Sports & Inclusion

Supporting the adoption of sport as an intervention

The Thames Valley Sports & Inclusion intervention programme has two components; the first is to support system change and embed sport as a prevention and diversion measure. We host a VPP Sports & Violence Impact Manager post, part-funded by the VPP and by StreetGames UK.

Chelsea Piggott has been in post since 2022 and works across the whole Thames Valley. Her focus is on supporting local partnerships in their approach to developing sport and inclusion activities as a preventative and diversionary intervention for young people with vulnerabilities. 

Our work is informed by the nationally-adopted Theory of Change to using sport to enhance positive outcomes, developed by StreetGames UK. Locally, we also work to the Thames Valley Strategic Sports Plan.

Our funded sport interventions

In addition, the VPP directly funds six separate projects in priority areas where we seek to increase provision in response to local needs, as identified in Strategic Needs Assessments.

The six projects are funded to create new “Sports Plus” provision for referred young people, either via Early Help, police problem-solving teams, schools and one programme is self-referral.  All of them seek to engage through sport, but provide wider support activities such as mentoring, life skills, alternative education, opportunities to obtain coaching qualifications and routes into other programmes.

Two projects are consortiums run by the local authority (Slough and Milton Keynes), which manages the referral process, and commissions a range of activities from local providers. This allows for a more joined-up partnership response and greater range of activities that can be tailored to the individual.

The six projects include: