My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
Yes
I am 18 years of age or above, by the application deadline.
Yes
My organisation is a registered UK entity and has a London-based address.
Yes
My organisation is a non-profit (e.g. school, university, or local authority) — not a for-profit, which can only join as a partner.
Yes
If there is a for-profit organisation as a partner in my initiative, they work on a cost-recovery basis only.
Yes
My solution is implemented at scale, or if not, I have a clear business plan, a minimum viable solution (prototype, pilot, or proof of concept), evidence of access to a lease for the space you are leveraging, and evidence of work or impact in London within your coalition.
Yes
I am aware that, if I am submitting more than one application to a Challenge run by Ashoka and Go! London, only one of them is able to progress through the stages.
Yes
Are you an employee (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka or any of its respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies?
No
I have read and accepted the Challenge Terms & Conditions.
Yes
First Name
Natasha
Last Name
Benn
Pronouns
She/Her
Email address
I would like to receive notifications and updates about Go London!, Ashoka, Ashoka Changemakers, and other Ashoka opportunities.
1
Are you an Ashoka Fellow?
No
Are you applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow?
No
If you are applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow, please specify the name and organisation of the fellow below.
Lead Organisation Name
The Haringey Rebels Under One Sun Inclusive Sports CIC
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2025
Initiative Title
Rebels United: Active Connected Mobile Arena
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
www.rebelsunited.co.uk
Initiative Stage
Pilot-Stage (The first activities have happened, and you have proof of concept)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Health & Fitness
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Rebels transforms inaccessible and underused community spaces into inclusive sports arenas using a MOBILE SPOKE AND HUB (MSH), enabling disabled and able-bodied young people to play together (and intergenerationally). This improves socialisation, physical and mental wellbeing, whilst providing training to develop skills/qualifications in their neighbourhoods. Our MSH will purchase storage, a mobile transport unit, professional flooring, ramps and specialist sports equipment. By utilising Rebels' Innovation Toolkit, our Youth Management Board can replicate MSH across London, turning a localised pilot into a high-impact social innovation activating diverse space: - REMOVING the social, architectural and financial barriers preventing many young people from accessing inclusive sport. CONVERTING leisure centres, community rooms, parks, faith centres and restricted “No Ball Games” zones into safe venues where disabled and able-bodied youth play wheelchair basketball, tennis, boccia and other inclusive sports (streamlined into ability and age-appropriate groups (focus on ages 6 -24)). serving as INCUBATORS for youth leadership, social resilience, and employability providing a structured pathway for participants to gain accredited qualifications, transition into decision-making roles, and build the emotional resilience needed for long-term success. Participants will gain the skills to manage these spaces and mentor their peers, ensuring the project is truly youth-led.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve and who will benefit the most from your solution? How close are you to the problem and/or community impacted?
Across the poorest areas of Haringey (and London) most leisure centres remain inaccessible to SEND young people; and the mobility-impaired due to a lack of trained staff, specialised equipment, or storage. Also, many potential parks, community centres, and other play areas have slippery floors, uneven tarmac, or restrictive “No Ball Games” policies. Haringey’s (and London’s) youth face a lack of inclusive spaces and a significant gap in low cost to free, structured leadership opportunities. Many ethnically diverse and economically excluded young people avoid traditional leisure centres due to a fear of non-inclusive environments. Evidenced by SPORT ENGLAND’S ACTIVE LIVES (2025) data: children of BLACK (41%) AND ASIAN (43%) ETHNICITIES remain the least likely to be active. Simultaneously, inactivity among DISABLED CHILDREN (30.5%) has remained stagnant for five years, proving that current systems fail to provide accessible, local opportunities. This results in rising risks of social isolation, poor MENTAL HEALTH, and limited pathways into accredited employment. We address BARRIERS: lack of infrastructure, psychological "fear factors," and financial exclusion, by unlocking ‘grey’ spaces, indoor in winter, outdoor in spring/summer, making integrated play fun; REDUCING loneliness and stigma for disabled children while LOWERING anxiety around difference for able-bodied peers. Rebels, an ethnically diverse team, have real understanding of the barriers faced by people with/without disabilities wishing to participate in exercise and how they are overcome. Amir, co-founder of Rebels founded Sparrows charity and, together, they bring 40 years of inclusive sport delivery and play. Our MSH ensures communities have environments to make exercise inclusive, social fun.
