International Development through Sport (IDS): Harnessing the Power of Sport to Change Lives

Harnessing the power of sport to change lives

IDS Mission

IDS is the charitable trust of UK Sport that was set up in 1990. While UK Sport supports the administration of the trust, IDS is an independent UK registered charity that receives money solely from independent individuals, trusts and corporations. IDS has its own trustees and all money received by the trust goes directly to partner grass roots organizations in country.

IDS Mission

Harnessing the power of sport to change lives by supporting local grass roots organisations in developing countries that use sport to reach children and young people and profoundly impact them and their communities.

Geographic Focus

Principally Africa

Main Programme Areas

IDS works with local partners in developing countries that deliver sports programmes to engage young people in the following areas:

Life skills, youth development, leadership education
Equity (gender, disabled)
HIV/AIDS education and awareness
Conflict resolution
Disaster and trauma relief and rehabilitation

IDS Credibility and Transparency

We work with partners who use funds cost effectively and strategically, and attain results:
- Each project funded starts with a partnership with a local grass roots organization with whom we develop a monitoring and evaluation tool that measures:
  - efficiency (e.g. cost per activity, cost per participant, ratio of staff to participant)
  - effectiveness (outputs and outcomes – e.g. impact of participation on individuals in areas of physical health, life/leadership skills, AIDS awareness and behavior, improved self-esteem/confidence)
  - strategic outcomes (e.g. broader impact of programmes on community, improved perception on quality of life, improved attitude toward another culture)
We work with partners who create their own aims and objectives, ensuring their own ownership, and ensuring they are meeting local needs.
We work with partners who have a sustainable funding strategy that relies on numerous sources of income to ensure long term sustainability.
We work together with partners on quarterly reports and yearly site visits to ensure for quality delivery and measurable impact.

Examples of Programmes

Student Partnerships Worldwide, Zambia– partnering with Zambian peer counsellors who are teaching effective HIV/AIDS education to young persons through the use of sports
Kicking AIDS Out – pan-African initiative mobilising communities using sport to develop innovative approaches to teaching about HIV/AIDS
Go Sisters Programme – trains girls as leaders in sport and education to ensure young, vulnerable girls of Zambia are given the opportunity to participate in physical activity, build self-confidence and get educated on health issues
Olympic Youth Ambassador Program, Lesotho – The Olympic Youth Ambassador Program (OYAP)'s aim is to train youth ambassadors to initiate their own creative sustainable youth focused programs. Using sport as the platform, the programs address issues such as: drug & alcohol abuse, HIV/AIDS and family issues.

Project Proposal Guidelines

If you feel your project or programme meets our criteria and would like to apply for funding, in the first instance please send a one-page summary document expressing interest to Pippa Lloyd, International Development Consultant, by e-mail: ids@uksport.gov.uk, by fax to +44 20 7211 5249 or by post to UK Sport, 40 Bernard Street, London, WC1N 1ST for Pippa’s attention.

If, having reviewed the project summary, we would like further details we will contact you and ask you to fill in the Project Proposal Form [WORD, 75k].