The Vaughan Sports Foundation, based in west London, was established in November 2007 with the aim of addressing the decline in extra-curricular sporting activities in schools and to promote community sport in healthy recreation within the Greater London area.

The Foundation's vision is to enable young people from a variety of backgrounds to use sports as a means of development and to build confidence, to improve health and to further their educational opportunities.

The Foundation was set up in partnership with the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, an inner London comprehensive. It is based in north Kensington, recognised as an area of social deprivation. In the borough itself, 46% of children do not have English as their first language.

The trustees acknowledge that participation in sport can be one of the major factors in breaking down barriers to inclusion for children. Participation in sport is also known to have a positive impact on academic performance, as recognised by Ofsted. There is also a need to address the growing prevalence of obesity in young children. If present trends continue, by 2020 one in three adults, one in five boys and one in three girls will be clinically obese. Such sporting opportunities can provide solutions to the problem of health, education and social development and enable the local youth to participate in society as mature and responsible adults.

The Foundation sets out to extend provision of extra-curricular courses and activities for young people. Participants will be coached in a range of sports, fitness training and leadership skills. They have established a varied programme of sporting activities for young people during the school holidays, run in partnership with governing bodies such as the RFU and FA and other sporting institutions. The Foundation also intends to provide opportunities to participants to acquire coaching qualifications themselves so that they gain the confidence and skills needed to organise and supervise sports activities and competition in the local communities.

It is hoping to add rowing and fencing to the list of options. Involvement in sports, particularly within a structured environment, is a fun and constructive way for young people to use their spare time, find new friends and obtain new skills.

By taking part, young people will acquire a sense of achievement and self esteem - and realise that they can set goals and challenges and reach them.

The Foundation's ambition is that all young people who benefit from its activities will raise their aspirations so that sport and healthy activities become part of the fabric of their lives.

Contact: Nicholas Kehoe, Director of The Vaughan Sports Foundation

More information ...