Featured Insight: Sport Development as a Catalyst for Social Change
The role of sport in society is shifting.
No longer just about growing participation in individual sports, modern sport development must now be understood as a tool for delivering wider social outcomes. Whether tackling health inequalities, rural exclusion, youth disengagement or gender disparity, sport increasingly acts as a platform for addressing complex issues within communities.
At Knexu, we support organisations and governments to rethink how sport is planned, delivered and evaluated. It must now align with public policy, community priorities and inclusive development. More than ever, it must be shaped by insight, evidence and the lived experience of those it aims to serve.
Broadening Access and Redefining Purpose
Certain sports continue to carry perceptions of exclusivity. Shooting sports, for example, are often associated with affluence and limited access. Yet the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) is actively reshaping that narrative. Through outreach and education, BASC is working to introduce shooting sports to wider and more diverse audiences, challenging old assumptions and promoting inclusion.
Major brands are also playing their part. Nike’s “Coach the Dream” initiative in Japan has targeted the gender gap in sport participation. Girls participate 20 percent less than boys and are twice as likely to drop out by age 14. In response, Nike invested 1.3 million US dollars into 20 grassroots organisations, focusing on safe spaces, trauma-informed coaching and culturally relevant programming for teenage girls. This shows how well-directed funding and intent can create measurable change.
In the UK, the Midlands Hurricanes rugby league club is showing how geography does not need to limit growth. Formerly Coventry Bears, the club relocated to Birmingham and rebranded with a clear goal: expand rugby league beyond its northern roots. In 2024, they averaged 743 spectators per home game, peaking at 985 against Salford. Alongside a new women’s team and strong community outreach, the Hurricanes have become a case study in building sport from the ground up, outside traditional strongholds.
A Strategic Shift in Thinking
Sport is no longer just a recreational or performance-based activity. It is now being used to:
Address health inequalities
Improve community wellbeing
Tackle youth disengagement
Support education and employment
Create inclusive and sustainable programmes
At Knexu, we have supported national governments to use sport as part of wider development goals. We have developed tailored community sport strategies for the Governments of Somalia and Seychelles, helping to use sport as a way to support social cohesion, youth opportunity and local infrastructure. These programmes are rooted in local context and have shown how sport can drive genuine change when it is aligned with national priorities.
Insights That Drive Strategy
The data reinforces the opportunity:
Girls are 1.3 times more likely to drop out of sport than boys by age 14 (Women in Sport, 2023)
Only 17 percent of rural youth in the UK take part in weekly organised sport, compared to 33 percent in urban areas (Sport England, 2022)
Targeted community sport programmes deliver £4 in social value for every £1 invested (Sported UK, 2021)
65 percent of underrepresented youth say they would participate more if programmes were delivered through schools or trusted local partners (Youth Sport Trust, 2023)
Sport must be purpose-driven, community-focused and impact-led.
Our Approach
We help partners build sport development strategies that are:
Based on clear insight and community need
Designed to deliver social outcomes, not just participation
Financially sustainable and partnership-ready
Inclusive and measurable
We work across national governing bodies, brands, local authorities and academic institutions to bring this vision to life.
The future of sport development lies in its ability to serve a wider purpose. With the right structure and intent, sport becomes more than just a game. It becomes a tool for transformation.