The launch of the Physical Literacy Consensus Statement for England in 2023 was a big moment for the sector. We need to back up that energy from the launch with decisive action for all CYP, particularly for those who are less-active and/or are typically under-served. You should join this programme if you believe in the philosophy of physical literacy and will advocate for cultural change in the sector, even in the most challenging of circumstances.

The cornerstone of the programme is to bring a real-life project, strategy, service, place or initiative you are working on. We know that ‘doing’ physical literacy is far beyond one or two discrete projects – it’s the DNA of how we work. But we also know that if we don’t make things tangible, we’ll lose the momentum. We’re looking for interdisciplinary teams, which could be from one organisation or a combination of partners, to apply with a clearly defined problem/need and an idea for how you might embed physical literacy philosophies. We strongly encourage place-based ideas. Your idea might change as you go, but we’d like to hear your perspective from where you stand today. It can be either local or national, but it must focus on addressing inequalities among the least active and/or under-rserved children and young people. It would be a good idea to apply with a project, initiative or place already in motion that could benefit from the support we’re offering. Using existing momentum, relationships, and existing funding will only help. For the avoidance of doubt, we’re not offering any funding as part of this programme.

Physical literacy doesn’t sit in a sport sector silo. We welcome teams made up of people from a range of backgrounds, sectors and disciplines. You might be a team with a well-established cadence of work together. Or you might be a team that has always talked about working together “one day.” This is the chance to bring an exceptional and diverse set of skills and perspectives together.

The programme will support teams through a co-design process to help understand and improve the lived experience of children and young people. This involves meaningful engagement of CYP, families, support networks, and other relevant stakeholders. You must already have direct access or access via locally trusted organisations to the less-active or under-served CYP groups you’re intending to develop solutions for. If you don’t have existing relationships, you must be willing to invest significant time to build these relationships throughout the programme.

You will have senior executive sponsorship from your organisation to take part. This should include an agreement to invest your time into the programme and the associated follow-on actions. This is a big effort and we know that having support from your leadership will not only help you make the time and space available, it’ll also lead to a more successful outcome. Remember that through your participation in the programme, you will undoubtedly be feeding progress and learning back into your organisation at a strategic level.