Your approach: How are you/ will you addressing the problem outlined above? How does your solution unlock or reimagine access to spaces for sport and physical activity? What role do landowners, local authorities, or other decision-making stakeholders play in your approach? We'd love to know about the origin of your idea, and what was your "aha" moment" that led you to take action?
Rebels was born from LIVED EXPERIENCE and PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT. After a life-changing disability, Natasha’s physical fitness saved her life, yet the spaces she once trained in became inaccessible, separating her from friends. Amir, an ELITE TRAINER of 40+ years and founder of Sparrows charity, has delivered wheelchair sport to disabled and able-bodied children and Olympians, but is constrained by lack of ACCESSIBLE venues and STORAGE. He trained and mentored Natasha to a COACH and TOURNAMENT-READY player. We UNITE health, inclusion and youth development—providing INCLUSIVE SPORT and mentoring young people where they live, bridging the DISABILITY DIVIDE. Confirmed PARTNERS (more onboarding) include Haringey Council, Sparrows, Hackney Warriors, University College London (tennis coaching) and Haringey Sports Development. Through our MSH we access LAND and PARTICIPANTS. With the Council, which owns local leisure centres and additional sites, we activate underused “GREY SPACES” and former “NO BALL GAME” zones, unlocking indoor venues in winter and outdoor sites in spring/summer as YEAR-ROUND COMMUNITY ASSETS. With Haringey Sports Development, our LEVEL 2 COACHES expand delivery across schools, lesiure/community centres and parks (including Haringey holiday parks programme). Rebels and Sparrows compete in the Egham basketball league and support Hackney Warriors Boccia Club (152 members) serving SEND children. DELIVERY: HUB (wkly 4-hr sessions) plus 3-15 rotating SPOKE SITES, reaching 400 PARTICIPANTS WEEKLY by month 10. Three streams: RECREATIONAL, COMPETITIVE (including BWB path) and INTERGENERATIONAL. Rebels makes spaces accessible for those they were never designed to include: INCLUSIVE PRACTICE and our PORTABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTION unlocks space at scale.
Collaboration with young people and the community: In what ways does your initiative engage young people and community members closest to the problem? What role do they play in building the solution you deliver?
Rebels is built using a “co-design, not just delivery” model with young people (with and without disabilities) to ensure we address their real-life aspirations. Through this approach, young people are not just beneficiaries; they are the architects of how their local space is utilized. YOUNG PEOPLE shape: WHAT happens: Session formats are decided through participant feedback and trial sessions. For example, youth have shifted our focus from traditional drills to mixed wheelchair basketball games and the addition of more seated sports. WHERE we work: Our Youth Management Board—a group of young people participate in sessions, and identify new “Spoke” locations on their estates. These suggestions directly inform where we deploy the MSH, ensuring space activation responds to lived experience rather than top-down planning. HOW spaces feel: Youth leaders advise on session style, cultural relevance, and peer outreach. Transforming unhabitable environments into welcoming social hubs that build supportive peer networks; and reduce the stigma of disability. Pathway from PARTICIPANT TO LEADER: Participants like Devalle and Rishi are mentored into leadership roles where they contribute to planning meetings, outreach strategy, and session design. This ensures the initiative evolves with a genuine youth voice and remains relevant to community needs while fostering social resilience and leadership skills. We integrate formal coaching qualifications, creating a leadership pipeline where participants become certified mentors with transferable skills and clear transitions into future careers. Volunteering opportunities are embedded throughout, allowing participants to support sessions, and contribute to community delivery.
Potential for/Evidence of Impact: How do you imagine your initiative will make a difference in unlocking spaces for and access to physical activity and sport so far? If you have already implemented it, what difference have you made so far? What is the impact your initiative has had , and or what impact do you envision having in the future?
