Member Article

Funding supports LSP Positive Together help Blackburn youngsters get active

Funding from Sport England and the Police Commissioner’s Office is supporting the roll-out of the Lancashire Sports Partnership ‘Positive Together’ programme, following a successful pilot scheme.

The ground-breaking project is encouraging young people to engage in sports and physical activity by providing activities to divert from involvement in anti-social behaviour.

Positive Together involved 815 participants during its pilot, including young people in Blackburn, Morecambe, Lancaster, Hyndburn and West Lancashire.

The Police Crime Commissioner supported the pilot last year and provided a further £118,000 for this year’s delivery which was used as match for a bid to Sport England’s Community Sport Activation Fund (CSAF).

This bid was successful and LSP was granted £240,000 over the next three years by Sport England.

In addition to providing diversionary activities, the scheme sign-posted participants to training, personal development, volunteering and employment opportunities, with 105 qualifications being awarded as a direct result.

Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: “Lancashire Sports Partnership is carrying out vital work through the Positive Together Programme and I am delighted to be able to continue my support for it.

“I am committed to taking an early action approach with young people in hard to reach communities, or those who are not in education, employment or training, and providing them with positive activities which improve their chances in life. This programme does just that.

“Already, the pilot scheme has shown it contributes to tackling issues around anti-social behaviour and crime, and there can only be further benefits in increasing the number of young people taking part and the activities on offer to them.

“Partners have a duty to work together and engage with young people, to improve their prospects and create a lasting legacy for Lancashire. I hope this scheme will do that.”

Engaging with housing associations, sports providers and community volunteers, Positive Together will be delivered by LSP and Groundwork West & Wigan, part of a national charity that aims to improve communities and locations through environmental projects.

Over the next year, it will roll out 20 individual programmes, each of 26 weeks’ duration, and over the next three years will involve young people from 75 areas on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

“Our target over the next three years is to engage with 3,000 young people,” said Carol Ross, People Development Manager at LSP. “But this initiative is about much more than targets.

“Our aim is to give something back to the community by creating cultural changes that encourage young people to get active, gain confidence and take advantage of opportunities for training, employment and personal development.

“At the same time, the programme will help to change perceptions of young people by encouraging sports providers and volunteers to become involved.”

The housing associations, including Green Vale, Regenda, Together Housing, Blackpool Coastal Housing, Hyndburn Homes, Moor Nook Estate Management Group, Great Places Housing Group and Your Housing Group will also play a pivotal role in delivering the programme.

In addition to contributing funding, the housing associations will help to identify and engage the young people and volunteers for the programme and provide some of the recreational spaces for activities.

Activities will be provided where currently there are few opportunities for people to take part in sport and physical activity. They will range from traditional sports such as boxing and football to more family-oriented activities such as trampolining and rounders.

The LSP team has already carried out research into young people’s preferences to ensure that the individual 26-week programmes are relevant and appealing.

Chris Perks, director of local relationships at Sport England added: “We’re delighted to have been able to provide funding that will help this innovative programme to roll out over the next three years as part of £15 million of Round 3 funding.

“This initiative epitomises grass roots sport and the social benefits it can deliver to communities. We look forward to seeing the outcomes over the next three years.”

Sports providers, venues or community volunteers interested in becoming involved in the Positive Together programme should contact Darren Wright for further information at dwright@lancashiresport.org.uk or visit

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .