IBLF - New report shows governments and business how to "take more of a sporting chance"

MEDIA ROOM - NEWS

New report shows governments and business how to "take more of a sporting chance"

29 February 2008

Sport can be used as a force for good, say business leaders

A huge opportunity exists to harness sport's potential to address development issues in health, gender equality, youth development and social inclusion, a new report published today has found.

The report, entitled, “Shared Goals Through Sport”, has been published by IBLF, with its findings endorsed by Nike, Standard Chartered and UK Sport. The report aims to show governments, companies and civil society organisations that there is enormous scope for sport partnerships that achieve social change. Download the report now

Adrian Hodges, Managing Director of IBLF said:

“Sport has huge potential as a catalyst for positive change but is to date a relatively untapped opportunity. The global sports industry has the capability to benefit millions worldwide, especially in developing countries. A stronger collective will from governments, companies and NGOs to work together could increase this influence and reap bigger benefits. Our report demonstrates how to make this happen, in order to maximise sport’s potential as a force for good.”

Some of the key findings of “Shared Goals through Sport” are:

Partnerships with sport can help companies achieve social investment objectives, better motivate their employees and help access new markets
However, general awareness of the business opportunities represented by sport for development remains relatively low
Governments have been slow to use sport for development. Companies have observed that their requests for support in this area often fall through the gaps between ministries (e.g. sport, health, education, international development), which leads to inaction
There are too few effective partnerships of this kind worldwide, but those that exist demonstrate their potential for good
The use of sport for development is of significance to the private sector as well as the development community, and should be accelerated to help meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
To date, almost no practical guidance exists on how companies might use sport to meet development goals through cross-sector partnerships

IBLF’s supporters of this project reinforced the report’s findings.

Mandy Ayres, Corporate Responsibility Manager of Nike UK said: “This report demonstrates the potential for companies to work in partnership with other organisations through sport to change people’s lives for the better. We wholeheartedly back the report’s recommendations for companies, governments and NGOs to accelerate and improve private sector engagement in sport for development initiatives.”

UK Sport’s International Director, John Scott, said: “UK Sport is very pleased to have been involved with the IBLF’s Shared Goals through Sport project. As the UK Government’s lead international sports agency, we want to share our expertise – and the experience we have gained via working in partnership with organisations and agencies across the world – in highlighting areas where opportunities may exist for greater private sector engagement. We hope that companies will see the benefits of joining partnerships such as our “International Inspiration” programme, which we run through a multi-stakeholder partnership to support international communities, enrich our own experience and foster intercultural understanding.”

Debbie Whitaker, Head of Sustainability at Standard Chartered added: “We have invested in a sport for development partnership because sport is a powerful medium which can make a sustainable difference to communities, whilst providing opportunities for people to get involved and use their core skills. Through our work in India, we have seen that sport can improve the confidence, self-esteem and skills of young women – helping them play an active role in their communities and economies."

To encourage further action, the findings of the report will be discussed during the next year at a series of meetings internationally. IBLF is also exploring ways in which the lessons learned from the report can be used to encourage and support sustainable initiatives involving business as a partner in this field.

Related links
More on the Shared Goals through Sport report

Contact
IBLF Communications team
Tel +44 (0)20 7467 3600, email info@iblf.org

All materials on this website © IBLF 2009. International Business Leaders Forum is a company limited by guarantee registered in England 2552695 and a Registered Charity No. 1024119.
IBLF North America is a registered 501c3 independent company with tax exemption status, registered in Delaware, USA DLN 17053145016027