Thought Leadership
With nearly 25 years of frontline experience, we’ve got insight worth sharing. From our CEO’s thought pieces to research from our Impact team and real talk from coaches on the ground, explore bold thinking on youth development and what it really takes to transform young lives.
The most important thing humans have is connection – belonging is not an optional extra
Connection is not only critical, but life changing – especially in the communities we work in. Because new buildings or pitches don’t transform lives – people do.
What knowledge are we privileging in academic literature, and is it time to flip it?
As an academic, much of my career has been about generating knowledge. You collect data, analyse it, publish it in…
We wouldn’t teach maths with YouTube, so why do it with movement?
Joe Wicks is doing good work. His efforts to get kids moving – both during lockdown and now through his Government supported “Activate” animations movement campaign – deserve credit. Getting kids moving is a critically important mission for the whole nation. But as someone who’s spent decades working in sport and youth development, I have to ask: is this really the best we can do?
Violence Doesn’t Start with a Knife. It Starts with Hundreds of Missed Moments.
A recent BBC article has referenced research showing that an ‘increasing proportion of children aged between 10 and 14 years…
From Player Pathways to Life Pathways: Why Charity Deserves a High-Performance Strategy
In elite sport, we don’t expect to succeed overnight. We build systems that assume – and allow – young people…
It’s time to lift the limits – and lift the impact
We’re capping the wrong thing, and it’s costing charities millions. This week, I attended a People’s Postcode Lottery dinner in the…
Dear Gareth Southgate…
Dear Gareth, Your Richard Dimbleby Lecture struck a chord. You spoke powerfully about the world young men are growing up…
Our most vulnerable children need more than patchwork solutions
Many young people don’t miss school because they don’t care – they miss it because they don’t feel like they belong. Our CEO Don Barrell explores why short-term solutions like free breakfasts and mentoring schemes aren’t enough to tackle absenteeism and why trusted, long-term relationships – like those built by Greenhouse Sports’ Coach-Mentors – are key to helping young people feel motivated to show up.
