Tsb Teams Up With Sported

Sport for development charity Sported has agreed a new partnership with TSB to help local community sport groups become as accessible as possible.

As part of the agreement, with the help of Sported, TSB branches will partner with local community sport groups to provide professional skills-based support in the key operational areas needed to keep the group running. Expertise will include skills such as budgeting, marketing, social media and PR.

The partnership will kick off in four pilot regions:  North East Scotland, South Midlands, Thames Valley & South Coast, and Greater Manchester.

The high street bank also undertook a new research project, which surveyed 1,000 adults across the UK who are involved in community sport.

The research revealed that more than half (54%) of people who are a member of a local community sport group are concerned that their group will struggle to stay running without professional support from external organisations.

The research also highlights that these groups are heavily reliant on volunteers and a significant number of members are worried about the ability of groups to continue running in the future. A quarter of people have already seen a local community sport group forced to close.

Almost three quarters (71%) of people say that the leaders of their community sports group run the group in their spare time; yet 61% of people are concerned about the lack of volunteers able to dedicate time to running the group.

Chris Grant, chief executive officer of Sported, commented: “Sported’s members hold a special place in communities.  The groups collectively shape and inspire the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people around the UK, and create a unique sense of unity and community spirit – all through the power of sport.

“TSB is passionate about celebrating ordinary people doing extraordinary things, so we’re thrilled to be launching this exciting new partnership.  It brings together Sported’s network and experience in Sport for Development with the expertise and enthusiasm of TSB staff to help these vital community assets survive and thrive.”

Paul Pester, chief executive officer of TSB, said: “For many, local sports groups are the hub of community life and the people who run them and support them all share the same values.  Sport has a transformational power that enables people to thrive – it teaches teamwork and problem-solving skills and it builds a sense of infectious pride that spreads to teammates, families and the local community.

“At TSB we are all about working in partnership with local communities and that’s why we’ve partnered with Sported – to enable local communities to thrive through the power of sport.  It’s all about local people helping local people, and our TSB partners are really looking forward to working with sport groups right across the country – to help them continue to make a real difference to the lives of young people in their local community.”