Breaking Barriers and Creating Change - Include to Improve Programme Launches

Sport for Confidence CIC has teamed up with the Activity Alliance to launch ‘Include to Improve’, a two-year programme designed to create more opportunities for disabled people to take part, volunteer, and work in sport and physical activity. Backed by Sport England’s Recover and Reinvent fund, the initiative will tackle the barriers hindering disabled people’s full participation, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. 

 

 

Disabled people continue to face significant obstacles in accessing these opportunities. In 2023, the employment rate for disabled people stood at just 53 per cent compared to 82 per cent for non-disabled individuals1. Many feel overlooked and underrepresented, struggling to see people like themselves working in sport and physical activity2. Include to Improve will reshape this reality through meaningful collaboration with individuals, organisations, and strategic partners dedicated to creating sustainable opportunities and systemic change. 

 

A key element of the programme is the creation of a Lived Experience Network, providing a safe and supportive space for disabled people to share their insights and experiences. Families, carers, and supporters of those unable to share their own perspectives will also be encouraged to contribute. This knowledge will shape the programme’s direction and help establish best practices for disabled people to volunteer and work in sport and physical activity. 

 

A Strategic Partner Network will also be established to unite organisations from across sectors, including disability sports bodies, health services, and the leisure industry. the group will work together to develop sustainable, inclusive solutions. With Sport for Confidence and Activity Alliance’s support, partners will be equipped to enhance existing services or pioneer new approaches, with funding available to help bring innovative ideas to life. 

 

Include to Improve also champions innovation, bringing occupational therapists and peer support workers together in a partnership traditionally reserved for mental health settings. This collaboration harnesses shared values and complementary skills to drive meaningful change across all areas of sport and physical activity. By recognising the complex personal, occupational, and environmental factors influencing participation, occupational therapists identify barriers and facilitators at multiple system levels, applying therapeutic expertise to remove obstacles and create opportunities. 

 

Evidence from the Improving Lives, Saving Money report highlights the need for occupational therapists to be more accessible in existing and emerging spaces to help reduce the disability employment gap. By centring the voices of lived experience, Include to Improve will not only showcase best practice but also explore new ways of working to support long-term, impactful change. 

 

Jannine Walker, Head of Events and Programmes at Activity Alliance, says: “We’re excited to connect and collaborate with a community of people and organisations who share the same vision. Together, our Lived Experience Network members and strategic partners will share good practice, identify gaps in delivery and develop creative solutions to increase the number of high-quality, accessible opportunities for disabled people to take part, volunteer, and work in sport and activity.”