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
Jackie
Last Name
Marie
Pronouns
She/Her
Email address
I would like to receive notifications and updates about Go London!, Ashoka, Ashoka Changemakers, and other Ashoka opportunities.
0
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
XLP
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2003
Initiative Title
XLP Rise Space
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://www.xlp.org.uk
Initiative Stage
Established (You’ve successfully passed early phases and have a plan for the future. Your venture has been in existence for 6 years and above)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Our initiative will enhance and transform the Stratford Youth Hub into a safe, inclusive sports centre that expands access to high-quality sport for girls and underrepresented groups, while continuing to integrate health, mentoring and employability pathways to support young people’s long-term development.
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?
Young people in Newham face significant barriers to accessing structured sports opportunities due to deep-rooted social and environmental challenges. The borough is among London’s most deprived, with 34.5% of under-18s living in high deprivation (data.gov.uk) and an estimated 21% of households overcrowded (LSE 2025), limiting young people’s access to safe spaces outside the home. Without safe, attractive alternatives, many young people (particularly girls) have few options for physical activity, leading to low participation rates in sport and limited access to positive social networks. XLP supports over 4,000 young people annually across nine interrelated projects in London, working directly with young people experiencing high levels of anti-social behaviour, school exclusion and risky behaviours. Girls in particular face additional barriers to sport participation, including safety concerns, the lack of engaging provision, and cultural or confidence barriers. The Stratford Youth Hub is ideally situated in the heart of this community, and our longstanding relationships and daily presence place us uniquely close to the lived reality of these young people. By strengthening sports provision at the Hub, we can break down the barriers that currently prevent local young people from engaging in sport and reaping the associated health, confidence and social outcomes.
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?
We will address the barriers to sport participation in Newham by transforming Stratford Youth Hub into a more inclusive, accessible and girl-responsive sports space. This will include redesigning our sports offer to prioritise safe, structured sessions for girls, increasing female-led coaching and mentoring, and ensuring programmes are shaped directly by young people’s feedback. We are reimagining access by positioning the Hub as a safe, central alternative to overcrowded homes and limited outdoor provision. Located within Stratford Shopping Centre, the Hub is highly visible, neutral and accessible, removing geographic and safety barriers that prevent many young people from engaging in sport. Extended opening hours, targeted outreach through schools, and referral pathways from police and youth services will further widen access. Our partnerships are critical to unlocking participation. Local schools identify young people at risk of exclusion and low engagement in PE, referring them directly into our sports programmes. The local authority and police help us reach those most vulnerable to exploitation or anti-social behaviour. Our corporate partner, CBRE UK, supports the sustainability of the space, enabling us to maintain affordable and open-access provision. Our “aha” moment came through consistent conversations with young people (particularly girls) who told us they did not feel that existing sports spaces were designed for them. Concerns around safety, confidence and lack of tailored provision were preventing participation. We recognised that simply offering sport was not enough; we needed to intentionally design a space and programme that felt welcoming, safe and empowering. This initiative is our response to that insight.
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?
Our on-site gym at the Youth Hub, weekly running and fitness club (a partnership with Outrunners Sports Club charity), after school football club at Gallions School in Newham and Girls Gym session each Tuesday (at the Youth Hub) - is a vital part of keeping young people engaged through sports. Due to increased demand and interest, we are looking to deliver more sports sessions and a girls only gym session in the existing gym space at our Youth Hub (via a weekly scheduled sports programme timetable). A girls only gym programme at the Hub (aimed at 11-18 year olds), will create a supportive, judgment-free zone in a safe space (that they may not get elsewhere in the Stratford area). The sessions will boost confidence, encourages skill development, reduces social anxieties, and fosters friendships - leading to greater participation, better mental health, positive body image, increased empowerment and long-term fitness habits. The sessions will be led by trained female coaches/mentors, with additional support from XLP's on-site female Youth Leaders. A trained sports coach can use the power of sport to teach young girls how to set goals, focus on specific skills and enjoy the rewards of accomplishing tasks. There will also be an opportunity for young people to shape the programme and have direct input on what they would like the sessions to include. Together, these form a holistic approach, working towards the following key outcomes for young people: - Gives a sense of increased self-worth, self-esteem and educational achievement, helping them confidently and positively contribute to society. - Encourages positive attitudes and behaviours towards their communities, their families, peers, local residents, teachers and the police.
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?
