Eight coastal communities to benefit from targeted Sport England funding

A Sport England grant worth £749,300 will be invested in improving the lives of 700 disadvantaged young people in coastal communities around England – by helping them to get more active.

The funding will be channelled through the Get on Track for Wellbeing programme, operated by the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.

The funding will see the Get on Track for Wellbeing initiative being delivered in Dover, Grimsby, Hull, Scarborough, Southport, Torbay, Liverpool and Folkestone.

The programme will be delivered by elite athletes who – working together with local delivery partners – will act as mentors to young people in an effort to "unlock their potential". The project is targeting areas of low socio-economic status that have high levels of inactivity among their population and, as a result, have issues with wellbeing and ill health of their young people.

With the aim of moving the young people from being classed as inactive to active over the course of the programme, the mentors will introduce the young people to new activities and break down their perceived barriers to activity.

One of the delivery partners taking part in the scheme is Southport-based Youth Fed.

“Southport has areas of high deprivation and there really isn’t a lot for young people to do here or aspire to,” said Laura Pudvine, a worker at Youth Fed.

“We want to help young people become more active, increase their confidence and become more connected to the local community.

“There is a real need in the local community for programmes like this and we can’t wait to get started.”