Access Sport and UK-Wide Disability Sport Partners launch landmark initiative to put young people at the heart of Community Sport

The RFL’s long-standing partners, Access Sport, have today revealed a new programme ‘From Sideline to Centre’, aiming to empower 8,000 young leaders, transform 500 community clubs, and reach 80,000 disabled children and young people across the UK by 2032.

Access Sport, together with Disability Sport Wales, Scottish Disability Sport, and Disability Sport Northern Ireland, have announced a groundbreaking partnership to deliver a new a UK-wide initiative designed to transform how sports clubs engage, empower, and support young people to become leaders in community sport. 

This project has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players. Access Sport will receive more than £3.5 million of life-changing funding over six years from The National Lottery Community Fund. 

The ambitious programme will place disabled and disadvantaged young people at the centre of community sport leadership by:

• Supporting clubs to develop meaningful youth leadership
• Providing youth-designed pathways into leadership, combining informal roles, mentoring, training and progression opportunities
• Empowering young people to shape inclusive provision, support decision making and influence national policy, funding and the overall sector approach.

The project has been co-designed with young people and builds on successful delivery models already developed by Access Sport. It responds to widespread challenges facing young people in sport, including exclusion from leadership opportunities, barriers to participation, and a lack of influence over decisions that affect their sporting experiences.  

Wesley Newman, a young member of the project’s co-design group said:

“Young people know what works for them. This project gives us the chance not only to participate in sport but to help shape it. By listening to young people’s experiences and ideas, clubs can become more welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone.”

The programme is particularly significant at a time when volunteering in sport has declined dramatically, with 1.7 million fewer volunteers than seven years ago, including 500,000 fewer young volunteers aged 16–24. By creating inclusive leadership pathways, the initiative seeks to inspire a new generation of community leaders while strengthening local sports clubs.  

Hayley Barton, Delivery and Impact Director at Access Sport, said:

“Too often, young people are invited into sport programmes but not into the conversations that shape them. This partnership will ensure that youth leadership is not an optional extra, but standard practice in community sport. We want young people to be recognised as decision-makers and role models within their communities.”  

The initiative will be led by a UK-wide Project Steering Group made up of Access Sport, Disability Sport Wales, Scottish Disability Sport, and Disability Sport Northern Ireland. Each partner will deliver this work on the ground and help ensure local needs are prioritised, drawing on their expertise and strong connections with communities, clubs, and young people across their nations.

Beyond direct participation, the partners aim to drive long-term systemic change across the sport sector through annual learning forums, policy engagement, shared resources, and youth advocacy. The programme will promote youth voice and disability inclusion as standard practice in community sport, influencing future funding, governance, and delivery models.

Helen Rowbotham, Chief Executive at Access Sport, commented:

“By bringing together expertise from across all four nations, we have a unique opportunity to create lasting change. This is about more than leadership programmes; it is about building a sporting system where every young person feels heard, valued, and able to contribute. A special thank you to National Lottery players and the National Lottery Community Fund for making this project a reality.”

Susie Farren, UK Deputy Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: 

“We are delighted to be supporting Access Sport and its partners to deliver this vital work. Every child and young person should have the opportunity to explore their interests, create experiences that matter to them, and shape their future. We prioritise those facing barriers, so all children and young people have strong foundations to grow, learn and thrive. We look forward to seeing the truly life-changing impact this work has for young disabled people across the UK.”

Fiona Reid Chief Executive Officer, Disability Sport Wales:

“Disability Sport Wales is proud to join Access Sport and our home nations partners in delivering the ‘From Sideline to Centre’ programme. For too long, disabled young people have been spectators in decisions that affect their own sporting experiences. Together, we’re creating real routes for young disabled people in Wales to step into leadership roles, shape local clubs, and have their voices heard at every level.”

Gavin Macleod, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Disability Sport:

“Scottish Disability Sport is delighted to be working closely with Access Sport and home nations partners to empower young people with disabilities across the UK through the ‘From Sideline to Centre’ programme. This innovative programme will ensure robust pathways into mentoring, leadership and training and the opportunity for participants to influence an inclusive approach to national strategy, policy and delivery.”

Kevin O’Neill, Chief Executive at Disability Sport NI said:

“This partnership is an exciting opportunity to ensure that disabled young people in Northern Ireland and across the UK have a stronger voice in shaping community sport. By creating meaningful leadership opportunities, we can help more young people build confidence, develop new skills, and thrive in local inclusive clubs.”

For more information, please visit www.AccessSport.org.uk.