Evaluation of the Active East Project A Report to The Robertson...
100
i Evaluation of the Active East Project Final Report A Report to The Robertson Trust and Scottish Sports Futures John Taylor School of Sport University of Stirling STIRLING FK9 4LA April 2015
Transcript of Evaluation of the Active East Project A Report to The Robertson...
i
Evaluation of the Active East Project
Final Report
A Report to The Robertson Trust and
Scottish Sports Futures
John Taylor
School of Sport
University of Stirling
STIRLING
FK9 4LA
April 2015
i
Table of Contents
Page
Acknowledgements .......................................................................................... iii
Executive Summary ......................................................................................... iv
1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 1
1.1 Structure and Content of the Report.......................................................... 1
1.2 Evaluation Aims ........................................................................................ 2
2 The Active East Programme .................................................................. 3
2.1 Background ............................................................................................... 3
2.2 Active East Aims and Objectives .............................................................. 3
2.3 Active East and the 2014 Commonwealth Games .................................... 5
3 Monitoring and Evaluation Approach .................................................. 6
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 6
3.2 Process Evaluation and Outcome Evaluation ........................................... 6
3.3 Evaluation Approach ................................................................................. 6
4 Active Champions ................................................................................ 11
4.1 Recruiting Active Champions ................................................................. 11
4.2 Training and Support to Active Champions............................................ 12
4.3 Roles Undertaken by Active Champions ................................................ 13
4.4 Active Champions‟ Commitment to Active East .................................... 14
4.5 Personal Development of Active Champions ......................................... 16
4.6 Overall Survey Findings ........................................................................ 16
4.7 Developing Leadership in Active Champions ........................................ 18
4.8 Developing Social Skills and Attributes in Active Champions .............. 20
4.9 Developing Psychological Skills and Attributes in Active
Champions .............................................................................................. 22
4.10 Factors Influencing Active Champions‟ Personal Development ............ 27
4.11 Identity and Belonging ............................................................................ 29
5 Small Grants Projects .......................................................................... 31
5.1 Number, Scale and Nature of Small Grants Awards............................... 31
5.2 Attendance at Small Grants Projects ....................................................... 32
5.3 Survey Findings of Small Grants Project Participants ............................ 37
5.4 Grant Recipients‟ and Active Champions‟ Assessment of Small
Grants Projects ........................................................................................ 46
5.5 Active Champions and the Small Grants Projects .................................. 53
ii
6 Active East Network ............................................................................ 57
6.1 Scale and Nature of Partnership Working in Active East ....................... 57
6.2 Active Champions‟ Contribution to Partnership Working...................... 61
7 Practice and Mechanisms Impacting on Outcomes ........................... 62
7.1 The Contribution of the Active East Team ............................................. 62
7.2 Practice and Mechanisms Associated with Active Champions .............. 62
7.3 Practice and Mechanisms Associated with Partnership Working ........... 66
8 Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................... 68
8.1 Progress Toward Outcomes .................................................................... 68
8.2 Recognition of the Contribution of the Work of Active East ................. 68
8.3 Achieving Greater Impact ....................................................................... 69
8.4 Learning from the Active East Approach ............................................... 72
Appendices
Appendix 1: Table 1 (FULL): Number of hours Active Champions were
engaged in Active East by quarters .............................................. 73
Appendix 2: Table 7 (FULL): Attendance at Small Grants projects (as indicated
in Toolkit Attendance Sheets) .......................................................... 75
Appendix 3: Life Effectiveness Questionnaire ................................................... 77
Appendix 4: Small Grants Project - Participants‟ Beginning of Project (and
End of Project) Survey Findings ................................................... 79
Appendix 5: Small Grants Project – Grant Recipients‟ End of Project
Assessment Report - Findings ...................................................... 85
iii
Acknowledgements
John Taylor would like to extend his thanks to the following people for their support
in undertaking the evaluation:
To the Active East Team, Kirsty, Lisa and Rohanna for their support in
facilitating the evaluation and encouraging all stakeholders to contribute.
These three individuals demonstrated greater levels of commitment to
supporting an evaluation than I have experienced before.
To the all the key stakeholders for their contributions to the evaluation.
To the small grant project organisers, deliverers and Active Champions for
taking the time to collect Toolkit materials and be interviewed for the
evaluation.
And finally, a special thanks to the Active Champions who willingly gave
their time to share their experiences of being involved in Active East. Their
enthusiasm and commitment to their own development and to their own
communities was impressive and inspiring.
iv
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Active East Programme and Evaluation
This report presents the findings of the evaluation of the Active East Programme.
This report includes findings on the impact of the Active East Programme from
February 2013 through to October 2014 and explores three main aspects of Active
East: the operational aspects of Active East; the impact of development activities on
young volunteers (the Active Champions); and the impact of Active East on local
communities.
Active East is a programme funded by The Robertson Trust, The Big Lottery Fund
and Comic Relief and managed by Scottish Sports Futures (SSF) which aims to create
a legacy from the 2014 Commonwealth Games for young people in the East of
Glasgow by increasing levels of physical activity and building skills through
volunteering. With an annual budget of around £140,000, the Active East Programme
was designed around two defined strands:
Active Champions - Active Champions are young people aged 14-25 who are
willing to volunteer to support sport and physical activities for children and
young people living in the East End of Glasgow; and
Small Grants Project - To support new opportunities for young people in the
East End, the Small Grants initiative was launched to allow local youth
clubs/groups/organisations to apply for funding to deliver sessions in physical
activity and sport.
The aim of the evaluation is to determine the progress towards the achievement of the
three main programme outcomes:
Outcome 1: Increase and maintain number of young people accessing accredited
training and development opportunities;
Outcome 2: Increase and improve partnership working among local community
organisations; and
Outcome 3: Young people increase their levels of physical activity and
associated well-being.
The evaluation collected data using quantitative approaches (including surveys,
attendance sheets) and qualitative approaches (including interviews, photographic
elicitation, observation).
Challenging Beginnings
This report has focussed on findings obtained from activities undertaken since
February 2013; however, Active East was originally launched in May 2011. Initially
it was anticipated that a partnership network of local community groups could be
established that would drive forward the delivery of physical activity and sport
opportunities across the East End of Glasgow. A number of projects were delivered
in the first 18 months of the programme, but it was apparent that the proposed
v
programme design and management model was not working well. An interim
evaluation highlighted that there was “significant variation in the commitment of
partner organisations” and that “establishing the desired large-scale partnership”
should not be under-estimated.
