Scoring for disadvantaged areas

The Sports Council for Northern Ireland, in partnership with the Big Lottery Fund (BLF), announced a planned investment of £2.4m for disadvantaged areas and under-represented groups in July 2004 through the community sport programme. This is the first element of the BLF's community sport programme. The second, active lifestyles, worth £2.1 million, was launched last September.

To date 20 organisations from across Northern Ireland have secured between £30,000 and £129,000 through the programme. Each organisation is now in a position to recruit a community sports development officer, on a full or part time basis, to plan and deliver a range of activities that meet local needs.

Ultimately, each project, although unique to its own community, aims to use sport and physical activity to achieve a number of outcomes:

• higher levels of participation
• improved health, fitness and well being
• increased self-esteem and confidence
• enhanced social cohesion leading to improved levels of social capital.

Research has shown that participation in sport and physical activity varies significantly, particularly in disadvantaged areas, between different sections of the community eg it is lower among older people, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities. This research has also shown that increasing levels of participation in sport and physical activity can contribute to the outcomes of the programme.

Research by the University of Edinburgh in 'Realising the Potential of Cultural Services: The Case for Sport' by Fred Coalter at the Centre for Leisure Research (November 2001), concludes that: "Where sport projects provide a contribution to wider aspects of the community, they are more likely to be sustainable."

Pilot Initiative

Realising the benefits of community participation, the Sports Council, with the financial support of Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, initiated a pilot community sport programme. This invested £600,000 in the most deprived wards (according to the Noble index) in five district councils, as well as one of Northern Ireland's most under-represented groups - people with disabilities.

The main focus of the pilot was the appointment of eight community sport development officers, who designed a programme unique to their community's needs.

An example of this is Thomas McCallion, a community sport development officer employed by Derry City Council, but funded by the pilot programme. In partnership with Brandywell and Bogside Health Forum and the Old Library Trust, he has designed an innovative schools programme, which includes walking and healthy eating, which is aimed at improving the health and well being of children and young people.

"I am happy to say that the school principals and teachers have taken the idea on board with great enthusiasm. The benefit of the school's initiative is simple: it is the combination of physical health development with improved health educational awareness," commented Thomas.

Extension of the pilot

The extension programme, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, has made a total of 20 awards to organisations, targeting the 25% most deprived electoral wards and/or under-represented groups, such as older people and people with disabilities.

"This investment by us and our partners in the Big Lottery Fund is a major contribution to tackling social injustice and inequalities," said Professor Eric Saunders OBE, Chairman of the Sports Council. "The programme demonstrates the ability of sport to heal divided communities, improve health and well-being and lift those most disadvantaged out of the poverty of aspiration."

If you require any information on the programme, contact Paul Donnelly at pauldonnelly@sportni.net

This article was first published in SCOPE social policy magazine in the April 2005 issue.