Launched in June 2009, Getting Ready for the Games and Beyond is London Youth’s sports development programme, increasing the number of typically inactive young people playing sport and building the long-term capacity of community-based youth organisations to deliver diverse and accessible sports programmes.

Every quarter sees over 9,000 young people across the capital try, enjoy and frequently excel at an assortment of sports run in our affiliated youth clubs.

What does Getting Ready involve?

Focused in the more disadvantaged areas of the capital where a lack of facilities, equipment, and trained instructors has built a barrier between young people and participation, we take a carefully staged approach delivering a huge range of sports, chosen by young people (including athletics, basketball, football, indoor rowing, non-contact boxing, parkour, street dance, table tennis, handball, volleyball, squash, cage cricket and tag rugby).

We now work with and through 100 local youth clubs (across London) and create clear progression routes though: taster sessions, 6-10 week programmes, national governing body accredited coaching qualifications, specialist equipment and resource packs, passionate volunteers and structured competitions. 

Led by the community for the community...

Crucially, working within existing infrastructure ensures that local communities are able to develop their own sports offer. We know that community-based youth clubs are brilliant at engaging with young people that other institutions often cannot, due to the fact that they are locally-led. We also know, however, that they need support in order to broaden their sporting offer and through Getting Ready we are helping them to do this. So, by delivering the programme in close partnership with local youth clubs we are building long-term capacity in communities – as well as creating opportunities for young people today.

...and achieving real results

78% of young people taking part in Getting Ready taster sessions come back for more with 5,782 young people now taking part in sport on a regular basis thanks to the programme. And 90% of previously inactive young people are still playing sport a year later. 701 youth workers and young people have gained coaching qualifications (and 93 of these young people have gone on to gain employment as coaches).

In 2010, we were the Pro-Active Partner of the Year in East and Central London, and the first youth programme to be awarded the London 2012 Inspire Mark.

Get in touch!

Download our latest impact report - and if you would like to learn more about our Getting Ready programme, please contact Jas Hothi (East London) on 07736 619603 or email him at jas.hothi@londonyouth.org.uk or John Jones (Central London) on 07736 619595 or email him at john.jones@londonyouth.org.uk. Kieran Connolly has just joined our team and can be contacted by email at kieran.connolly@londonyouth.org.uk