Huge investment in 'access-for-all sport'

Carly Jones from Together Active said offering sport to everyone helped the well being of communities

Schools in Staffordshire are to receive a multi-million pound investment to open up and improve facilities for their communities.

Up to 33 schools will share £57m in government funding over the next three years to offer access to sport outside school hours.

The money can be used to buy new equipment, set up clubs or train staff to offer more activities, Together Active, the charity leading the scheme, said.

Investment in the wellbeing of communities, particularly in areas of high deprivation, can be transformative, it said.

"There are massive issues at the moment around young people's mental health and doing prevention work in that space and in opening up school facilities we have areal opportunity to do some of that work as well," chief executive Carly Jones said.

"Physical activity has been proven to have massive impact on the well being and the mental health of young people."

The charity will work with the Hubb Foundation which offers activities in Stoke-on Trent.

Giving wider community access to sport has a range of benefits, Ms Jones said, particularly young people who may be at risk of offending while improving people's mental health.

"But we want them to be sustainable so what happens when the three years is over?," she said.

"We aim to work in areas where people are experiencing the greatest challenges and obviously with cost of living impacts at the moment, it's really important to use we get into the right places."

Andy Taylor, chief executive for Active Partnerships National Team, which is leading the scheme nationally said it aimed to help 1,350 schools overall.