Mohammed (Salaam Peace) started his journey with Salaam Peace as a participant, aged 11. Over the next 9 years he progressed into a volunteer and then a paid member of staff, leading a range of sports-based community projects. By 2020 he was appointed Director of Operations having developed his skill set.
  • Shaheen Kasmani (Maslaha- Muslim Girls Fence in partnership with British Fencing) is a senior project manager at Maslaha, leading on Muslim Girls Fence. Shaheen has a background in literature and language, and before joining the Maslaha team, Shaheen taught English,and completed her MA in Visual Islamic Traditional Arts. 

Meeting 2: Addressing Mental Health/Well-being Through Sport

Overview

Facilitated by Leila Wong from the GLA, this meeting focused on sport, physical activity and mental health/well-being. During the meeting, panellists answered the question: ‘how can we measure and talk to our participants about mental health and wellbeing without explicitly talking about the subject which many people find very difficult or personal?’ The main points discussed were focused around building trust; the importance of long-term relationships; creative impact measurement; and providing support for delivery team members.

The meeting aims were to: 

  • Share and exchange good practices and experiences of how community sport can contribute to improving wellbeing and supporting those experiencing poor mental health.
  • Reflect upon and discuss what these experiences might mean for the next phase of the Sport Unites Investment Fund

About the Panellists:

  • Michael Crofts (3 Pillars Project) is the CEO of 3Pillars Project, a Criminal Justice charity founded in 2016.
  • Colin King (Bromley By Bow Centre) joined the Sport & Physical Activity Team in 2013 to lead the Para-Legacy Agents programme.
  • Francesca Brown (Goals4Girls) is a former semi-professional footballer who founded Goals4Girls in 2013. 

Meeting 3: Tackling Physical Inactivity Through Sport

Overview

Facilitated by Paulina Turcan from the GLA, the third meeting in the series focused on sport and increasing physical activity. The panellist answered the question: ‘how can we best use and leverage technology to connect people to physical activity opportunities that are available to them?’. The discussions from the meeting focused on finding alternative ways for individuals to engage in sport and physical activity; social prescribing; the use of non-traditional sport to remove potential barriers; promoting the use of digital tools; and co-creating projects with beneficiaries.

The meeting aims were: 

  • Share and exchange good practices and experiences of how community sport can contribute to improving wellbeing and supporting those experiencing poor mental health.
  • Reflect upon and discuss what these experiences might mean for the next phase of the Sport Unites Investment Fund

About the Panellists:

  •  Chris Norfield (London Sport) is the Digital Marketing Lead – leading on the organisation’s work on targeted digital marketing and behaviour change for physical activity and sport. He’s also worked for a number of Local Authorities in physical activity and public health.

Meeting 4: Tackling Serious Youth Violence Through Sport

Overview

Facilitated by Solomon Curtis from the GLA, the fourth meeting in the series focused on how we can use sport and physical activity when tackling serious youth violence. The panellists answered the question: ‘how can the sector tackle the root issues of serious youth violence rather than simply focusing on their manifestations?’. The main areas of discussions focused on connections, partnerships and opportunities. Individuals within the meeting also highlighted three key actors which are important in addressing this topic; staff, young people and partners, with them all playing a role in different ways to achieve positive change.

The meeting aims were :

  • Share and exchange good practices and experiences of how community sport can contribute to tackling issues around serious youth violence.
  • Reflect upon and discuss what these experiences might mean for the next phase of the Sport Unites Investment Fund.

About the Panellists:

  • Navjeet Sira (The Change Foundation) is the founder of the Women’s Sport Activist Academy and the Director of Design and Impact at The Change Foundation where she has been for over almost a decade. 
  • Rebecca Donnelly (Fight for Change) was the World Thai Boxing and National English Boxing Champion.  Today she is the founder and CEO of Fight for Change which utilises Boxing, Martial Arts and other sports to inspire young people to make positive change in their lives.

Meeting 5: Building the Capacity of London’s Workforce to Better Deliver Community Sport

Overview

Facilitated by Hilary Lissenden from the GLA, the final meeting of the Insight Fortnight focused on how we can build capacity within London to improve the delivery of community sport. The panellists answered the question: ‘what can the community sport sector do to build its workforce capacity to better meet the aims of Sport Unites?’. The main points made during this meeting was that organisations should take a needs-led and collaborative approach when focusing on their workforce. There was also a focus on transparency across the sector and organisations coming together to create more opportunities for beneficiaries.

The webinar provided an opportunity to:

  •          Share and exchange good practices and experiences of how the community sport workforce has evolved to contribute to meeting social outcomes.

  •      Reflect upon and discuss what the community sport sector needs to better deliver social outcomes and how the Sport Unites Investment Fund can contribute.

About the Panellists:

  • Hugh Gilroy (London FA) is the Head of Workforce and Competitions at the London Football Association.
  • Tom Burstow (Sported) is the Deputy CEO of Sported UK, a charity that supports over 3,000 organisations that use sport to transform lives positively.
  • Mickela Hall-Ramsey (HR Sports Academy) is the Founder and Company Director of HR Sports Academy which is dedicated to empowering children and young people with life skills and sporting opportunities that bring differing groups of people together.