What We Do

Sports Programmes

Which breakdown access and financial barriers to allow young people the opportunity to participate and progress.

Community Activity Programmes
Inclusive Activity Programmes
Advancement Programmes (PPS)

Education Programmes

Which provide opportunities for students who require extra support and young people who wish to progress their career path.

Scholarships
Opportunity Fund
Career Path Programmes (PPS)

Mentorship

An additional source of support to provide positive guidance.

Mentorship workshops
Individual mentoring
Peer mentoring

Grants

Financial assistance in the form of grants to organisations where there is a high level of need.

Equipment
Capital projects

For more details on our programmes please click here

And to see them in action and the impact they make click here!

Grants information and how to apply

Interested in partnering with the THF? Please complete this form

Why We Do What We Do

There are substantial socio-economic barriers to regular participation in sport.

What is the issue?

Those from low-income families are the least likely to be active (44% vs 55%)

Children are being excluded from taking part in valuable sporting experiences and opportunities at school because of PE kit and clothing costs.

What is the issue?

WHAT IMPACT WE MAKE

The majority (71%) of disadvantaged children do under 1.5 hours a week of organised PE/sport at school. This is only 21% of their recommended weekly amount.

Funding local coaches to deliver in-house coaching directly to areas of deprivation will increase regular activity by 169%.

Regular participation in sport also increases attendance at school for 86% of students.

What impact we make

Mainstream sport isn’t always relevant for those with special educational needs and disabilities.

What is the issue?

Fully inclusive coaching costs 3 x more than mainstream provision.

Disabled people remain the least active in every community, with 76% wanting to be more active.

Disabled people from lower socio-economic groups are much more likely to be physically inactive than non-disabled people from higher socio-economic groups (45% vs 17%).

What is the issue?

WHAT IMPACT WE MAKE

38% of students with special educational needs and disabilities said they haven’t enjoyed mainstream sports in the past.

When providing fully inclusive activity, 100% of children feel more confident as a result and join in more than they did before.

Behaviour and social aspects also improve by taking part in sport that is enjoyable and relevant for children with additional needs.

What impact we make

Young athletes with the right attitude don’t always have the resources to give them the chance they deserve to reach their potential.

What is the issue?

There are barriers to participation in the talent and high-performance system for many people from lower socio-economic groups. Research suggests that parents of athletes in talent pathways spend £7,000 per year on their child’s sport.

One in three (33%) of the Team GB cohort in the Paris Olympics 2024 attended a private secondary school.

What is the issue?

WHAT IMPACT WE MAKE

For young aspiring athletes in clubs and academies 62% struggle to pay the fees to continue and an increasing number of these clubs and academies can’t intervene to help cover the costs, inevitably leading to high dropout rates.

For disadvantaged athletes competing at a higher level, 65% of their annual costs cannot be covered without charitable support, creating an uneven playing field. Without the support, many say their pursuit of elite sport wouldn’t be possible (44%) or that it would put increased pressure on them and their families (37%).

What impact we make

The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and all other pupils is getting wider.

What is the issue?

Only 30% of disadvantaged pupils got a pass in England and Maths at GCSE, compared to 57% of all other pupils.

74% of school staff said there is evidence that children growing up in poverty have fallen further behind their peers in learning outcomes in the past 2 years due to coming to school hungry or not having the equipment and resources needed for lessons.

What is the issue?

WHAT IMPACT WE MAKE

By providing extra tuition, we see 63% of students improve by 1 grade and 36% of students improving by 2 or more grades.

What impact we make

There are too many young people not getting the training and education they need to progress into employment.

What is the issue?

In March 2024, there were 900,000 young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) in the UK - 12.6% of all 16-24 years olds. This is an increase from 9.5% in June 2021.

What is the issue?

WHAT IMPACT WE MAKE

Young people identify a lack of practical experience (50%) and knowledge (40%) as the main barriers to getting into employment.

Upon engaging in training and education, young people see a 70% boost towards their career goal and 58% say they don’t experience any barriers to employment.

What impact we make

Youngsters with additional needs, and their families, face substantial financial pressures.

What is the issue?

On average, disabled households need an additional £975 a month to have the same standard of living as non-disabled households, rising to £1,122 per month for 2022/23 when adjusted for inflation, representing 63% of household income after housing costs.

What is the issue?

There is a record number of children in a mental health crisis.

What is the issue?

One in five children and young people in England aged between 8 and 25 had a probable mental disorder in 2023.

What is the issue?

Child poverty is unfair, but not inevitable.

What is the issue?

There are 4.3 million children growing up in poverty in the UK, an increase of 100,000 from 2021-22. That is 9 in a classroom of 30 and 30% of all children.

What is the issue?

HOW WE DO IT

Place-based partnership model - we form collaborative relationships with partners to deliver high-impact programmes which support both the organisation and reach disadvantaged young people.
Service-provision programmes - directly deliver and facilitate programmes in areas of deprivation and provide specific support for those in need.