The Sport England Community Sports Project of the Year award is one of the most coveted accolades at the annual Sporting Equals Awards ceremony. This year, we received over 800 votes in the category for our three exceptional finalists, who are as follows:
Driven By Us CIC: Established in April 2023, Driven By Us is an award-winning motorsport not-for-profit organisation with a mission to empower ethnically diverse communities and underrepresented groups within the motorsports industry. Over the past year, the organisation has launched several impactful initiatives aimed at advancing diversity and inclusion in this traditionally exclusive field.
Leicester City in the Community – Active Women: Active Women is a female-only project in the Wycliffe Ward, Leicester, which encourages women from ethnically diverse backgrounds to become more active by offering a variety of sessions, including social and physical activities. The project provides a holistic offering with opportunities to try new activities in a safe environment, fostering empathy and positive regard. It aims to improve mental, physical, and emotional well-being while promoting a more active female population in the area.
The Flowhesion Foundation: The Halliwell Girls Sports Hub, based in the Halliwell area of Bolton, operates in one of the most disadvantaged and deprived areas of the region. The hub provides girls aged 11–17 from South Asian, Arab, and Somali backgrounds the opportunity to participate in “barrier-prone” sports, which they might not otherwise access due to cost, travel, or lack of connections. Established in May 2024, the Halliwell Girls Sports Hub currently has 58 registered participants. They co-produce and co-design “six-session blocks” of sports they wish to engage in.
And the Winner Is…
On the night, it was The Flowhesion Foundation that emerged victorious. Representatives Mika and Julie were presented with the award by Sporting Equals Ambassador Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker and Sport England’s Jeanette Bain-Burnett.
Since their win, news has spread far and wide, with coverage in The Bolton News (link here). Speaking about the win, The Flowhesion Foundation Halliwell Girls Sports Hub coordinator Julie said, “The award will motivate us to go further to bring creativity, accessibility, and inclusivity to our sporting programmes.”