Re-Launch of Active East in 2013
Following a period of consultation, a revised Active East programme was proposed
and was re-launched in early 2013. The new programme is led by the Active East
team which includes a Programme Manager, Programme Co-ordinator and a Youth
Development Co-ordinator. The new design and management structure has
demonstrated success in creating strong partnership working across Glasgow‟s East
End. This success can, in part, be attributed to the Active East team encouraging an
environment of openness, sharing good practice, including partners in decision
making processes and reminding partners about the desired outcomes.
Active Champions
The Active East Team has had good success in recruiting young volunteers. The
target of recruiting 50 Active Champions in the first year was exceeded (57 by the end
of 2013) and by October 2014 a total of 71 young people had been recruited as Active
Champions. These young people have been given the opportunity to attend a broad
range of education and training in: coaching and youth work, refereeing and
officiating, promoting or running a club, first aid and child protection. These young
people have subsequently undertaken a broad range of roles and tasks with their
community groups and have volunteered at sports and community events and
festivals. These have ranged from administrative tasks through to having
responsibility for planning, leading and coaching whole sessions.
The Active East Team has had slightly better success in recruiting young male
volunteers. There are more male Active Champions (58%) than female (42%) and
males have accumulated more hours volunteering on average per quarter than females
(45 hours compared to 33 hours per quarter).
Commitment of Active Champions
The duration of involvement of some Active Champions is substantial. Eighteen of
the 26 Active Champions that started in February 2013 (Quarter 1 in 2013) were still
engaged in Quarter 3 in 2014. Many of the Active Champions that joined in the first
cohort are still involved (14 out of 19). For many of these individuals, it was the fun
and engaging way in which the activities were delivered by tutors that helped
maintain their interest.
The time commitment made by Active Champions to Active East has been extensive.
In total, Active Champions have committed 10,736 hours through Active East - 40%
of which is spent on training/development and 60% on volunteering. Overall, Active
Champions have committed on average 2.8 hours per week to Active East, of which
1.6 hours represent a volunteer commitment to community groups. The economic
contribution of Active Champions over 20 months is estimated to be in excess of
£60,000.
vi
Development of Active Champions
The evaluation findings suggest that the self-perception of Active Champions
increased since they joined Active East. Survey findings showed increases in Active
Champions general self-efficacy, self-esteem and levels of life satisfaction. The
findings indicate that Active East has contributed to the Active Champions‟ skills,
competencies and feelings of self-worth. Furthermore, they were proud to be a part of
the Active East initiative and proud of making a positive contribution to their local
communities.
The results from the survey showed that for most self-perception measures, the scores
from females were lower than males. While this may raise concerns about low self-
perception of young females, it is worth noting that the challenge facing those
working with young people is not as simple as trying to increase levels of self-
perception or abilities in young females - research has shown that with regards to
measures of self-perception, males often over-estimate their abilities, while females
often underestimate their abilities. In this regard, the focus of development should be
to support and enable young people to not only develop their skills and competencies,
but also to enable them to assess appropriately their skills and competencies.
Small Grants
Between February 2013 and October 2014 nine award panels granted funds to 77
projects to support sport and physical activities for children and young people in
Glasgow‟s East End. In total these projects have been awarded a total of £155,398, a
mean average of £2,018 per project. Fifty-nine projects have been funded through the
„Active‟ application process for new activity provision and 18 projects under the
„Building‟ application process to improve the skills of those supporting sport and
physical activity opportunities.
Projects, Participants and Attendance
The average length of projects delivered using Small Grants funding was 14
weeks/sessions, with projects attracting on average 15-16 participants per session. On
average, participants attended 6.5 sessions of activity, with males taking part in more
sessions than females (7.1 sessions compared to 5.8). The number of sessions
attended ranged from as few as one session (11% of those attending took part on one
occasion only), up to 24 sessions (1% of participants took part in 20 or more sessions).
It was estimated that 69 per cent of the capacity of projects was used and it is
estimated that Small grants projects reached over 1,600 children and young people in
the East End of Glasgow.
Eighty per cent of the participants were from 20 per cent of the most deprived areas
in Scotland; around one in ten respondents indicated that they had a disability that
impacted on their involvement in physical activity at least some of the time, although
only 2 per cent indicated this condition affected them all the time; and around 6 per
cent of participants were from black and minority ethnic groups.
vii
Delivery of Small Grant Projects
Grant recipients indicated that they had some challenges in attracting young people to
their projects (e.g. lack of interest in the activity; wrong time for activity; clashes
with other opportunities; poor weather; good summer weather). Although only 6 per
cent (2 projects) indicated that they experienced „great difficulty‟ in attracting
participants, both of these projects were for girls. In general, grant recipients
indicated that girls were generally harder to reach than boys. Despite difficulties in
attracting participants, over one-half (52%) of projects attracted more participants
than anticipated. Some grant recipients changed the times of session and extended
invitations to other groups to overcome problems with attracting participants.
Grant recipients also indicated that they had problems with some participants
dropping out of the activities. The attendance sheets show that 40 per cent of
participants dropped out of the project they attended, with drop out higher among
females (42%) compared to males (35%). Grant recipients appeared vigilant as to the
reasons why young people dropped out of activities (e.g. young people‟s lack of
interest in activities; competing with other activities; challenges with suitable times)
and they took appropriate measures to try to encourage participation (e.g. switched
times of activities to suit participants; adapted activities to encourage participation;
and tried to be as supportive and encouraging as possible to participants). Despite
attempts to prevent drop out, no single approach was identified that would prevent
drop out.
Impact of Small Grant Projects on Participants and Participation
The surveys of participants suggest the Small Grant projects helped make a positive
contribution to those taking part:
Many of the participants (44%) were new to the clubs/groups where the Small
Grants projects were taking place. This is a positive finding because it may
represent an increase in community engagement.
Many participants had taken part in the activities before, but one in five (20%)
indicated that they had not take part in the activity before.
Eighty-five per cent of participants indicated that they had enjoyed taking part
in the activity „a lot‟.
The mean number of times participants attended club/project activities
increased from 3.2 times per week before they started to 3.6 times per week at
the end of the project.
There was an increase in the number of days participants claimed they were
active for 60 minutes or more per day, up from a mean average of 3.8 days per
week to 4.2 days per week.
