Back into sport

Over half of Rotherham's adult population do not take part in physical activity, according to a local authority survey. Black and ethnic minority (BME) adults also face number of barriers including hate crime, poor local facilities for sport, language and cultural barriers

Since the launch of the National Lottery funded project in 2016, Back into Sport has increased levels of physical activity and sport among BME people at high risk of health-related issues. It is working with local schools, mosques and community groups to recruit participants and volunteers to help set up sports lessons and arrange matches.

The project runs three netball sessions a week and has supported women from a local school to go on and set up a netball team to play competitive games. They work with a local mosque to increase sport participation among the male congregation. They as working with a large group of Roma men, facilitating recreational football sessions with the aim to getting them to join their United 4 Communities football team. They have also been offer Rotherham's growing Tamil community fitness and sports sessions for men and women.

Inclusion officer Trudi Race said: "Rotherham is a town with a beautifully diverse mixture of culture and races. Many of these people face barriers when it comes to accessing sport, particularly women. This project enables us to work with the participants to build trust and to make sport more accessible. The first year has seen an incredible increase in BME women accessing sport which is a proud achievement."