Community Sport Without Boundaries

Here at Participate World, one of our main ambitions is to support UK-based community sport organisations to develop scalable and sustainable impact, and then to help export those around the globe. This combines our passions for creating a healthier, happier planet and building the United Kingdom’s reputation as a positive contributor to the world.

So, on Tuesday this week Chris Lomax MBE and I headed over to Huddersfield and grabbed a coffee with Lee Booth, who’s part of the delivery team at the brilliant Cricket Without Boundaries. Lee and his team had previously been really helpful back when I was hoping to start parkrun in Uganda, and although that project didn’t succeed it was clear to me at the time that Cricket Without Boundaries were making the world a better place through community sport. Personally, I was (and remain) greatly inspired by their work, and so it was great to hear about their continued success (which I know we can learn from) and also their plans for the future (which I hope we can contribute to).

Later in the week we spent time with J Simon Rofe (University of Leeds) and Dr Jo Clarke (Leeds Beckett University) as we developed our combined thoughts around community sport for diplomacy, what that really means, and how we might help put community sport on a diplomatic par with elite sport and major sporting events.

So often we hear about a famous footballer making an appearance in a refugee camp, or a major games being awarded to a developing country, but what really is the benefit of those events to the communities who welcome them?

How often do we hear the term 'legacy' bandied around, without any tangible long-lasting positive benefits for those most in need?

But, we think that, done well, community sport can provide that legacy and enable those benefits.

We also believe that there are thousands if not millions of individuals and organisations all around the world already doing great things. But, what they often don’t have is a voice at the top table of decision making.

Our aims therefore is to not only support and celebrate the work of community sport practitioners around the world, but to place them at the forefront of decision making, strategy building and policy drafting.

These people are the true experts, they are the giants whose shoulders we hope to enjoy the privilege of standing on.