Forty-eight per cent indicated they had become close friends with other
participants, and 61 per cent got to know Active Champions.
viii
Grant Recipients’ Assessment of Small Grants Project
Overall the grant recipients rated their success of their projects highly. On a scale of
1-10, the mean score was 8.0, with four rating the success of their project 10 out of
10. Factors contributing to this level of success included:
„Excellent‟ attendance;
New visitors to the club/group;
Strong partnership working;
Development of sports skills and players taking part in competition;
A player progressing on to a selected squad;
Encouraging parental involvement;
Engaging girls in physical activity;
Active Champions leading activities; and
Being informed that there had been a reduction in vandalism in the local area.
Grant recipients and Active Champions reported a range of positive impacts on the
participants of the projects including: increased levels of activity; health benefits;
improvement in skills and strengthening friendship networks. Many of these findings
correspond with the participants‟ own feedback on taking part in the projects.
However, the findings should be treated with some caution. Many of the comments
are anecdotal in nature and include self-reported measures. The findings may not
apply to all projects and participants and some findings may be more perceived,
rather than real. Despite this word of caution, the comments provided by grant
recipients were mostly positive and support a positive assessment of the impact of
Active East.
Active Champions and Small Grants Project
The Active Champions were considered central to the delivery of many of the Small
Grants projects. Over one-third (36%) of grant recipients indicated the Active
Champions were „of critical importance‟ to the delivery of the programme, while a
further 48 per cent regarded them „of great importance‟. The Active East Team also
recognised the contribution of Active Champions to the success of many of the
projects.
The Small Grants projects also served to improve links between clubs and groups.
Many grant recipients indicated that they had better working relationships and more
frequent contact with other projects with whom they were working in partnership.
Active East Network
The number of partner clubs/groups/organisations involved in the delivery of activity
supported through the Small Grants programme has grown since it was launched in
February 2013 and it continues to grow. Through to October 2014, 50 partner
organisations have been identified in Small Grants applications either as funding
applicants or supporting organisations.
Within the Active East Network, youth/community clubs have a greater number of
partnership connections than sport clubs or sports initiatives. However, the links
ix
between youth/community groups and sports specific clubs/groups are particularly
important in appreciating some of the strengths of Active East. The Active East Team
has had some success in bringing several youth/community groups together with
sports clubs and sports organisations. Several sports specific clubs have been
involved in Small Grants projects, which could be important for the long-term
sustainability of activities.
Five governing bodies of sport (Badminton Scotland; JudoScotland; Lacrosse
Scotland; Scottish Rowing; Scottish Squash and Racketball) have also been included
in the Small Grants projects and with the support of these bodies there is the potential
to develop robust local groups that can sustain activity for a long time.
Active Champions are important to the partnership working arrangements that are
being supported through Active East, with many Active Champions having become
good friends with Active Champions linked to other partners.
Encouraging youth work and sports partnerships
A strength of the Active East programme is the approach of bringing together those
whose interests lie within youth work and those interested in sport/physical activity.
The expertise within youth work and sport have been combined to provide the Active
Champions with a rich developmental experience and has provided participants with a
diverse range of options within their local communities. There is an argument that
taking part in sports activities alone is not sufficient enough to provide participants
with positive social outcomes. Many of the important outcomes of engagement in
sports programmes are often attributed to the non-sport components of the
programmes. Consequently, combining sports activity with input from youth
workers, whose skills seek to build confidence and self-esteem, develop social
relationships and assist with good decision-making, may increase the chance of
positive social outcomes for young people.
Practices and Mechanisms Impacting on Outcomes
The following activities and approaches are thought to have an important impact on
outcomes associated with Active Champions:
Residential Induction – The retention and level of commitment from Active
Champions who attended a residential induction weekend was higher than
those involved in local induction. The residential element was important to
Active Champions, forming strong relationships with staff and other young
people, creating strong support networks and keeping them involved.
Personal Development Plans (PDPs) – PDPs were an effective goal setting
tool which helped maintain the motivation of Active Champions and helped
make a positive contribution to the personal development of young volunteers.
Timely and regular contact – Regular contact with Active Champions was
identified as critical to their engagement in the programme as it ensured they
signed up for and attended training identified in their PDPs.
x
Plan – Do – Review – This approach provided young people with a strategic
approach to managing their projects and voluntary work and encouraged them
to be reflective on their own practice.
Monthly Mingle – This was a very effective tool for: maintaining Active
Champions involvement in the programme; enabling Active Champions to
update their PDPs; introduce new Active Champions to the programme; share
opportunities for volunteer opportunities; and allowing time for planning
exercises for projects and activities.
Volunteer Sign Up Sheets – These sheets, often used at Monthly Mingles,
allowed Active Champions to be aware of volunteering opportunities that were
available and encouraged them to commit to volunteering.
Active East Awards Night – As well as providing an opportunity to celebrate
the commitment and contribution of Active Champions and the work of
Active East, these nights also: challenged the Active Champions to organise
and deliver a high profile event; provided an opportunity for Small Grants
projects to showcase their talents; and it encouraged further partnership
networking.
The following activities have been identified as having an important impact on
outcomes related to developing partnership working across the East End of Glasgow
and providing opportunities for sport and physical activity:
Partnership Meetings – These meetings - which groups are required to attend
if they receive Small Grants funding - provided opportunities for partners to
share their experiences. Facilitated well by the active East Team, these
meetings have helped foster strong relationships between stakeholders and
have encouraged groups to work together.
Encouraging youth work and sports partnerships – As mentioned above,
bringing together those working in youth work and sport has strengthened
development opportunities and provided a more diverse set of opportunities to
young people.
The Active East Team - The members of the Active East Team have been
central to the successes achieved to date. They have been critical to ensuring
that the partnerships that are created are strong and can be sustained. Through
their vision and determination, the Active East Team has overcome the
challenges encountered earlier in the Programme‟s lifecycle and have
managed to create strong working relationships between partners.
Active East Awards Night – As noted above, the Awards Night provides a
further opportunity for partners to network and meet other invited guests.
xi
Conclusions and Recommendations
Progress Towards Outcomes
The findings from the evaluation support many stakeholder views that the Active East
programme is functioning well and is having an impact on the East End of Glasgow.
With regards to Outcome 1, Active East reached and exceeded its targets for getting
young people into accredited training and developing opportunities. The training and
volunteer opportunities available to the Active Champions has been extensive and
developed the young volunteers‟ knowledge and experience of youth work as well as
their knowledge and experience of leading sport and physical activity. This has had
positive impacts both in terms of their personal development (social and
psychological) and allowing them to make positive contributions to their local
communities.
