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
Cathy
Last Name
Norris
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.
n/a
Lead Organisation Name
Prospex
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2001
Initiative Title
Open Space Active
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
www.prospex.org.uk
Initiative Stage
Idea (You have a solid concept and are hoping to get started in the future)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
Diverting vulnerable young people from harm, increasing physical activity among those who normally avoid sport, improving community cohesion, and connecting them to wider support and opportunities close to where they live and feel safe.
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?
Many vulnerable young people spend time in open public spaces without safe access to positive activities, increasing their risk of anti‑social behaviour, youth violence and gang involvement. Our project engages these young people in free, open‑access sports sessions delivered close to where they live and feel safe. Prospex Detached youth workers will work alongside sports coaches from Access to Sport to build trust with those who do not usually engage in sport—often young people who hover on the edges of sessions, feel excluded, or disrupt activities. Youth workers can redirect them into participation, reducing tension, improving session quality and developing healthier habits. Youth workers will work with sports coaches to encourage positive engagement and offer additional support e.g. to wider opportunities, offering ways to gain help- including poor mental health and addiction. Prospex delivers a comprehensive youth programme including a detached street outreach service and, as such, has the experience to support young people who face complex challenges. Our approach aligns strongly with Islington’s Active Together strategy that aims to increase the uptake of physical activity and Islington's Youth Safety Strategy 2025–2030, which prioritises providing “more services for young people where they are” and identifying those at risk early to prevent harm. It emphasises engaging young people and communities through trusted relationships and consistent presence in public spaces. Our bid targets Islington’s current low activity rates: 43.8% of young people in Islington aged 5-16 are active (an average of 60 minutes a day), compared with 47.1% for London 34.8% are less active (an average of less than 30 minutes a day), compared with 30.2% for London
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?
Our approach combines open‑access sport, detached youth work, and strong partnerships to transform how young people access and use public spaces. With the backing of LB Islington, we will use council sites for free coach‑led activities and sports sessions, and support PlayMade to install equipment Pods, allowing young people to access free sports equipment even when sessions are not running. This removes cost barriers and opens up parks and estates as safe, inclusive spaces for physical activity. Prospex’s detached outreach targets hotspots of youth anti‑social behaviour and criminal activity. By positioning youth workers alongside coaches, we can reach young people who do not usually participate—those who watch from the edges, feel unsure, or may disrupt sessions. Through trust‑building and consistent presence, youth workers encourage them to try new activities/sports such as roller skating or designed to include all. The Pods and open sessions invite all young people into shared public spaces, supporting those who lack equipment, confidence, or structured opportunities. Youth workers also create pathways into wider youth services and specialist support where needed. L.B. Islington play a vital role by granting access to spaces, enabling Pods to be installed, and supporting a joined‑up approach across youth safety and community wellbeing. Our “aha moment” came from our contact with young people eager to be active but held back by having no equipment, nowhere welcoming to go, or no one to help them take the first step. Watching them hover at the edges of free coach‑led activities, wanting to join but not knowing how, made it clear that combining accessible equipment, open spaces, skilled coaches, and detached youth workers could transform these environments.
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?
This joint initiative between Prospex, Access to Sport, L.B. Islington, and PlayMade, together with young people and local residents, places recreation at the heart of the community, making it fair, open and accessible to all. Prospex’s detached street team will engage young people close to their homes, in places where they feel safe, involving them directly in shaping local projects and turning open spaces into active social hubs with the right sports gear. This helps address safety concerns that prevent young people from travelling to other estates and enables them to learn new sports and access wider support, including mental health support, access to other positive activities and employment support. We will provide qualified sports coaches, supported by youth workers who engage those who may be hesitant or disruptive. Access to Sport and Prospex will lead delivery on the ground, while L.B. Islington provides sites and strategic backing. PlayMade Pods will supply free equipment via an app, and coaches will run inclusive activities that encourage young people to continue using the Pods independently, keeping fit and using their time positively. Prospex's detached street Team is well established and has good links with local services and residents. This initiative will empower local people by encouraging residents to volunteer at activities which is an integral part of the Project's legacy. Most importantly the project will encourage wide access to the equipment in the Pods in areas that have a history of anti-social haviour, which otherwise may be dominated by a few.
