Hull City Council has been awarded £525,000 to use football to improve activity levels of people in the city.
The exciting new Active Through Football programme from Sport England, funded by the National Lottery, and delivered by the Football Foundation will support Hull to get more active and increase participation in football.
Hull City Council went through a competitive process to secure the funding which was open to applications from communities who face some of the greatest inequalities to being physically active.
The programme aims to increase activity levels of young people and people from diverse ethnic communities across the city.
Hull City Council and Hull Culture and Leisure Ltd will lead this programme alongside partners including the Tigers Trust, who will work together to deliver the scheme which aims to tackle inequalities by delivering high-quality formal and informal football and recreation opportunities.
The first year delivery plan includes community engagement, informal turn up and play sessions, walking football, Futsal sessions and Tournaments available to anyone aged 16-19 years old with an aim on having around 1,200 people taking part each year by year five.
Alex Codd, assistant director economic development & regeneration for Hull City Council said:
“The Active Through Football scheme is a fantastic way of targeting those communities and young people in the city who face some of the greatest inequalities when it comes to being physically active.
“We hope the programme will not only increase activity levels in those areas, but also create sustained behaviour change across those neighbourhoods.”
Catherine Bishop, CEO of the Tigers Trust said: “The Tigers Trust is excited to be working as a member of the Active Through Football Consortium to secure this important investment for the city. This is a fantastic opportunity for the Trust to build on our existing quality delivery to engage and support our communities to be active, happy and healthy.”
Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England, said: “There is a reason why football is followed and played by so many the world over. It brings people together and helps build connections in communities. It’s also the sport that is played the most in England and has a reach into places where our research shows activity levels are lower.
“Sport England is proud to be one of the funding partners helping to tackle these inequalities and to support more people from a variety of backgrounds to enjoy playing football and all the benefits that brings.”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This grant award to Hull City Council is fantastic news for the local community in Hull. Football is a game for everyone – regardless of their background – and it’s only right that people across all walks of life are able to play the nation’s favourite game.
“Over the past 21 years, we have been working with local authorities up and down the country to ensure everyone has access to high quality pitches.
“Thanks to Sport England National Lottery Investment, this new project will help to transform people’s lives by developing formal and information football and recreation opportunities in Hull, unlocking the many benefits of football for the community.”