The extent of the partnership working generated through Active East (Outcome 2) is
also substantial and has resulted in stronger working relationships between many
groups. This has lead to some increased opportunities for children and young people
to take part in sport and physical activity in the East End of Glasgow.
Active East has succeeded in making strides towards achieving Outcome 3 –
increasing levels of physical activity and associated well-being. Findings from
participants indicate that they are more active then they were before and their social
networks have been strengthened.
Learning from the Active East Approach
The Active East Programme has demonstrated positive impacts on developing young
leaders and creating opportunities for young people to engage in physical activities
and sport within the East End of Glasgow. If there is a desire to adopt learning from
the programme, the following factors may be important to achieving positive
outcomes:
Appointing experienced, skilled, motivated and dedicated staff who are able
to work together is critical to programme success;
Working across an identified geographical area in which partners have a
realistic chance of meeting regularly and allowing participants to share
activities;
Concerted effort to engage with, and bring together, potential stakeholders
and encouraging these partners to share resources;
Encouraging an environment of openness, sharing good practice, including
partners in decision making processes and reminding partners about the
desired outcomes;
Availability of funding which encourages organisations to work together and
across recognised boundaries might encourage greater co-operation;
xii
Comprehensive range of training and development opportunities, with the
emphasis on developing young leaders;
Encouraging young people to become active as leaders in their local
communities;
Follow up young people‟s request for training and support promptly and
actively signing them up for training opportunities;
Provide transport where necessary to ensure that young people can attend
training or activities;
The ability to adapt and modify the procedures and delivery of activities when
necessary. Being flexible and open to alternative approaches will provide a
greater chance of success.
1
1 INTRODUCTION
This report presents the findings of the evaluation of the Active East Programme which
was funded by The Robertson Trust, The Big Lottery Fund and Comic Relief and
managed by Scottish Sports Futures (SSF). This report includes findings on the impact
of the Active East Programme from February 2013 through to October 2014. The report
explores three main aspects of Active East: the operational aspects of Active East; the
impact of development activities on young volunteers (the Active Champions); and the
impact of Active East on local communities. This evaluation report draws on findings
obtained using quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The evaluation
approach is explained in more detail below. The findings present an insight into the
impact of Active East and assesses the efficacy of the project on making a difference to
individuals and communities in the East End of Glasgow.
1.1 Structure and Content of the Report
The findings and analysis of the evaluation is presented in the following Chapters:
Chapter 2: The Active East Programme
Chapter 3: Evaluation Approach
Chapter 4: Active Champions
Chapter 5: Active East Small Grants Projects
Chapter 6: Active East Partnership Network
Chapter 7: Practices and Mechanisms Impacting on Outcomes
Chapter 8: Conclusions and Recommendations
Chapter 2 will provide a brief background on the Active East Programme, its purpose,
structure and intended outcomes.
Chapter 3outlines the approach used to evaluate the programme.
Chapter 4 will focus on the findings related to the Active Champions. It will explore the
nature of Active Champions‟ involvement including the scale and type of activities they
engaged in, their commitment to Active East and the impact of the programme on their
personal development.
Chapter 5 focuses on the scale, nature and impact of the Small Grant funding on
participants and the local communities.
Chapter 6 explores the impact of Active East on attempts to increase partner working
among East End community clubs, groups and organisations.
Chapter 7 explores some of the practices and mechanisms that have contributed to the
success of Active East.
Finally, Chapter 8 draws conclusions based on the evaluation findings and analysis, and
suggests options for maintaining and advancing the impact of Active East.
2
1.2 Evaluation Aims
The aim of the evaluation is to determine the progress towards the achievement of the
three main programme outcomes:
Outcome 1: Increase and maintain number of young people accessing accredited
training and development opportunities;
Outcome 2: Increase and improve partnership working among local community
organisations; and
Outcome 3: Young people increase their levels of physical activity and associated
well-being.
3
2 THE ACTIVE EAST PROGRAMME
2.1 Background
This report focuses on the evaluation of the Active East Programme covering the period
February 2013 to October 2014. However, it is worth noting that this period represents
a second run of the Active East Programme. Active East was originally launched in
May 2011. Initially it was anticipated that a partnership network of local stakeholders
could be established that would drive forward the delivery of physical activity and sport
opportunities across the East End of Glasgow. In this first phase a number of projects
were delivered in the first 18 months of the programme, but it was apparent that the
proposed programme design and management model was not working well. An interim
evaluation highlighted that there was “significant variation in the commitment of partner
organisations” and that “establishing the desired large-scale partnership” should not be
under-estimated1.
Following a period of consultation, a revised Active East programme was proposed and
was re-launched in early 2013. The new programme was led by the Active East Team
which included a Programme Manager, Programme Co-ordinator and a Youth
Development Co-ordinator. It is this iteration of the programme that was the focus of
the evaluation.
2.2 Active East Aims and Objectives
In order to appreciate the findings and analysis from the evaluation, it is important to
outline the broad aims and objectives of the Active East Programme and explain how the
programme works. The Active East website (http://www.active-
east.co.uk/Pages/default.aspx) explains:
“Active East is an exciting programme which aims to create a legacy
from the 2014 Commonwealth Games for young people in the East of
Glasgow by increasing levels of physical activity and building skills
through volunteering.”
It aims to achieve this through three approaches:
Active – Creating a community of young people who enjoy the physical,
mental and social benefits of an active lifestyle.
Inspiring – Providing opportunities for young people to expand their
skill set, confidence and aspirations.
Building – Creating the capacity, skills and understanding within the
community to ensure that the impact of Active East is sustained.
The delivery component of Active East was launched in early 2013. The first group of
young people attended a residential induction camp in February of that year and the first
panel agree awarding funding to local community groups to create new opportunities for
children and young people to take part in sport and physical activities.
1 Copius Scotland (2012) Interim Report, Glasgow, Copius Scotland
4
The annual budget for the programme was around £140,000. This included an annual
budget of £10,000 to support the development of Active Champions and £70,000 for the
Small Grants projects.
Active Champions
Active Champions are young people aged 14-25 who are willing to volunteer to support
sport and physical activities for children and young people living in the East End of
Glasgow. The aim of the programme is to recruit enthusiastic young people and provide
them with training opportunities and support to help them develop their skills,
experiences and competencies to enable them to organise and/or lead activities in East
End communities. The Active Champions are central to the success of the programme
because these young people were expected to shape the growth of the programme. The
target in the first year was to recruit 50 Active Champions and increase this to 80 in the
second year.
