The Belong Network has worked with partner organisations in the sports sector to develop the Power of Sport digital toolkit, with funding from Spirit of 2012 and Sport England. The toolkit provides a step-by-step guide for organisations running sports and physical activity programmes as to how they can strengthen the impact they have on social cohesion in local communities. 

The Power of Sport Community of Practice developed out of this work. It brings together a group of organisations in the sports sector which all have a strong focus on the role that sport can play in building more cohesive, inclusive communities.

It is a collaborative network that is showing leadership through:

• Showcasing sports programmes that are achieving great things through bringing people from different backgrounds together and helping to bridge divides.
• Developing capacity, skills and confidence across the sector to understand and maximise the positive impact that sport and physical activity programmes can have on social cohesion.
• Developing a consistent approach to evaluating the cohesion impact of sport and physical activity programmes.
• Developing, and advocating for, policies and funding which enable the sector to achieve much greater impact on social cohesion.
• Supporting peer learning and the continued development of best practice in relation to sport and cohesion.

In this community of practice, the Belong Network is working closely with member organisations StreetGames, Youth Sport Trust, Sporting Equals and the Sport for Development Coalition (SfDC) to lead the ‘Stronger Communities and Social Cohesion’ strand of SfDC’s #OpenGoal advocacy framework.

Over time, this community of practice will aim to become a peer learning space for organisations across the sports sector to help develop their capacity to maximise the cohesion impact of their work.

To find out more about the Power of Sport Community of Practice, please email andrew@belongnetwork.co.uk.

Access the Power of Sport digital toolkit here.