Personal Best Foundation is proud to have joined the Sport for Development Coalition and we will mark International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) on 6th April by uniting with other members and supporting the second anniversary of the Coalition’s #OpenGoal framework.
The Sport for Development Coalition is a movement of organisations working to maximise the positive social impact of sport and physical activity. In joining the Coalition, we endorse and adopt their charter, affirming our commitment to the intentional use of sport and physical activity in generating positive social outcomes amongst other shared and actionable values.
#OpenGoal is a Shared Advocacy Framework, created by fellow members of the Coalition network to highlight how sport and physical activity in the UK can contribute to building a healthier, more equitable and sustainable future. It is aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals within the UN's Agenda 2030.
Foundation Manager, Amy Weaver-Tyler said:
“As a relatively new charity, our work is in its infancy but our commitment to breaking down barriers, reducing social inequalities and improving the health and well-being of young people is undeniable.
Our very existence is to positively change the lives of young people through the power of athletics and therefore our purpose and values are well aligned to the Coalition’s Charter. We are thrilled to formalise our relationship by becoming a member and in doing so, demonstrate our commitment in helping to deliver the #OpenGoal framework.”
Ahead of a General Election, the 400-plus members of the Coalition are keen to collectively demonstrate to political parties how the UK’s sport for development movement can produce public cost savings by supporting a series of positive health, societal and environmental outcomes such as reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, building stronger communities and social cohesion, and tackling climate injustice.
IDSDP takes place each year on 6th April and, according to the United Nations, presents “an opportunity to recognise the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and in people’s lives across the globe”. It is certain to resonate strongly in 2024 because of the cost-of-living crisis which has followed the Covid-19 pandemic, and continued conflict and displacement around the globe.
Ahead of an Election, the Coalition is calling on policy-makers to ringfence funding committed for jobs, health and tackling crime towards targeted sport-based interventions that generate multiple returns on investment, from improving the physical and mental health of individuals facing disadvantage and discrimination, to increasing educational attainment and the ability to secure employment.
Read more about #OpenGoal