Small Grants
To support new opportunities for young people in the East End, the Small Grants
initiative was launched to allow local youth clubs/groups/organisations to apply for
funding to deliver sessions in physical activity and sport. There are two application
options:
Active – funding is provide to support the delivery of new activity
provision for children 5 years of age over for a period of 3-6 months.
Building – in order to ensure that there are appropriately skilled young
people to support new activities, funding is available for staff and young
people (including Active Champions) to receive training.
To achieve the best possible outcomes it was identified that youth groups/organisation
and sport clubs/groups should work together. To encourage this partnership working,
joint applications were eligible for greater amounts of funding (£3,000) than individual
applications (£2,000).
In order to be eligible for the funding from the Active or Building strands, applications
from clubs/groups/organisation needed to be supported by at least one Active Champion.
Further details on programme delivery are presented in each of the chapters below.
5
2.3 Active East and the 2014 Commonwealth Games
The Active East Programme has strong links with the Commonwealth Games which
were hosted in Glasgow in 2014. Active East was granted Glasgow Legacy2 status in
2013 and the Active East Team developed a range of activities and events which aligned
with Commonwealth Games activities. Ten Active Champions and two Active Mentors
carried the Queen‟s Baton through the East End of Glasgow and more supported
activities at community events in the lead up to the Games. Active Champions and
Active East Team members took part in the opening and closing ceremonies of the
Commonwealth Games.
While the Commonwealth Games played a significant role in the programme of
activities that were organised and delivered during the summer of 2014 and provided
great interest for all involved, this report focuses on the broader work of Active East. It
has not been possible to determine what impact the Games has had on the programme or
its participants. It is not clear what would have transpired had the Commonwealth
Games not been held in the very heart of the East End. Consequently, little mention is
made of the Games in this report, although it should be noted that most Active
Champions and many participants in activities experienced aspects of the Games which
may have influenced their level of interest and engagement in Active East.
2 Legacy 2014 was established to ensure that the perceived benefits of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth
Games would be realised and extended across Scotland. Projects, events and activity organisers across
Scotland could apply for Legacy 2014 status and use the Games to inspire communities to deliver lasting
change. The aims included: increasing community engagement in cultural activities; increasing
participation in sport and physical activity; improving skills and creating employment opportunities;
strengthening the Scottish economy; and, improving local facilities. Further details of Legacy 2014 can be
obtained at: http://www.legacy2014.scot/
6
3 MONITORING AND EVALUATION APPROACH
3.1 Introduction
The evaluation used a range of research methods to gather data to assess the efficacy of
the programme and the impact on Active Champions and the local community more
widely. Surveys, interviews, observations and other innovative approaches, were used
to establish the impact of Active East and to provide suggestions for maximising the
impact of the programme.
3.2 Process Evaluation and Outcome Evaluation
The evaluation included aspects of both process evaluation and outcome evaluation.
Process evaluation is concerned with understanding how an initiative works and
establish to what extend the initiative was delivered efficiently and effectively.
Outcome evaluation is concerned with assessing the outcomes of the activities delivered.
3.3 Evaluation Approach
The evaluation focused on the progress towards achieving the overall broad outcomes
within each of the three following components of Active East:
Components Outcomes
Active
Champions
Outcome 1: Increase and maintain number of young people
accessing accredited training and development opportunities
Active East
Network
Outcome 2: Increase and improve partnership working among local
community organisations
Active East Small
Grants
Outcome 3: Young people increase their levels of physical activity
and associated well-being
Evaluating Active Champions
The evaluation sought to assess the extent to which Active Champions:
Achieved accreditation and certification with recognised awards/qualifications;
Were actively volunteering within their local community;
Increased their knowledge and skills within their chosen Active Champions role;
Increased self-efficacy;
Increased self esteem/self-worth;
Were supported to achieve intended outcomes;
Made a contribution to participant organisations; and
Influence physical activity provision and partnerships within the network.
In order establish the points above, monitoring information was obtained from the
Active East Team and data were collected directly from the Active Champions and from
Small Grant Project grant recipients.
7
Surveys of Active Champions
In order to report on progress of skill development, self-efficacy and self-esteem Active
Champions were surveyed at key stages throughout their involvement in Active East.
This included Active Champions completing a questionnaire at the beginning of their
involvement in Active East and completing questionnaires on a quarterly basis when the
Active Champions meet with the Active East Youth Development Co-ordinator for their
one-to-one reviews.
In order to explore changes in skills, self-efficacy and self-esteem, the questionnaire
included the following data collection tools:
General self-efficacy scale (12 item scale with three sub-scales)
Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (10 item scale)
Life Effectiveness Questionnaire (24 items with eight sub-scales)
Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (5 item scale)
Future ambitions (open ended questions)
These tools were included in questionnaires that were completed by Active Champions
at quarterly meetings with Active East Team members. In total, 56 young people
completed a questionnaire on joining Active East, with further questionnaires collected
at quarter 1 (n=24), quarter 2 (n=23), quarter 3 (n=16) and quarter 4 (n=22).
The findings from the surveys of Active Champions are presented in Chapter 4.
Interviews with Active Champions
Interviews with Active Champions were also used to establish the impact of Active East
on the young participants. Thirty-four interviews were undertaken with Active
Champions and were supplemented with more general chats and discussions with the
young leaders during visits to various events. Some Active Champions were
interviewed more than once over the course of the evaluation, gathering views and
experience of Active Champions from different stages of their involvement. Most
interviews were recorded with the permission of the Active Champions.
In seeking to encourage the young interviewees to talk openly about their experiences, a
technique called photographic elicitation/photo-interviewing was used. Active
Champions were loaned digital cameras and they were ask to take photographs of things
that are important to them and what it means to be an Active Champion. After a period
of around two to three weeks, interviews were arranged with the Active Champions and
they were encouraged to talk about the photographs they took and explore the impact of
Active East on them and their communities.
This approach was found to be very useful and encouraged in-depth discussions about
people and places that might not otherwise have been discussed without using this
technique. In one case, the Active Champion talked much more openly and passionately
than they had in a previous interview, suggesting that this research method has the
potential to encourage a more open sharing of opinions and feelings than a traditional
interview approach. Importantly, it does not require the interviewee to be a good
photographer. The photograph shown below was taken by one of the interviewees.