PROOF OF CONCEPT: EVIDENCE OF IMPACT & DEMAND REBELS' MSH measures impact through the UNLOCKING AND RECLASSIFICATION of urban spaces. We have already proven that disabled (Physical/SEND) and able-bodied youth co-train successfully when the environment is accessible. OUR TRACK RECORD OF DELIVERY: WEEKLY OUTREACH: Reaching 370 CHILDREN WEEKLY (170 disabled) across schools, colleges, and community centres. ANNUAL SPORTS FUN DAYS: 2,000 CHILDREN participate annually (including 50 disabled children and 80 adults). TOURNAMENT SUCCESS: 258 PARTICIPANTS (172 with a disability) at the Egham Tournament and 100% POSITIVE FEEDBACK at the GLA INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL EVENT 2025. VALIDATED DEMAND & SOCIAL VALUE: THE INCLUSION GAP: Our 2026 Survey shows 97.1% OF RESIDENTS would join wheelchair sport in Haringey, despite only 27.8% identifying as disabled—proving MASSIVE CROSS-ABILITY DEMAND. PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT: 92% of participants reported a STRONGER SENSE OF COMMUNITY; 89% increased SOCIAL CONFIDENCE (Sparrows 2024 Survey). FINANCIAL READINESS & SCALING: OWNED ASSETS: £24,000 IN INFRASTRUCTURE and £35,000 IN-KIND SUPPORT (wheelchairs and subsidized hire) already secured. THE ROADMAP: YEAR 1: 10–15 "GREY SPACES" (including housing estates, parks, and faith centres) ACTIVATED in Haringey YEAR 2: Scaling across NORTH LONDON; 2 youth entering coaching pathways. YEAR 3: Consolidating franchises for a LONDON-WIDE INCLUSIVE SOLUTION. SUCCESS METRICS: WELLBEING tracked via pre/post-programme surveys to measure CONFIDENCE, MENTAL HEALTH, and PROGRESSION. IMPACT, REPLICATION, and LEARNING will be documented to enable the LONDON-WIDE ADOPTION of our inclusive model.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Our MSH approach is not introducing or expanding sport, we are redesigning how space is used and those who can access it. Innovation on 5 levels: SPATIAL INNOVATION: Mobile storage, transport, professional flooring, ramps and equipment convert previously unusable surfaces into fully playable arenas within 40 minutes, making the most of limited urban space. STRUCTURAL INNOVATION: We demonstrate that “non-sport” or restricted “No Ball Games” zones can safely host high-quality structured activity, bypassing the need for expensive, slow-build capital projects, and unlocking hidden potential in everyday environments. SOCIAL INNOVATION: By training disabled and able-bodied youth together, we actively dismantle the segregated sport models that reinforce "otherness," fostering collaboration, understanding, and lasting community connections. SYSTEM INNOVATION: This model shifts the norm from "bringing people to the facility" to "bringing the facility to the people," creating a replicable "plug-and-play" approach for London that can be scaled quickly and adapted to diverse urban contexts. ECONOMIC INNOVATION: Our £1-2-per-session model and estate pop-ups tackle the root cause of exclusion: the combination of financial poverty and lack of local representation, ensuring accessibility without compromising quality or engagement. Our approach and structure creates an urban activation model, not a single-site programme, which allows able-bodied and disabled young people to train together and/or intergenerationally, have fun, exercise, develop skills, build confidence, and strengthen social bonds, proving that inclusivity is a matter of DESIGN, COMMITMENT, and WILL, not just bricks and mortar.
Viability and Scalability: How are you setting your initiative up for success, and what is your plan to ensure operational sustainability of your solution and its impact? What are your ideas for scaling your initiative to the next level?
