How your club can apply for grants worth up to £2,500 to help black people access physical activity and sport in Northamptonshire

A new forum and fund has been launched to support ethnically diverse communities to be active in Northamptonshire.

Uniting two county organisations, Northamptonshire Black Communities Together has partnered with Northamptonshire Sport to create a new NBCT Moving Together forum.

Over the next two years it is hoped more people from ethnically diverse communities will get active.

To launch the initiative, Black organisations have been invited to apply for grants of up to £2,500 to support members of the community between January and September 2023.

Pratima Dattani from Support Northamptonshire said: “We are excited that this partnership has been launched. Northamptonshire Sport have demonstrated its support to overcome racial inequalities and been proactively working with many Black organisations across the county. This partnership brings together 27 Black organisations to work with Northamptonshire Sport with the aim of achieving long term outcomes that enable people to become more active, healthy and well.”

Through the new monthly forum, organisations will provide opportunities across Northamptonshire for Asian, Africa-Caribbean, and African communities to become more active and improve wellbeing.

It will also be focussing on ‘changing behaviours’, ‘tackling inequalities’ and ‘removing the barriers’ that prevent some Asian, Africa-Caribbean, and African people from leading more active lifestyles.

Alongside Northamptonshire Black Communities Together members the forum will engage with individuals and sports clubs.

Matthew Peleszok of Northamptonshire Sport said: “As a charity focussed on helping people to be more active, it’s crucial that we confront the barriers that exist in society that prevent some communities from leading more active lifestyles.

"The Northamptonshire Sport team, board and partners are making steps to address inequalities but we recognise it’s a long and ongoing process. Partnering with other organisations and people is crucial to making real impact and battling the inequalities faced by many. This forum provides a much-needed place for partners to openly talk, challenge and work together.

“As part of our tackling inequalities work programme, we’re committed to learn from the new forum. We’ll be working with communities across the county to review and bring transformational change across sport, harnessing its power to drive equality and ensuring all parts of the system are fair, welcoming, inclusive, and diverse and that people have positive experiences at every level.”

For more information visit www.northamptonshiresport.org/funding/nbct