8
Image 1: Photo elicitation - photograph taken by Active
Champion for use in interview
While a photograph used in this technique would not normally be included in a report to
avoid compromising the anonymity of the interviewee, the image does not contain
anything that would compromise the identity of the photographer or anyone in the
image. However, despite this being a poorly lit image, it allowed the interviewee to talk
openly about the area in which they lived.
Evaluating the Small Grants Projects
The evaluation of Active East Small Grants has been achieved through reviewing
programme documentation, interviews with grant recipients and Active Champions, as
well as data obtained directly from Small Grants projects.
Materials provided by the Active East team, including: Small Grants applications,
spreadsheets, Small Grants Reports, Small Grants Case Study Reports, Newsletters and
other reporting materials have been reviewed to help ascertain the scale, nature and
outcomes of the Small Grants projects.
The principal method of obtaining findings from the Active East Small Grants was a
Monitoring and Evaluation Toolkit that was distributed to community groups that
received funding to support physical activities for young people. This consisted of:
An attendance sheet – this allowed the number of participants and the
frequency of participation in Active East supported activities to be
established.
Beginning of project questionnaires for participants – this allowed data
to be collected on participants‟ previous and current involvement in
activities;
9
End of project questionnaires for participants – this allowed an
assessment of participants‟ levels of enjoyment and engagement in the
activity and allowed comparison with findings from the beginning of
project questionnaires.
Organiser’s End of Project Assessment Report – this allowed the
community group leader/manager to provide their assessment of the success
of the project and comment on the role and function of the Active
Champions.
Active Champions’ Project Assessment Report – this allowed the Active
Champion to provide their assessment of the success of the project and
comment what impact the project had on the participants, the local
community and themselves.
The toolkits provided an overview of the scale of delivery and impact on participants.
The toolkit returns from grant recipients were as follows:
Attendance Sheet – 39 completed sheets.
Beginning of Project Questionnaire – 492 completed questionnaires.
End of Project Questionnaire – 317 completed.
Organiser‟s End of Project Assessment Report – 34 completed reports.
Active Champions‟ Project Assessment Report – 23 completed reports.
With regards to the Beginning of Project Questionnaires and the End of Project
Questionnaires, 256 participants completed both which allowed a pre-/post- comparison.
Due to the different designs of the projects funded (e.g. some project will have provided
opportunities to more than one distinct group of participants), it is not possible to
quantify accurately the response rates from projects or participants. However, around
one-half of projects returned materials and for those that returned materials, around one-
half of project participants were surveyed. Findings form these materials are presented
in Chapter 5.
Interviews and Visits
Interviews were also undertaken with community group leaders, mentors and grant
recipients along with visits to community group activity days and showcase events. The
interviews and visits sought to establish:
The impact of Small Grants activities on children and young people in their local
communities;
The progress being made by Active Champions and their personal development;
The broader impacts of the Active East programme;
To what extent Active East is facilitating partnership working across the East
End of Glasgow.
The findings and analysis of the Small Grants project are presented in Chapter 5.
10
Evaluation of the Active East Network
Assessing partnership working through Active East has been achieved through a
reviewing documentation and materials provided by the Active East Team and from
interviews with various stakeholders.
The findings and analysis of the Active East Network are presented in Chapter 6.
11
4 ACTIVE CHAMPIONS
Active Champions can be considered the central component of the Active East
programme. Much of the support provided by the Active East Team is geared around
the development of the Active Champions. While a substantial amount of funding is
available through the Small Grants Project to provide opportunities for children and
young people to engage in sport and physical activities in the East End, the Small
Grants funding is not available unless the club/group has an Active Champions to
support the application.
This section assesses the impact Active East has had on the development of the Active
Champions and assesses the role and impact of the Active Champions on their
community clubs/groups.
4.1 Recruiting Active Champions
In total, 71 young people were engaged in the Active East programme as Active
Champions between February 2013 October 2014 (see Table 1).3
The process for young people to engage
as Active Champions was designed
around ensuring appropriate support was
available.
Active Champions could choose the
route they wished to take from those that
were interested in assisting with sport
and physical activity (Active – 60
hours+), those that want to take a
leadership role in planning or delivering
sport or physical activity (Inspiring –
90+ hours), and those with experience in
sport who are ready to take on a
leadership role (Building – 120+ hours).
Process
Information Session
Induction (Optional Residential)
Register & Agreement
Volunteering Awards Training
Champions Forum Meetings
Events Additional Volunteering
New Goals/Mentoring
The target of recruiting 50 Active Champions in the first year was exceeded (57 by the
end of 2013) and by October 2014 a total of 71 young people had been recruited as
Active Champions. Although the year one target was exceeded, some Active
Champions are no longer involved. In total, 28 had no hours recorded against their
contribution in Quarter 3-2014.
There are more male Active Champions (58%) than female (42%) and males have
accumulated more hours on average per quarter than females (45 hours compared to 33
hours per quarter). However, once recruited, females are as likely to remain involved in
the programme as males - three out of five Active Champions continue to volunteer
through the programme.
3 Note: The figures presented in this report have since been updated by the Active East Team. Therefore,
the figures underestimate the full scale of operations through to October 2014.
12
It is worth noting that many of the Active Champions that joined in the first cohort are
still involved (14 out of 19). A number of these individuals have spoken positively
about how the residential induction weekend in Dunoon (February 2013) was really
important in them forming strong relationships with the Active East staff and other
Active Champions and that this was important in them maintaining their involvement.
Many have become very close friends and this has created very strong support network.
Most of the Active Champions lived in deprived areas in the East End of Glasgow.
Analysis shows that 81 per cent of the Active Champions lived in the 20 per cent of the
most deprived areas in Scotland. It is evident that Active East is targeted and is
reaching those in economically disadvantaged areas and may illustrate the benefit of
localised partnership working.
4.2 Training and Support to Active Champions
Active Champions have been given the opportunity to attend a broad rage of education
and training. Choices were available in coaching and youth work, refereeing and
officiating, promoting or running a club, first aid and child protection. Each Active
Champion was required to complete and maintain a Personal Development Plan (PDP)
in which training opportunities were to be identified. Subsequent meetings held on a
quarterly basis would then review the Active Champions progress and further training
opportunities identified.
