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Fieldfisher's London office has chosen Access Sport as its new charity partner for 2024 – 2026, marking the start of a two-year collaboration aimed at supporting inclusive community sport initiatives for disabled young people across the capital.
Access Sport trains, equips, and supports community sport clubs, organisations and volunteers to provide inclusive sport and physical activity, transforming the lives of underserved young people in their local communities. With research showing that 43% of disabled people are more likely to be physically inactive due to societal barriers, compared to 23% of non-disabled people, Access Sport stands for inclusion. The charity empowers community sport clubs and volunteers to provide opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged young people to access the transformational benefits of sport.
Working across a wide range of sport, from basketball, climbing to rugby league, the charity is driving investment and raising awareness of inclusivity in sport, aiming to deliver sustainable change in the sport sector by addressing the root causes of exclusion not just the symptoms.
Notably, through its Changing Places and Changing Sports initiatives, the charity supported 523 clubs, upskilled 1149 coaches and volunteers and positively impacted the lives of over 20,400 children and young people last year.
Fieldfisher's partnership with Access Sport aligns with the firm's ongoing pro bono and community work, which promotes the rights of children and young people and spearheading systemic change with disabled people. Access Sport shares the firm's belief that no one should be excluded from the transformational benefits of community sport.
The firm's commitment to disability inclusion is also championed through its Discover Disability Network. Led by disability rights activist and Head of Just Purpose, Millie Hawes. The network focuses on education, support, and barrier removal, collaborating with external organisations and disabled people to increase outreach and advocacy for disability rights. Discover’s mission aligns closely with the aims of the Access Sport partnership, both working towards a more inclusive and equitable society for disabled people.
In addition to fundraising, the collaboration will focus on leveraging the time and resources of Fieldfisher's people through pro bono assistance and volunteering. The aim of this partnership is to address some of the systemic issues that prevent young people from accessing sporting activities, particularly those who are disabled and who face socioeconomic barriers.
David Wilkinson, Senior Partner at Fieldfisher said:
"We are thrilled to start our two-year partnership with Access Sport. As a key strategic focus area of the firm's Just Purpose programme, Access Sport supports disabled children and young people. By collaborating with them we will be supporting our local communities to help make sport more accessible to young people. The organisation's impact on the next generation is tangible – access to sport is a gateway to so much more and we look forward to supporting their mission."
Helen Rowbotham, CEO at Access Sport added:
“It’s exciting to launch our new partnership with Fieldfisher. Over the next two years, we will use Fieldfisher’s support to create more opportunities for disabled children across London. Through fundraising, volunteering and pro bono support, Fieldfisher will help us positively impact local communities and broaden our reach. The Fieldfisher team will also have the opportunity to meet our beneficiaries, volunteers and club leaders. We can’t wait to get started! Thank you for choosing Access Sport.”