Our initiative already has a positive impact on both the local community and the young people in Newham. Last year, over 600 young people attended our Hub, and our presence in the heart of Newham has been an integral factor in that. Through our sports work, we have noticed a significant reduction in anti –social behaviour in the local area and have already seen the following outcomes for the young people that we support: • 85%+ demonstrated sustained and improved emotional and social capabilities • 80%+ demonstrated sustained and improved educational engagement In the future, we aim to we would run a girls only gym session, led by trained female coaches/mentors - offering free access, no membership commitment and no joining fee, during convenient hours of the day each week, that work best for the young people. In turn, this will increase interest and participation rates, increase support from local businesses, where we can look into potential partnership opportunities and increase awareness. Each year, our attendance numbers have steadily increased, meaning that our sports space has the potential to become one of the main safe spaces for girls, to participate in sports and improve their visibility and inclusivity.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
We are uniquely placed in the heart of Stratford and are close by to many secondary schools and businesses. Our location means that we are rooted within communities, bringing us closer and more in-tune with community engagement and their needs - especially amongst the increased diversity of young people in Newham. XLP is deeply integrated into a network of local statutory, public and voluntary services already supporting young people facing significant challenges. These include bodies such as Virtual Schools, Care Leaving Teams, DWP, NACRO Crime Reduction Charity, and multiple Youth Offending Teams. We incorporate feedback from partners and align our initiatives with relevant studies and reports, further enhancing our impact. Our partnership with CBRE UK means that, through our internal employment programme (Ready to Work), we can offer potential work experience placements, giving young people the opportunity to explore career paths, develop essential soft skills and build confidence and maturity. The Youth Hub is a multi-faceted space that offers holistic wrap-around care, for each young person that we engage with - young people can use the space for other purposes e.g. the sensory room for quiet space, a large space to complete school work/homework and make new friends. By integrating with our other services, such as arts, mentoring and employment training, we are in a unique position to offer additional support and opportunities for young people. Additionally, we would run a girls only gym session, led by trained female coaches/mentors - offering free access, no membership commitment and no joining fee, during convenient hours of the day each week, that work best for the young people.
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?
Our initiative is built on an established and sustainable foundation. The Stratford Youth Hub is part of XLP’s wider network of nine interrelated London programmes. This infrastructure provides experienced leadership, safeguarding systems, financial oversight and long-term organisational stability, ensuring the sports expansion is embedded within a proven operational model rather than a standalone pilot. Operational sustainability will be secured through a blended funding approach. Alongside grant funding, we leverage corporate partnership support (including subsidised space through CBRE UK), charitable trusts, local authority commissioning, and individual giving. Our established school, local authority referral pathways ensure consistent demand and strong participation levels, reducing the risk of under-utilisation. We also build volunteer and peer leadership pathways, enabling young people to transition into sports leadership roles, strengthening programme continuity and reducing long-term staffing pressures. To scale impact, we will first embed and evidence the model at Stratford, particularly the girl-focused, barrier-reducing sports offer. We will measure participation rates, retention, wellbeing outcomes and engagement among previously underrepresented groups. Once refined, this model can be replicated across XLP’s other London projects, expanding inclusive sports access borough by borough. In the longer term, we aim to position Stratford Youth Hub as a demonstrator site for inclusive, community-embedded sports provision in high-deprivation urban settings, sharing learning with local authorities, schools and community partners.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
The sports programme at XLP's Youth Hub will be delivered by experienced and dedicated Youth Practitioners, who bring a strong track record of supporting young people and delivering meaningful youth work. The overall programme oversight will be provided by XLP’s Director of Youth Work, drawing on over 15 years’ experience, leading on youth engagement programmes for young people facing multiple barriers - including those involved with social services, leaving care, youth offending services and gang intervention units. The day-to-day delivery will be led by the Head of Youth Work for East London, who oversees and manages the programmes that are delivered at Stratford Youth Hub. They will support the Youth Workers and Volunteers - fostering a positive environment; develop and maintain key relationships with local schools and local partners in the area; build trust and relationships with young people facing complex challenges, empowering them to make positive choices. Delivery will be supported by the Youth Workers, who will track and report on project outputs, outcomes, and budgets; build trusted, long-term relationships with local young people facing complex challenges; run engaging activities and programmes (including the gym space), and help young people develop social skills, confidence, and positive pathways.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
Phase 1: Co-Design and Consultation (Months 1–3) • Host a youth-led consultation event / “unconference” bringing together young people, local partners, researchers and practitioners (including learning from research such as Luke Billingham’s work on MUGAs and inclusive sports spaces). • Facilitate a human-centred design process led by our Youth Advisory Board to shape the sports offer, particularly ensuring it is accessible and appealing to girls. • Conduct participation mapping to identify current gaps in access and barriers to engagement. • Finalise programme design and facility adaptation priorities based on findings. Phase 2: Space Adaptation and Capacity Building (Months 3–6) • Make agreed improvements to the sports space to improve safety, visibility and inclusivity. • Recruit/train female Youth Workers as coaches and peer sports leaders. • Establish safeguarding, monitoring and referral systems specific to the expanded sports offer. • Strengthen school and referral pathways for targeted engagement. Phase 3: Programme Launch and Early Delivery (Months 6–9) • Deliver a public launch event to introduce the enhanced sports hub to the community. • Begin structured girls-only sessions and inclusive open-access sport provision. • Embed mentoring and health workshops alongside sports activity. • Track participation, retention and early wellbeing indicators. Phase 4: Embedding and Scaling (Months 9–18) • Review and refine delivery model using participant feedback. • Publish learning from the co-design process and early impact. • Explore replication across other XLP sites. • Secure additional funding to extend provision and scale participation.
