Engaging lower socio-economic groups

A girl in a headscarf smiles broadly - she has a netball and is about to pass it on to a teammate

Reaching out to your local community

Sporting groups are ideally placed to help address any challenges faced by their local community. However, they often lack the resources or skills to do this.

This page explores some of the factors that can affect participation and volunteering by people from lower socio-economic groups.

We'll also show you how you can reach out and become more accessible to your community.

Facts & stats

12 million adults are from lower socio-economic groups. 

Source: Office of National Statistics 2011.

1 in 3 adults from lower socio-economic groups are inactive, compared to 1 in 6 adults from the highest socio-economic groups.

Source: Sport England, Active Lives data, 2020.

Families with the 20% lowest incomes have, on average, £3.21 to spend on active sport each week for the whole household.

Source: Office of National Statistics, 2016.

People from lower socio-economic groups are less likely to volunteer than those in higher groups.

Source: Sport England, Active Lives data, 2019.

Barriers facing low income groups

Everyone's different. A low income is certainly one barrier that can deter people from getting involved in sport.

However participation is also influenced by ethnicity, age, gender, health, employment status, family circumstances and much more.

People from lower-socio economic groups are more likely to face barriers than more affluent groups.

Here are a few reasons for this...

A lack of disposable income

People may have to make big sacrifices to buy kit and equipment and pay for membership fees, training fees, match fees, and transport costs.

Health inequalities

Lower socio-economic groups are more likely to experience health inequalities. They're more likely to have mental and physical health conditions that can affect their ability to take part in sport.

Personal barriers

Some people may be worried about being judged or feeling out of place, and others may have wider responsibilities and commitments, such as multiple jobs or caring responsibilities.

First steps to improve your accessibility

If you want to improve your accessibility, you'll need to lay firm foundations first.

Here's how you can do this...

Get everyone onboard

Agree internally why you want to create a community partnership and the outcomes you’re looking for.

All the key people should be involved in these discussions. This will help you to communicate the benefits, promote engagement across your organisation and support planning and goal setting.

Investigate the issues

Work towards getting a better understanding of the barriers impacting people from lower socio-economic groups in your local community.

Consider making changes to how you operate

Consider whether the discussions highlight a need to make some changes to your operations, activities and pricing structures to make them more accessible.

The five rights

StreetGames, a leading sports development charity, has advice for groups that want to increase their accessibility.

They ask leaders to consider the following ‘Five rights’.

The right time

Are your sessions happening at the right time for the people you want to attract?

For example, 9am on a Sunday wouldn't work for many teenagers.

The right place

Are you based in the right place for the people you want to attract?

For example, somewhere welcoming and open might be better than a private facility.

The right people

Are you sessions being run by the right people for who you want to attract?

For example, are they from the local area?

The right price

Are sessions pitched at the right price for the people you want to attract?

For example, are you using ‘pay what you can’ approaches.

The right style

Are your sessions being delivered in the right style for the people you want to attract?

For example, do they include opportunities to socialise within the session?

Researching your local community's needs

Why is it important to do some research into my local community?

Doing some research on your local population can help you to understand:

the demographic make-up.
the organisations already supporting people from lower socio-economic groups.
the challenges affecting participation and volunteering.

Where should I start with the research?

You can do this by:

Exploring the research or data already available for your area, including the indices of multiple deprivation.
Talking to local organisations such as schools, community groups and charities, and asking for insights.
Consulting local people to ask them what they want, in conversations, groups or surveys - you can use the ‘Five rights’ on this page to structure your discussions.
Find out which channels work best for local people - for example, Instagram? WhatsApp? X?

How do we promote inclusivity throughout our cultures and activities?

The aim is to create an environment where people from all backgrounds feel welcome, comfortable and part of something.

Embedding inclusion in your values, and promoting them, will make sure people understand that it's a priority.

Make sure that you offer accessible activities.

For example, you could:

Set up sessions where equipment isn’t needed or is provided.
Work to make activities as enjoyable and informal as possible, with a relaxed atmosphere.
Offer sessions that are clearly marketed as needing no prior experience.
Break volunteering roles down into tasks, so that people take on responsibilities that suit their time, ability and experience.

How can we use our marketing and communications to showcase our efforts?

It’s important to make sure your community knows about your commitment to inclusivity. Your marketing and communications have a big part to play in this.

We suggest that you:

Refer to equipment-free sessions, or beginner sessions, in your advertising.
Tailor your messages to local needs.
Use positive and informal language.
Include images that show the experiences you offer, including the social opportunities - use real pictures, if you have permission from all concerned, as they're more compelling than stock images from the internet.
Check your website offers information on what to expect, for example where sessions are held, what they need to wear or bring, and where they can leave their belongings.
Share an email address or phone number so that people can make any checks that they need to, before their first session.

How to embed inclusivity

It's important to embed inclusivity into all your operations, so that you can make everyone feel welcome.

Here's how to do this:

Be flexible

Be as flexible as possible regarding your pricing structure and the membership options.

Also consider if there are any ‘hidden costs’, for example, if you're currently asking people to buy their own kit.

Think inclusively

Make sure your procedures or practices don’t disadvantage some groups.

For example, penalising members for absences can make you less inclusive to people with responsibilities or health issues.

Embrace diversity

Involve people from a wide range of backgrounds in the running of your organisation.

Their different perspectives will help to make you inclusive.

Clarify expectations

When getting people involved, be clear what you are asking in terms of their time commitments, skills needed and any potential costs such as transport and refreshments.

Meet people's current needs

Be flexible – just because your committee meeting has been at 8pm on a Monday for 20 years, doesn’t mean it needs to stay that way!