Active Futures: Co-Creating Health and Justice Outcomes Through Youth Clubs and Sport

Registration details will be available soon. 

Deadline for abstracts: 5^th May

Notification of outcome: 19^th May

We invite contributions to Active Futures, a full-day, multi-disciplinary workshop exploring how engagement in sport-based positive youth development (PYD) programmes can improve health and support desistance from crime among young people from marginalised communities. Building on Dr Hammond’s Levelling the Playing Field research with the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) and over 100 partner organisations, the event brings together evidence, lived experience and practice to shape a forward-looking research and impact agenda in health and justice.

Costs and financial support

To help make the event accessible and inclusive, we are able to offer limited funding to support attendance for speakers and attendees from third sector and community organisations (e.g. youth clubs, charities, grassroots groups). This support is intended to reduce financial barriers to participation and may be used to help cover travel and/or registration costs, subject to availability.

Colleagues attending from universities, statutory services and other publicly funded institutions (e.g. Youth Justice Services, local authorities, NHS, schools/colleges) will be asked to pay a £42 registration fee. This fee is used solely to cover the costs of running the event, including venue hire, catering and related workshop materials and expenses.

Further details about how to request financial support, and how to pay the registration fee, will be provided upon acceptance of contributions and in the event registration information.

Who we are inviting

We particularly welcome contributions from:

• Academics and researchers working on sport, youth justice, health, inequalities, or positive youth development
• Practitioners in the field of sport and sport for development (including youth clubs and community organisations)
• Youth justice professionals and colleagues from statutory services (e.g. Youth Justice Services, education, health, local authorities)
• Third sector and community organisations working with young people
• Young people and young co-researchers with lived experience of sport-based PYD programmes

This is a multi-disciplinary, cross-sector event designed to co-create knowledge and shape future directions for research, practice and impact.

What kinds of contributions we are looking for

We welcome a wide range of contributions, including:

• Presentations of existing research (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods or evaluation studies)
• Practice-based insights and reflections from programme design, delivery or partnership working
• Emerging research ideas or proposals for discussion, including early-stage or exploratory work

We strongly encourage submissions from those outside academia, including practitioners, youth workers, youth justice professionals, and colleagues from community and third sector organisations.

Possible contribution formats include (but are not limited to):

• Short talks or presentations
• Practice case studies
• Interactive or discussion-based sessions
• Co-presentations involving young people or co-researchers

We are committed to flexible formats and will work with contributors to identify a presentation style that feels comfortable and accessible.

Support for contributors

To make this an inclusive and supportive space, we will:

• Offer support in developing presentations or talks, particularly for those who are new to speaking at academic or cross-sector events
• Provide flexible presentation formats (e.g. informal talks, conversation-style sessions, joint presentations)
• Create opportunities to engage with young people involved in the workshop, who will provide feedback and share lived experience perspectives

Our aim is to enable contributors from all backgrounds to share their expertise and insights confidently and meaningfully.

Workshop focus

The workshop will:

• Examine how sport-based PYD programmes influence mental and social wellbeing, psychosocial outcomes, and pathways away from crime
• Highlight effective approaches for engaging young people from diverse and marginalised backgrounds
• Explore how sport can act as a vehicle for positive change, supporting more inclusive, just and health-promoting environments
• Co-develop a youth-led research agenda for sport, health and youth justice, including priorities in Surrey and neighbouring areas such as Lambeth

The morning session will foreground speaker perspectives from academics, practitioners, young people with lived experience, and statutory services. The afternoon session will focus on youth-led agenda setting and co-production, guided by young co-researchers.

A follow-up webinar will extend the conversation, sharing emerging insights and proposed research priorities with a wider audience and inviting further feedback from practitioners, policymakers, researchers and community organisations.

Why contribute?

By contributing to Active Futures, you will:

• Connect with others working across sport, youth work, justice, health and community development
• Be part of a collaborative, inclusive event that values academic evidence, practice expertise and lived experience equally
• Help shape research and impact agendas in health and justice
• Influence future policy, practice and partnership working around sport-based PYD programmes