The Active Champions‟ PDP records show the range of training accessed through
Active East:
GENERAL TRAINING
Child Protection
Emotional Literacy
Education Through CashBack
PLAY Training delivered by
PEEK
First Aid
Group Dynamics Training
Human Connection
National Pool Life Guard
Peer Facilitation Training
Play Training
YoMo Young Grant Makers
Induction
ACTIVE EAST TRAINING
Induction – Residential
Induction – Local
Summer Conference
Residential Training
StreetGames National
Conference
GENERAL SPORTS TRAINING
Working with YP in Sport
Club Development
Sports Leaders Day Certificate
Sports Leaders Level 2
Sports Leader Tutor Training
SPORT SPECIFIC TRAINING
UK Athletics Level 1
Aquatics Level 1
Badminton Basics
Basketball Getting Started
Basketball UKCC Level 1
Dodgeball Activator
SFA Football Level 1.1
Multisport Activator
Rugby Ready
Street 20 Cricket
Street Tennis Activator
Volleyball Activator
13
Some of the Active Champions that joined at the beginning have attended as many as 11
training opportunities listed above, giving them a broad training covering generic
youth/community work topics, generic sports training opportunities and sport specific
training opportunities. This breadth of training could be considered extremely valuable
as it develops skills and techniques appropriate for youth work environments, but also
develops coaching skills used in sports contexts. Not only is Active East seeking to
encourage youth work and sports clubs to work together, the programme is facilitating
the development of appropriately skilled youth work/sport coaches. This cross-
discipline training has the potential to make these individuals very desirable for
community leaders and sports managers.
4.3 Roles Undertaken by Active Champions
Active Champions have undertaken a broad range of roles and tasks with their
community groups and at events they have volunteered to support. These have ranged
from administrative tasks through to having responsibility for planning, leading and
coaching whole sessions.
Managing the project budget
Recruiting participants
Collecting and dropping off
children at activities
Taking registers
Assisting delivering activities
Carrying equipment
Setting up equipment
Play in games with young
people
Arranging fixtures
Supervise and encouraging
participants
Co-ordinating sessions
Leading activities (inc. warm-
ups, delivering drills, cool-
downs)
Teaching activities
Coaching sessions
Refereeing games
Planning tournaments
Booking trips
Recruiting volunteers
Speaking to young people about
the benefits of sport
Evaluation of sessions
The responsibility given to the Active Champions is extensive and it shows that the
Active East Team and community leaders place a lot of trust in the young people to
deliver appropriate activities and make appropriate decisions. Active Champions had
responsibility for allocating and spending project monies on resources and activities.
Active Champions had formal positions on the management committees at the
community groups at which they volunteered, which often involved making decisions
on the allocation of funding and how the community group should be managed. The
Active East programme also encouraged young people to make the Small Grant
applications, thus encouraging them to take responsibility for the opportunities available
in their local communities.
Some Active Champions have taken on increasingly more important and demanding
roles as they have progressed and demonstrated their abilities to their community
leaders. One indicated that their initial role was to act as an assistant coach but has
since progressed to role of head coach for a S1/S2 group and is now mentoring other
14
Active Champions. Others have also been invited to represent young people in
committees and some have subsequently been offered paid work in their communities.
4.4 Active Champions’ Commitment to Active East
The time commitment made by some Active Champions to Active East and the
community clubs and groups in the East End since February 2013 have been extensive
(see Table 1 and Appendix 1). In total, Active Champions have committed 10,736
hours through Active East, covering a 21 month period starting in February 2013. Table
1 shows a breakdown of the time commitment by each of the Active Champions since
they started with Active East. Data have been obtained on Active Champions time
commitment based on quarterly periods as follows:
Quarter 1: January – March
Quarter 2: April – June
Quarter 3: July – September
Quarter 4: October - December
It is important to note that this commitment includes time spent on
training/development activities as well as hours spent volunteering. It is not known
exactly what is the breakdown between training/development activities and volunteering
activities, but the Active East Youth Worker estimated that around 40% of Active
Champions‟ time is spent on training/development and 60% on volunteering. Based on
this estimate, 6,442 hours are spent on volunteering opportunities that have made an
important contribution to opportunities for, mostly, children and young people to take
part in sport and physical activities.
Despite the extensive contribution by Active Champions to volunteering, the time
commitment varies extensively between Active Champions. Although 71 young people
have recorded time through Active East involvement since February 2013, eight of
these young people were engaged for 10 or fewer hours before withdrawing from the
programme. Although these eight individuals were engaged only for a short period of
time, most moved on to positive destinations – five took up employment opportunities
(three with Active East partner agencies), one of whom is now an Active East Mentor,
and another attended college. Another was more interested in participating in activity
than leading activity, with the remaining individual needing to address personal issues.
At the other end of the scale of commitment, one Active Champion has accumulated
878 hours, although it should be noted that this individual was recruited on to an
apprenticeship programme with one of the local partners in which they were committed
to providing 25 hours per week to enhancing and delivering physical activities.
However, a further six Active Champions have accumulated over 400 hours.
The duration of involvement of some Active Champions is substantial. Eighteen of the
26 Active Champions that started in February 2013 (Quarter 1 in 2013) were still
engaged in Quarter 3 in 2014.
Not surprisingly, the Active Champions with the highest recorded number of hours are
from those that joined Active East early in 2013. Many of those involved since the
15
beginning (Active Champions 1 to 26) have committed in excess of 200 hours to Active
East.
Table 1: Number of hours Active Champions engaged in Active East by quarters
Qu
art
er 1
-2
01
3
Qu
art
er 2
- 2
01
3
Qu
art
er 3
- 2
01
3
Qu
art
er 4
- 2
01
3
Qu
art
er 1
- 2
01
4
Qu
art
er 2
- 2
01
4
Qu
art
er 3
- 2
01
4
Qu
art
er 4
– 2
01
4*
To
tal
ho
urs
Av
era
ge
nu
mb
er o
f
ho
urs
per
qu
art
er
Total hours 737 1,022 1,528 821 1,260 2,623 2,745 n/a 10,736 -
Mean hours
per quarter 28 28 34 22 34 58 64 n/a 151 34
Mean hours
per week 2.4 2.4 2.8 1.8 2.8 4.9 5.3 n/a - 2.8
Note: *Figures for Quarter 4 - 2014 were not available at the time of reporting.
