Form to help function

After last week’s sojourn around London, sunrise runs along the Thames, and reminiscing with Chris Lomax MBE's previous FCDO colleagues, this week was all about long days in the office (kitchen table), ticking off some much-needed admin, and focussing a little more on how exactly we plan to impact the world.

Whilst this is still very much our discovery phase, and in 12 months time things might look completely different, we’re increasingly confident that the future of Participate World will consist of three key business areas:

1. The development and delivery (internationally) of grass-roots community sport and physical activity initiatives. Taking UK best practice, alongside learnings from parkrun, and combining those with the opportunities, challenges, and needs specific to local communities around the world.

2. Advisory and consultancy services across the UK (and around the world), supporting new and existing organisations in developing scalable, sustainable, and impactful grass-roots community sport and physical activity initiatives.

3. Research, advocacy, and diplomacy. Whilst the power of big ticket sports events and experiences is well understood, promoted, and utilised, the same cannot be said of true grass roots community sport and physical activity. Our aim here is to support further research, highlight best practice from around the world and, through Chris' connections at the FCDO, develop soft power opportunities that capitalise on and support community sport and physical activity.

Alongside distilling our thoughts and dreams into a coherent business structure, we did find time to meet with Hitesh Patel (Executive Director at the Sport for Development Coalition), Mel Bound (Founder and CEO of This Woman Runs), Matt Willcocks (Founder of ParkPlay and serial entrepreneur in community sport), and Clive Sanders (Chief Commercial Officer at The Ramblers). Thank you all for your valuable time!

Mel’s story is particularly inspirational (do check it out) and This Woman Runs is exactly the kind of brilliant organisation that deserves so much more support than it currently gets. They’re already changing the lives of thousands of women, but have the desire, potential, and ability to reach so many more. There is also, of course, so much we and the rest of the community sport world could learn from them as well.

At the heart of Participate World will be our desire to make a difference to, and learn from, people like Mel.

It’s clear that we have at our disposal the building blocks required to make a meaningful and positive difference to community sport and physical activity initiatives around the world. And that’s exactly what we intend to do.

Together everyone achieves more,

Tom