Directory of Services

Youth Sport Trust

Who we are

Daily physical activity and sport should be a universal entitlement in a post-pandemic world where nothing is more important than young people’s recovery, wellbeing, education and development.

Our 2018 strategy warned of a crisis in young people’s wellbeing. Rising health and wellbeing issues among young people had come at the end of a decade characterized by cuts to Physical Education, the growth of social media and increasingly sedentary lifestyles. These challenges became even more pressing during the global pandemic which had such a profound effect on young people’s education and development.

Our ambition is to tackle the decline in young people’s wellbeing by transforming Physical Education and removing barriers to participation, while harnessing the power of sport to empower youth activism and unlock potential in young people facing the greatest disadvantage.

We work with young people, schools, teachers, parents and coaches to change young lives today and help build a brighter tomorrow.

Why is sport, play and physical activity so important?

The importance of physical activity for children and young people’s health is well established and there is increasing recognition of the potential of physical activity to impact positively on a wide variety of health and wellbeing outcomes. Recent government guidance presents evidence on the important role and benefits of physical activity for children including:

• Positive physiological outcomes – enhanced cardio-metabolic health; muscular strength; bone health; and cardiorespiratory fitness.
• Positive psychological outcomes – enhanced mental wellbeing; including positive self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety and stress
• Positive social outcomes demonstrating increased confidence and peer acceptance.
• Emerging evidence of associations with academic achievement, cognitive functioning; and improved attention/concentration.

Through our own work and research, we know that engaging children through sport, play and physical activity has the power to transform lives and strengthen communities – to challenge discrimination, promote inclusion and give young people a voice. Sport, play and physical activity is itself a fundamental child right and a powerful key to ensuring children’s rights are promoted, respected, protected, and realised so all children can flourish.

To read our full strategy go to http://strategy.youthsporttrust.org/

What we do

We work in and through physical education, bringing together communities of educators and equipping them with the training, practical tools and resources to achieve more for every child. We are also a leading source of PE and youth sport news, insight and opinion.

Our work with Multi-Academy Trusts is guided by insight from MAT leaders, practitioners, and partner organisations from across the sector. We work with MATs to provide them with tailored support most appropriate to the needs of their schools. This includes:

• Creating a MAT-wide vision and strategy for PE, school sport and wellbeing
• Development of leaders within MATs to drive PE, school sport physical activity and wellbeing to achieve whole Trust outcomes
• Upskilling staff through high quality PE and school sport CPD
• Support to review and develop curriculum PE
• Training and resources to drive personal development and life skills through PE and school sport
• Improved physical and mental wellbeing through our programmes, resources, and training.
• Support to develop a Trust-wide ‘Well School’ approach
• National MAT PE, Sport and Wellbeing Leaders’ Network bringing together those leading and co-ordinating across MAT schools

Through our Membership we can provide a range of bespoke and cost-effective solutions to meet the needs of Trusts and their schools. https://www.youthsporttrust.org/join-us/membership#Clusters

YST has a wide variety of programmes that are available for schools to access. Programmes are insight driven and developed in partnership with young people and educators and aim to:

• Improve health and wellbeing
• Develop character and leadership
• Promote inclusion and empathy

To find out more about our programmes go to https://www.youthsporttrust.org/programmes

We have a range of free to access and paid for products and services developed to help tackle the complex and demanding challenges across the whole school. To find out more go to https://www.youthsporttrust.org/resources

For more information or enquiries contact multiacademytrusts@youthsporttrust.org

How we help

Our work reaches young people across the UK. Last year, at the mid-way point in delivering our 2018-22 Strategy ‘Believing in Every Child’s Future’ we had reached 630,000 children, 26,771 teachers, coaches and practitioners in over 18,420 schools. Of those we worked with:

• 96% of young people said that they improved a life skill (including 86% communication skills, 87% leadership and 86% teamwork)
• 89% of teachers saw a positive impact on young people’s health and wellbeing
• 77% of teachers saw at least one positive benefits for attainment, attendance or behaviour

In our latest Impact Report 2020 we share data, insights and stories from some of the children and young people whose wellbeing we have supported. Working together with schools and valued partners we have improved physical and mental health, nurtured the development of character and leadership, and fostered inclusion and empathy to bring down barriers and build connections.

During 2019/20 through our programmes we:

• gave 309,115 young people the opportunity to enjoy the life-changing benefits of sport and play
• trained 99,706 young people empowering them to lead and inspire their peers.
• built the capacity of 20,650 teachers, coaches and practitioners, providing training and support to enable them to lead good quality, inclusive sport and Physical Education.

Through our communications in 2019/20 we achieved:

• 98,734 followers on social media and 462,087 website visitors
• 1,605 mentions of our work, research and campaigning in the media, including 204 stories in national and broadcast media

Our work reaches around 20,000 schools across the UK and we operate locally and nationally – leading in schools, partnering in the community and providing support in the home:

• We develop innovative resources, training, professional development modules and programmes to support young people in PE and sport.
• We deliver high quality events, programmes, activities, camps and experiences for young people, as well as their parents and carers, teachers and coaches.
• We disrupt and challenge convention where there are opportunities to improve the provision, quality or approach of using sport, PE and physical activity to improve young people’s lives.
• We use our network of Tutors, Development Coaches, Team Leaders, Youth Ambassadors and Athlete Mentors which allows us to amplify our reach.

Our inclusive and innovative programmes are driven and developed in partnership with young people and educators. Empowering and supporting young people to improve health and wellbeing, develop character and leadership; and promote inclusion and empathy. For example:

• Our early years work to give all children the best start in life – working with pre-schoolers to address the widening gaps in school readiness for children from disadvantaged communities which severely affects their future opportunities and social mobility.
• Our work supporting children’s mental health, addressing the decline in physical and emotional wellbeing of young people which has been exacerbated by the isolation and disruption caused by Covid-19 restrictions. Our early intervention work in schools has been recognised nationally by a Government Green Paper.
• Our inclusion work, breaking down the barriers of inequality and discrimination so that every child can enjoy the life-changing benefits that come from play and sport. Our inclusion work incorporates 4 key focus areas: special educational needs and disability (SEND), girls, young people from ethnically diverse communities and socially and economically deprived communities.
• Our work developing leadership, lifeskills and promoting youth voice. Our Young Ambassador Programme has been running since 2006 and last year through targeted projects and our National Leadership Academy we trained almost 100,000 young people, empowering them to lead and inspire their peers and effect change.