SUSTAINABILITY: BLENDED INCOME & ASSETS We ensure long-term impact through a "Value for Money" framework where grant funding unlocks exponential growth. Our viability is anchored by £24,000 in existing infrastructure and £35,000 in confirmed in-kind support (including 32 sports wheelchairs and 6 months of subsidized hire at Tottenham Leisure Centre). REVENUE: Our £1-2-per-session model (free to those who can’t afford it) is projected to generate £8,000 annually for a “sinking fund”. CONTRACTS: Paid delivery for schools/colleges and corporate inclusion days. ASSET MANAGEMENT: We will own the MSH equipment, leasing it to community providers to generate income while shrinking ongoing costs as reach increases. SCALING & FUTURE GROWTH The "Mobile Arena" kit can activate three locations simultaneously. To scale, we will: FRANCHISING AND PARTNERSHIP We are unique in our plan to franchise and partner with organisations to facilitate their own inclusive delivery, sourcing partners via our network, social media and community outreach. STRATEGIC ALLIANCES: We will partner with additional affiliate sports bodies (beyond British Wheelchair Basketball), Councils and Voluntary Community partners to create a network of providers. GEOGRAPHIC EXPANSION: Transition from Haringey-wide delivery to a North London model by 2027 (thereafter London-wide), using our evidence base to apply to the London Marathon Foundation’s Active Spaces Fund and other funds. INNOVATION & REPLICATION: We will test, measure and refine the Mobile Arena model, producing a replicable toolkit (costings, partnerships, governance and delivery framework) enabling borough-wide and cross-London adoption. THIS IS CONTROLLED, EVIDENCE-INFORMED SCALING, NOT SPECULATIVE GROWTH, CREATING A LEGACY.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
STRATEGIC LEAD (Natasha): A level 2 coach, youth mentor, member of the Livery of Educators, Chair of the Haringey JPB, trustee and Founding Director and advisor to Haringey Council and the GLA on Health and Social Care and Disability planning, is routed in community work. Natasha manages stakeholder relationships, grant compliance, and alignment with London-wide health frameworks. She leads on the "Social Value" audit, ensuring sessions meet the cultural and accessibility needs of our diverse participants. An elite-standard trainer for over 40 years and former Olympic Torchbearer, Amir oversees all PHYSICAL DELIVERY. He manages risk assessments for "Grey Space" activations and ensures all coaching and equipment layouts are fully British Wheelchair Basketball (BWB) compliant. He will also ensure our "Mobile Arena" setups meet Sport England's technical design standards for inclusive play, guaranteeing a professional-grade experience in every environment. YOUTH LEADERSHIP (Mentees like Devalle (Go London Finalist with Adoptive Ballers) & Rishi (to be expanded)): Our youth management board acts as "co-designers." They will lead on peer-to-peer marketing (TikTok/Instagram), identify new "Spoke" locations on housing estates, and act as ambassadors to ensure the project remains relevant and "fun" for the next generation. STRATEGIC PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS: Haringey Council Active Wellbeing and Communications Team (HCAWC): Provides strategic signposting, marketing support, and has committed sports wheelchairs, and 6 months of subsidized venue hire at Tottenham Leisure Centre. In addition to necessary support to ensure the success of this project such as access to its land and facilities. . The HCAWC is working in partnership with Rebels to ensure the project’s success and will provide opportunities for more young people t take part in sport and physical activity sessions at locations which suite them best. Letter of support provided. Disability Action Haringey (DAH): Acts as a primary referral partner and provides a license to use specialized wheelchairs, ensuring we have the capacity to host large-scale sessions. Letter of Support provided. Sparrows Charity: Has committed reasonable-spec wheelchairs specifically for youth who wish to transition from casual play to competitive training. Letter of Support provided. The Haringey Sports Development Charitable Trust has committed to assisting with the identification of participants and access to their partners. It has well established links with almost all schools in the borough and will promote the project. Letter of Support Provided. Other Partners (GP Surgeries): GP Social Prescribers at Green Lanes and Tottenham Health Centres provide direct participant referrals, ensuring we reach those with long-term health conditions who benefit most from preventative wellness and nutritional advice. Local schools are committing to our services as they become aware (e.g. We are participating in a 10,000-hour school sports event in Haringey).