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 brings young people together across postcode boundaries and breaks down barriers. Prospex’s established detached team has strong links with local services and residents, and the project will empower the community by encouraging local volunteers to support activities. Most importantly, it will ensure wide access to equipment in areas with histories of anti‑social behaviour, preventing spaces from being dominated by a few and making them welcome for all. Our initiative will unlock access to physical activity by encouraging young people to learn new sports on their doorstep and supporting them to replace screen time with active time in local recreation grounds. By introducing a wide range of free, accessible activities, young people will be able to develop new habits, build confidence, and discover forms of exercise they may never have tried before. It will help bring neighbourhoods together by involving residents—especially young people—in designing and shaping inclusive initiatives. This shared ownership discourages areas from being hotspots for anti‑social, instead turning them into welcoming hubs. Access to Sports is embedded in the community , employing local residents and encouraging trusted role models. Free sports equipment, accessed through a mobile app from Pods located , ensures no young person is excluded due to cost. This opens up local spaces in a creative way, promoting healthy lifestyles, regular physical activity, and safe, positive environments for all. Our vision is for this model to be rolled out across Islington in all areas where Pods are installed. This would increase social participation, make open spaces more accessible, improve community health and wellbeing, and provide much‑needed support for vulnerable young people.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
This brings voluntary, public and business sectors together to addresses accessibility to recreation and play in areas where people can feel unsafe by encouraging the positive use of local outdoor parks and open spaces through low cost equipment and community ownership. Importantly it provides a solution to supporting those who may dominate open spaces and display anti-social behaviour in a constructive inclusive way through bringing together key partners, including qualified youth workers and trained coaches to empower the local community to come together to transform open spaces from crime hotspots to creative social spaces where the community can interact socially, health can be improved and those most at risk are supported. Crucially local circumstances would influence the model in every different location, avoiding the one size fits all approach, through working with local partnerships, voluntary organisations, businesses and statutory bodies to developing resident ownership and thriving active open spaces, whilst addressing the needs of those who lack confidence, feel excluded and can be disruptive.
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?
All partners have had initial discussion and agree that this initiative will begin on 7 identified sites. L.B. Islington want their open spaces to be used more creatively and be accessible to all. Prospex has very experienced detached youth workers who have expertise in working with some of the most vulnerable young people on some of the most deprived estates in the borough. Prospex deliver Islington detached Youth work contract and already have excellent working relationships with the borough. Prospex and Access for Sports have successfully worked on other projects together to positively engage young people and communities. Access for Sports can offer skills and routes to employment through coaching qualifications. PlayMade have agreed to provide Pods free of charge in this initial phase and pods are planned for 29 parks. The 7 locations and related activities we have agreed to focus on are - Bingfield Park. Basketball, football Caledonian Park PlayZone.* Basketball, multi-sports for girls, roller skating Crouch Hall. Basketball, football. Could link to neighbouring Brickworks community centre Finsbury estate. Basketball, football Highbury Quadrant PlayZone.* Basketball, cricket, multi-sports for girls, tennis Holland Walk, near Elthorne Park. Activities tbc Hollins & McCall, Tufnell Park Road. Basketball, football NB* Caledonian Park and Highbury Quadrant PlayZones are multi use games areas that have attracted funding and are a focus for improvement. Following the evaluation of the initial pilot stage, phase 2 would involve expanding this across Islington. Phase 3 would involve rolling out across 2-3 boroughs and Phase 4 across the country. Each phase would learn lessons from the previous and learning shared.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Prospex will project manage to encourage local engagement, ownership and legacy. A Steering Committee will be established to over see the project. Initial discussion and pilot planning with partners have taken place. Propsex will provide youth workers to support each activity session, engaging those that may be disruptive and those that may required additional support outside of the specific sessions e.g. individual counselling support, engagement in other youth activities, support with training or employment etc Access for Sports will provide qualified coaches for sessions at sites to encourage a good range of activities, learning of new skills, and local training opportunities. L. B. Islington will give permission for the installation of Pods and the project activities to take place in their parks and open Spaces. PlayMade will supply Pods free at pilot stage. They will be responsible for the installation, the upkeep of the Pods as well as the hiring of equipment through their App.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
Propsex will manage the project and liaise between key partners. The pilot is ready to go once backing has been secured. Steering group established - 2 weeks - meet monthly for length of 12 month pilot Partner monitoring and evaluation methods to be established, led by Prospex - 1 month L.B. Islington to give permissions for Pods and project initiative with local communities. Play Made to install Pods at sites - over 12 months Access to Sports to appoint coaches to deliver a wide variety of 2 hour sessions across each site for 12 months - 1 month lead-in Propsex to work with the local community in establishing this new approach to using open spaces creatively, actively involving young people and local residents - 6 weeks lead-in Joint detached youth work and sports/active play session to be delivered across each site. - Months 2-11. 2 monthly reviews built in to measure effectiveness and inform future work. The use of the open spaces outside of theses times to be encouraged and use will be monitored alongside the reduction of anti-social behaviour and increased resident participation. Pilot evaluation month 11- learning used to inform Phase 2 Planning preparation for stage 2 to begin in month 9
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 consistent participation from the staff members best placed to benefit from the programme (e.g., Project Lead, Development Manager, or CEO), we would need support to cover: Backfill staffing for frontline youth workers so senior staff can attend sessions Additional staff hours to complete programme tasks, reporting, and implementation work If in‑person workshops or sessions are held, staff may incur travel costs across London. Public transport (travelcards/Oyster) Occasional taxi fares where needed for accessibility or late‑evening sessions Young people supported and trained to increase skills to participate in the project
