Young people reported feeling happier, more confident and more physically active as a result of taking part in programmes run by the Youth Sport Trust last year.

The charity’s 2021 annual Impact Report also shows the positive impact its programmes had on young people’s communication, teamworking and leadership skills, while also helping to improve the confidence and competence of educators.

In the 2020/21 academic year:

• 220,413 young people were given the opportunity to enjoy the life-changing benefits of sport and play through Youth Sport Trust programmes
• 49,074 young people were empowered to lead and inspire their peers
• 12,015 teachers, coaches and practitioners were given training to lead good quality, inclusive sport and Physical Education

More than one-in-five young people taking part in the charity’s programmes were from the most disadvantaged areas, and around one-in-six had special educational needs and disabilities.

Youth Sport Trust CEO Ali Oliver MBE said:

“In the face of the continued challenges presented by COVID-19, I am extremely proud of what we were able to achieve for young people last year.

“Our programmes and training used the power of sport and play to support more than 250,000 young people and train more than 10,000 educators to lead good quality, inclusive sport and Physical Education.

“Our young beneficiaries reported feeling happier and more confident as a result. Communication skills, leadership and teamworking improved, while the positive experience they had inspired them to become more active.

“We passionately believe that this offers just a snapshot of what can and should be possible for all young people if we are able to unlock the power of play and sport to level up opportunities and support the recovery of every child.

“We owe huge thanks to our amazing funders, supporters and partners who share our vision, make our work possible and challenge us to do more.”

The report covers the charity’s work in the 2020/21 academic year when it developed a range of new ways to support young people whose education and access to daily physical activity and the benefits of sport were impacted by COVID-19. This included the development of an Active Recovery Hub to provide free resources to inspire activities, virtual training for teachers and online activities like After School Sport Club YouTube sessions.

In addition, the charity’s delivery of the School Games – funded by Sport England National Lottery on behalf of Government – resulted in over 4 million opportunities being created for young people to participate in competitive school sport. 11% of those were for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

To read the Impact Report in full visit www.youthsporttrust.org/news-insight/research/impact-report-2021