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
PHASE 1: MOBILIZATION & ASSET SECURITY (MONTHS 1–2) PRIMARY MILESTONE: Infrastructure fully operational with the procurement of three MSH (Mobile Sports Hub) kits, including professional sports tiles, portable hoops, and ramps. KEY ACTIVITIES: Establishing mobile storage and transport logistics. RISK MITIGATION: To counter equipment, lead times or theft, we utilize verified UK suppliers and a pre-identified secure storage facility. All assets (totalling £100,000) are fully insured and asset-tracked from delivery. PHASE 2: HUB LAUNCH & TECHNICAL SAFETY (MONTHS 3–4) PRIMARY MILESTONE: Activation of the "Core Hub" at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre and expansion to leisure centres lacking wheelchair-accessible equipment. KEY ACTIVITIES: Onboarding the Youth Management Board to formalize peer mentorship. RISK MITIGATION: To address potential low initial turnout or participant "fear factor," we activate established referral pathways referred to above. SECONDARY MILESTONE onboard 10 community volunteers as session-assistants and multilingual advocates, ensuring our elite safety standards are maintained while deeply rooting the project in the local culture. Phase 3: Spoke Expansion & Environmental Resilience (Months 5–8) PRIMARY MILESTONE: Successful transformation of "Grey Spaces" (Schools, Parks, community centres) into elite-standard sporting venues. KEY ACTIVITIES: Scaling from the Hub into the community via "Spoke" sessions. Risk Mitigation: To manage weather or surface risks, we perform site-specific assessments 48 hours in advance. Professional (Sport England Safety Compliant) flooring tiles neutralize uneven surfaces, and "indoor fallback" rooms are pre-booked for every outdoor session. PHASE 4: GROWTH, OUTREACH & CULTURAL INCLUSION (MONTHS 9–10) PRIMARY MILESTONE: "NETWORK SATURATION," reaching a target of 400 weekly participants. KEY ACTIVITIES: Expansion into Wood Green and White Hart Lane. RISK MITIGATION: To reach traditionally "hard-to-reach" wards, we employ a multilingual marketing strategy (Somali, Turkish, Spanish, etc.) and empower youth leaders like Devalle and Rishi to lead peer-to-peer recruitment. PHASE 5: EVALUATION & FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY (MONTHS 11–12) PRIMARY MILESTONE: Completion of a Social Value Audit and securing Year 2 contracts (Schools/Corporate). KEY ACTIVITIES: Transitioning to a sustainable engine of health through 2029. RISK MITIGATION: To protect against lower-than-projected "pay-to-play" revenue, we use a blended income model, supplementing our budget with grants from the London Marathon Foundation and other funders, with school and corporate away-day payments.
Capacity-Building Participation and Support Funding: If you were to make it as a finalist, you will be required to participate in an 8-week capacity building programme. If funding/ cost is a barrier to your participation, we may be able to offer up to 10,000 GBP of grant money available to support you. Please break down below, if it is the case, what costs you would incur and you would need covered. (Please note that there are restrictions on how the grant money may be used; please refer to the T&Cs for further details.
To ensure Rebels United can fully participate in the 8-week programme and maximize project development, we request £10,000 to cover the following essential external expertise and direct project costs: DIGITAL REFERRAL & IMPACT INFRASTRUCTURE (£4,500) External Expertise: We will engage a specialist systems consultant to build a HIPAA/GDPR-compliant Digital Referral Portal. This will allow GP Social Prescribers and SEND coordinators to refer participants directly and securely. Project Development: Development of a real-time Impact Dashboard to track participant wellbeing and demographic data, which is essential for the "Social Value Audits" required for long-term sustainability following Go! London’s focus on "learning by doing," this dashboard will allow us to iteratively refine our sessions based on real-time feedback to maximize pilot impact. STRATEGIC BRANDING & MULTILINGUAL OUTREACH DEVELOPMENT (£3,000) External Services: Professional design and translation services to create our Multilingual Outreach Toolkit. This includes translating technical safety inductions and nutritional advice into Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese, and Somali to reach Haringey’s most excluded communities in the deprived eastern parts of the borough. Innovation: Creating high-fidelity QR-code-linked video content that demonstrates the "Mobile Arena" setup, reducing the "fear factor" for new SEND families. ACCESSIBILITY & SAFETY CONSULTANCY (£2,500) External Expertise: We will hire an independent Access Auditor to review our "Mobile Arena" setup across varied urban "Grey Spaces" (estate rooms, parks, faith centres). Outcome: This consultancy will produce a standardised "Safe-Zone Operating Manual" and site-specific risk assessment templates, ensuring our mobile model is safe, sound and ready for London-wide scaling. JUSTIFICATION FOR SUPPORT As a community-led Community Interest Company, these upfront development costs represent a significant barrier. This funding will allow the leadership team to focus on the 8-week capacity-building programme while ensuring the technical and digital foundations of the "Active & Connected" project are built to an elite, scalable standard. We confirm that none of these funds will be used for salaries or events, and all receipts will be retained for the mandatory 10-year period.
