A Manchester charity encouraging young people to get active has secured £250,000 of funding from Sport England, which will allow their efforts to expand into the wider community.
The Diane Modahl Sports Foundation (DMSF), previously restricted to schools, focuses on enabling disadvantaged young people across the North West to fulfil their potential through sport.
This injection of money will allow the charity to launch its new ‘Happy Days’ programme, which is designed to get 2630 young people involved in sport and social activities.
The DMSF was founded in 2010 by former 800m runner Diane Modahl, who believes that it is important to use this money to ‘raise the aspirations’ of young people.
She said: “Being active is really important for a healthy mind and body, as well as being lots of fun, thanks to this funding more locals can reap the rewards of introducing sport into their lives.
“The main thrust of this project is to engage with young people who might never consider sport as a pastime.
“Young people living in Manchester are amongst the most disadvantaged in England and we are driven by a genuine passion to raise the aspirations of young people and provide an opportunity for them to fulfill their potential.”
Sport England has provided £8.2million of funding, split over 40 projects, to encourage people to get active.
Sport England Director of Community Sport, Mike Diaper, said: “Given the overwhelming benefits of being active, it’s important that age, gender, or income never prevent anyone from taking part.”
DMSF has had many success stories in the past, and several of their graduates have gone on to attempt to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games.
Diane Modahl added however that while these achievements are impressive, the most important aspect is allowing young people to ‘achieve their dreams’.
To find out more about the work of the Diane Modahl Sports Foundation, visit www.dmsf.co.uk
