£210m “Tackling Inequalities Fund” helps families

The “Tackling Inequalities Fund” of a £210 million support package was created to help to reduce the negative impact of coronavirus and the widening of the inequalities in sport and physical activity. 

Back in early summer Three Rivers District Council’s (TRDC) “Community Partnerships” (of which W3RT CVS is a member) saw a need to support families most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic over the summer holidays. “Family Play Rangers” programme was created to address this need.   

To help support this programme, W3RT CVS and TRDC applied for funding from the fund through "Herts Sports Partnership" (HSP).  During August the TRDC leisure team delivered the Family Play Rangers programme, consisting of 1.5 hour sessions, 3 times a day, in 3 locations: 

  • Reach Free School (Mill End / Maple Cross) 
  • Warren Dell School (South Oxhey)  
  • Parmiter’s School (Abbots Langley & Leavesden)   

Referrals have been made by partner organisations working with families to identifiy the most vulnerable. This will be achieved by a multi-agency approach working in partnership with MIND, Citizens Advice Bureau, Schools, YC Hertfordshire, Intensive Family Support Teams, SW Herts Partnership, Family Support Workers and DSPL9.  

 

A total of 62 families attended the programme

The focus was around family activities at a "safe, secure location close to home" where they will be encouraged to "play games, build dens, and generate teamworking to reach a shared goal". The programme delivery by Play Rangers aims to provide much needed social interaction and physical activity to improve life skills, increase self-esteem and reduce stress as well as improving family relations and the family’s health and wellbeing.  

On Thursday 22nd October both W3RT and TRDC Leisure Department fed back via the "HSP Tackling Inequalities Fund" meeting, on how the project was delivered, and what the steps are being done to deliver similar programmes going forward. In the call HSP talked about a Phase 2 and how groups could also look at the “Sport England Return to Play Fund” for other donations (Sport England website). 

HSP team said after the call:  

“We really appreciate your feedback on the Fund and hope that you found the opportunity to speak with other recipients beneficial. We will be using all of your feedback from today, to create a review of Phase 1 to learn from and guide our approach into Phase 2”  

 

TRDC Leisure team and W3RT CVS really appreciated hearing about other projects and how they could work in partnership with other organisations to provide further support.  

W3RT CVS team added: 

“From the call we seen how we can help some other organisations work closer with TRDC leisure team and apply for funding through HSP in the future”  

 

For more information about funding similar projects, please contact the W3RT CVS team on [email protected] for advice on which are the most suitable.  

  

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