Sport 4 Life celebrates 20 years of changing young people’s lives

A Birmingham youth employment charity has celebrated two decades of changing young people lives.

Sport 4 Life UK, which uses sport and mentoring to help young people develop marked its 20th anniversary with a landmark celebration which brought together young people, business leaders, partners and supporters.  

Held at Millenium Point, the event reflected on two decades of the charity’s impact, with stories from its past, recognition of the people and organisations who have supported its work, and a look ahead to what needs to change for the next generation.

Sport 4 Life was founded in Birmingham in 2006 and has supported more than 34,000 young people, with 22,000+ meaningfully supported, 3,300+ qualifications achieved and, since 2014, more than 2,200 young people progressing into education, employment or training.

The scale of the charity’s wider impact was also highlighted during the evening, with £14 million invested in Sport 4 Life UK over the past 20 years generating more than £87 million in social value.

At the event, a youth-led panel explored what the next 20 years need to look like for young people across the West Midlands, particularly in relation to employment and opportunity.

Young people shared their experiences alongside voices from business and education, discussing the changing world of work, the barriers facing the next generation and what employers, policymakers, educators and charities need to do differently.

One of the clearest messages from the discussion was that simply creating opportunities for young people is not enough – young people themselves need to have meaningful influence over the opportunities, conversations and decisions that affect their futures.

Macey Winspur, who took part in the panel, said: “We talk a lot about attracting young talent, retaining them and understanding what the next generation wants from work. But we also need to ask whether we are actually listening to young people or still deciding what they need for them.

“Creating opportunities for young people isn’t enough if we’re not creating those opportunities with them. Young people need meaningful influence over the conversations and decisions that affect them.”

Tom Clarke-Forrest MBE, founder and CEO of Sport 4 Life UK, said: “Reaching 20 years is a milestone I’m incredibly proud of, but Friday night was about much more than looking backwards.

“Sport 4 Life started with a simple belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to create a better future for themselves. Twenty years later, that belief is stronger than ever.

“More than 34,000 young people have now been part of our journey, but behind every statistic is an individual story – a young person who has built confidence, gained a qualification, found employment or simply started to believe in what their future could look like.

“None of that happens in isolation. Our staff, young people, trustees, funders, employers, partners and supporters have all played a part in what Sport 4 Life has become.

“But there is still so much more to do. The challenges facing this generation are significant, and the next chapter has to be about working together – and, crucially, listening to young people – to make sure opportunity is genuinely available to everyone.”

The evening was also a chance to share stories from Sport 4 Life UK’s history, recognising the people and partnerships that have contributed to its development from a Birmingham community organisation into a charity supporting young people directly across the West Midlands and extending its impact through a growing network of partner organisations.

Sport 4 Life UK is now calling on businesses, funders, educators and organisations across the West Midlands to play their part in creating the next 20 years of opportunity for young people.

Tom added: “Twenty years has shown us what is possible when people come together around young people.

“Our ambition now is to build on everything we have learned and achieved – working with young people and our partners to make the next 20 years even more impactful than the first.”