As part of the evaluation of the System Partner investment, we have been exploring how internal changes prompted by this initiative are enabling System Partners to work more deliberately to address inequalities in access to sport and physical activity opportunities.
What this looks like in practice varies by organisation and role, but across the board we are seeing partners rethink how they operate, who they work with and how decisions are made.
Drawing on evaluation workshops, System Partner reports and collaboration with Sport England colleagues, we have developed a series of pen portraits, which bring these changes to life while complementing other evaluation pieces on the subject.
These portraits are not case studies of individual organisations, but illustrative groupings that capture common patterns across different System Partners.
The three pen portraits, which can be downloaded below, highlight how System Partners are:
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bringing a stronger equity focus to talent pathways: we have characterised these System Partners as 'Pathway Innovators', who are innovating to support more women and girls to become elite-level athletes by focusing on inclusion and diversity across their programmes
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moving from a ‘delivery-first’ mindset to a convening role: we describe these System Partners as System Convenors as they have shifted from delivering projects to being leaders and influencers. They’ve also built partnerships with other sectors and services – such as health, housing and local government – to influence wider policy and embed physical activity across other systems
- addressing inequalities by shifting from sport-first to community-first practice through co-design: these System Partners are ‘Co-designers’, shifting their practice, from ‘top-down’ delivery to genuine co-design with young people. They are developing new ways of working to actively involve this group in decision-making and supporting young people to lead. This ensures that they better meet the needs of communities that are facing greater barriers to participation in sport and physical activity.
Taken together, these pen portraits offer practical insights into how System Partners are making changes within their local systems and communities, and what it really means to work differently to reduce inequalities so everyone can access movement and thrive with it.
