Leeds Community Sport Declaration by J Simon Rofe

2025-09-16 14:22:14 UTC

Evidence at scale

2025-09-16 14:24:39 UTC

An understanding or definition of what is meant by 'impact'

2025-09-16 14:25:57 UTC

Consistent methodologies that everyone signs up for

2025-09-16 14:29:50 UTC

*. Social cohesion

* Sense of belonging - wider engagement with the whole community- infrastructure and families and the eco system around it in the local area

identity
Value ? How can it be measured as outcomes can be different to core beliefs that were orginally put forward
How you frame what you are trying to make the impact on - which part of the system you are trying to impact
Look at the eco system - do we have a shared language to push the agenda of sport -
how to create a system to support both qualitative and quantitative data

2025-09-16 14:30:49 UTC

The contributors with passion

jclarke132 — 2025-09-16 14:32:02 UTC

Social outcomes shouldn’t be prescribed but community driven

jclarke132 — 2025-09-16 14:32:37 UTC

Diversity throughout organisations, especially in leadership roles.

jclarke132 — 2025-09-16 14:34:02 UTC

Longer term financial investment into the sector.

jclarke132 — 2025-09-16 14:34:59 UTC

Greater support for sport charities about how to tap into corporate sector funding

2025-09-16 14:35:17 UTC

More consideration to language. Should it be ‘Community Movement’?

2025-09-16 14:37:14 UTC

we’ve got a number of researchers in the room with a passion in this space, with initiatives needing to prove impact. Any thoughts on a research group working together to demonstrate impact?

2025-09-16 14:38:39 UTC

* Openness - truths - kindness - passionate

How do you judge what impact is better than others when different parameters are in place
Celebrate differences
Need more support whether it’s funding or connections and create environments where this can take place
Celebrating positivity- collective voice
Diversity of thoughts and people
Evolving from community needs and collaborations

jclarke132 — 2025-09-16 14:41:53 UTC

Diversification of income for community sport orgs. There is a need to be less reliant on restricted funding sources. Link to having a strong board with the right skills to achieve this

jclarke132 — 2025-09-16 14:43:16 UTC

Community led

Community consultation

Local passion

Appropriately skilled workforce

jclarke132 — 2025-09-16 14:44:32 UTC

Patience

Trusted people (role models)

Trusted organisations

In it for the long haul

Money

Story telling - compelling stories

2025-09-16 14:45:34 UTC

a model that showcases the benefits of what’s going to be achieve.
Sustainability of great work
Create stronger environments
Meeting the needs of the community you are working with - getting there voices heard
Powerful impact is the richness of the differences what we are doing in this room
Capacity building in communities
Bridging the gaps between

jclarke132 — 2025-09-16 14:45:40 UTC

Alignment with values

2025-09-17 11:40:30 UTC

Community movement rather than sport?

2025-09-17 11:45:07 UTC

Values and behaviours. How do we work together and share learning.

2025-09-17 11:47:15 UTC

What does success look like?

2025-09-17 11:52:24 UTC

Why have a decoration when you could have an action plan? Deeds not words. Some of the things I would like to see coming out of the last 24 hourswould include a strategy working group of volunteers to take this forward in practical ways. maybe a mentoring pilot too match people up and help build the infrastructure, possibly some training or workshops or webinars. Maybe you could set up the founders forum and a shared resource hub. Could you pilot a community practice for example around a theme such as Muslim women’s sport or another strand or theme. Can we fix the wheels Of the goals atthe Hyde Park football club? If we all donated the price of our lunch today that might help - could do this through their go fund me account. And how about having a shared agency strategy rather than a soft power strategy for sport? Language matters. I also love the point made about starting local in terms of collaboration. Could there be a blueprint for how to do that?

2025-09-17 11:53:29 UTC

A thriving and active community of practice that enables peer support, removes barriers, duplication and wasted resources.

One where people can connect, have specific conversation and form collaborations.

2025-09-17 11:53:46 UTC

Next year, I would love to seemore diversity in the room, including beneficiaries and participants and more people from diverse ethnic community backgrounds. I don’t think we’ve talked much about disability either. The content And speakers have been great, but who is not in the room?

2025-09-17 11:55:19 UTC

Is Participate World going to be the safe brand and create a hub for bringing the initiatives and partners here at this summit, to learn and share together, but also offer opportunities (for example training, round table discussions)?

2025-09-17 11:55:27 UTC

so much good stuff happening and everyone is at a different stage of the journey so we are all coming at it from different stages . Collaborating/ ditching egos / less competitive/ and speaking the same language
One voice
Platform of sharing
Clear objectives and ‘ask’ of what the offer is . And articulate in a language which is understood
What is truly our why ! And what agencies need to be involved
How do we connect our funding needs to commercial depts
It would be great find away to connect cross dept of gov to see the benefit of this collective

2025-09-17 12:01:16 UTC

We’ve got media partners, researchers, participant partners of initiatives here in the room but how can we work together to show the impact both with qual and quant research.

2025-09-17 12:08:11 UTC

one voice
Align core values
Evidence base for change
Learning / support / help - how do I grow
Connections and network continuous-ion
Core mission statement
Champion the benefit
What is everyone’s WHY
How do we maximise our collective resources
Peer supportive collective to share our (whatever)to have a bigger impact
Decide on our impacts
Share learning - this is a unique space of people in sport who actually want to make a change

2025-09-17 12:11:25 UTC

A recognition that what works somewhere doesn't necessarily work elsewhere, so any exchange of expertise is not a cookie-cutter/lift and shift/replication. It requires true exchange and mutual benefit.

2025-09-17 12:16:45 UTC

Be constantly visible, accessible so new orgs / people can input, and be iterative - we may never have the perfect solution but 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing.

2025-09-17 15:37:42 UTC

Getting a definition of what community sport means to us and a mission for this declaration is, of course, important but then we will need to think about HOW we are actually going to work together. Suggestions:

1- Learning, support and training on community sport. E.g. Tim's Community sport training model

2- Connections, networking and collaborating

3- Championing the benefits and outcomes

2025-09-17 15:38:59 UTC

Perhaps also need to think about the language: Is 'sport' the right word? That often puts people off. Should it be Community participation/movement?

2025-09-17 15:44:03 UTC

The importance of the initiative being community led. It should be a community to drive the project not a project to drive the community. What do they actually want and where?

2025-09-17 15:49:12 UTC

Connections (with yourself and with the people around you)
Belonging
Fun
Kindness
Relationships
Social inclusion
Ripple effects and signposting
Empowering the community
Doing something meaningful
Removing barriers
Different structures/methods of participation
Make it visible - SHOW what you're doing and, if possible, the difference it's making. The importance of wearing the kit

2025-09-17 15:51:49 UTC

Further support and collaboration with all community sport organisations- Evidence to pull together what we're all doing. Showcase this and work together for greater impact. With that, hopefully, funding will also follow.

2025-09-17 15:54:59 UTC

I really enjoyed it, learnt a lot and built excellent networks. I'd love further to collaborate, work together and learn from other organisations. I think sometimes we're afraid to ask for help and guidance but we should be sharing knowledge as most of us have been/are going through the same journey. Thank you Tom and Chris!