See Appendix 1 for full table with individual Active Champion‟s hourly commitments
Overall, Active Champions have committed on average 2.8 hours per week to Active
East, of which 1.6 hours represent a volunteer commitment to community groups to
support sport and physical activities. While not all Active Champions have undertaken
teaching, coaching or delivery roles, this commitment represents a significant in-kind
commitment to the activities in the East End. If the time spent on volunteering activities
were given a monetary value - £10 per hour (this is the amount commonly paid to sports
coaches/leaders as a starting rate) - the accumulated economic contribution of Active
Champions can be estimated in excess of £60,000. While some of the roles (e.g.
activity support roles) may be over-valued at £10 per hour, thus making the estimate
rather generous, nonetheless, the economic contribution of Active Champions to their
communities is real and should be valued.
It is worth noting that the busiest period was Quarter 3 (July-September) in 2014. This
was a particularly busy period for Active Champions because of their involvement in
Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games related activities. The Games may have skewed
some of the figures for Active Champions‟ involvement, but as is illustrated in different
section of this report, the Commonwealth Games provided a vehicle through which
participants in Active East were able to engage with this major sporting event.
While the time commitment to volunteering for some individuals is high, it is not
difficult to see how this is achieved when speaking to them about their weekly
commitments. In an interview, one of the Active Champions (Active Champion 1 in
Appendix 1) explained their weekly commitments. They indicated that they
volunteered for 7.5-9 hours per week (on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) and
undertook sports specific training on the Saturday. This individual was working
towards their Youth Scotland Platinum Youth Achievement Award4 which requires the
4 Further details of the Youth Scotland Youth Achievement Awards are available at:
http://www.youthscotland.org.uk/projects/youth-achievement-awards.htm
16
young person to take on a leadership or peer education role and undertake training
accumulating to 30 hours and volunteer for 60 hours. While this is a substantial
commitment, this Active Champion was unconcerned about being able to accumulate
this number of hours in training and volunteering.
Mo
nd
ay
Tu
esd
ay
Wed
nes
day
Th
urs
da
y
Fri
da
y
Sa
turd
ay
Su
nd
ay
Youth club
volunteering
(3 hours)
Sports club
volunteering
(1.5-3 hours)
Youth club
volunteering
(3 hours)
Rest Own sport
participation
Attending
sports
coaching
education
Rest
This Active Champions was one of eleven that had accumulated over 300 hours on the
Active East Programme.
4.5 Personal Development of Active Champions
It is estimated that Active Champions will accumulate on average up to 60 hours on
training and development activities – this is based on Active Champions being involved
with Active East for 12 months or more. This could be achieved through a combination
of: a residential weekend (25 hours), first aid (7 hours) and child protection training (3
hours), an entry level one day sport/activity course (6 hours), regular attendance at the
monthly mingle (10+ hours) and quarterly meetings and a Level 1 sports leader course
(3 days + 12 hours supported practice). Combined with the hours spent volunteering, it
is anticipated that this will have a positive impact on the skills and attributes of the
young volunteers, not to mention the time engaged in volunteering. Presented below
are the findings obtained from the surveys and interviews exploring the possible impact
of Active East training and volunteering on the Active Champions.
This section will report findings on Active Champions‟:
Leadership development;
Psychological development;
Social development;
Satisfaction with life.
4.6 Overall Survey Findings
Included in the questionnaires were scales used to assess Active Champions‟ levels of
life effectiveness, self-efficacy, self esteem and life satisfaction. The results from the
scales show that overall the measures increased from the baseline, albeit the increases
were moderate. Table 2 below shows the mean scores recorded in the surveys at the
beginning of Active Champions‟ involvement and then at 3, 6, 9 and 12 month time
periods. In all the follow up survey periods, the mean scores in all measures are higher
than they were at the beginning, however the increases were not sustained over time.
17
The reason increases were not sustained is possibly due to the „ceiling effect‟. With
many of the respondents providing high scores, there is little or no room in the scale for
them to improve, hence the scores level off. However, the findings may also suggest
that the greatest impact might happen in the first three months of the young people‟s
engagement as Active Champions. This is when Active Champions are likely to have
higher levels of uncertainty about their abilities, which means the initial stages of their
involvement in Active East (e.g. training, skill development, volunteer placement)
might result in a substantial change in their beliefs about what they can do and what
they can achieve.
Table 2: Overall survey results for the four key measures
Beginning Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4
Life effectiveness LEQ 6.45 6.64 7.00 6.64 6.85
Self-Efficacy (0-36) 24.9 26.1 27.2 26.4 26.7
Self-Esteem (0-30) 20.3 21.3 22.2 21.5 22.4
Life Satisfaction 24.1 26.3 27.5 24.8 27.8
No. of respondents 56 23 23 16* 22 Note: The measurement scales are as follows:
LEQ scale ranges from 1 to 8
Self-efficacy scale ranges from 0-36
Self-esteem scale ranges from 0-30
Life satisfaction scale ranges from 7-35
*The lower response in Quarter 3 was likely due to Active Champions taking part in interviews
and they did not complete questionnaires.
Given that data were obtained at three monthly intervals, an attempt was made to use
repeated measures analysis on the data. However, due to gaps in the data it was not
possible to use this approach. Instead, to allow an assessment of Active Champions‟
progress, comparison of the baseline measure (the results obtained from the first
questionnaire), were assessed against the average scores obtained from the follow-up
questionnaires.
Life Effectiveness (LEQ) Scores
The table below shows the results from the Life Effectiveness Questionnaire (LEQ).
The LEQ provides individual measures for a range of eight factors which collectively
provide a measure of the extent to which the individual is effective in generic life skills.
Further details of the LEQ are presented in Appendix 3. In order to assess the
development of Active Champions, the baseline scores from first questionnaire are
compared with the mean scores calculated for the follow-up questionnaires.
The overall life effectiveness mean score for the sample of 36 respondents that
completed both questionnaires increased from 6.63 at the beginning to 6.85. This
increase was not statistically significant but it is worth noting that the overall LEQ score
at the beginning (6.63) was higher than the beginning and end scores obtained form the
young leaders surveyed in the Sports Leaders UK study (beginning=6.09; end=6.61).
18
Table 3: Life effectiveness scores for the before and after surveys 2
LEQ Factor Mea
n s
core
BE
FO
RE
*
Mea
n s
core
AF
TE
R*
p-v
alu
e
Sig
nif
ican
t
Per
cen
tile
Ch
an
ge
Ch
an
ge
T2
-
T1
Task Leadership 6.12 6.68 .006 sig. +9.2% +0.56
Time Management 6.27 6.65 .024 sig. +6.1% +0.38
Intellectual Flexibility 6.52 6.76 .152 ns +3.7% +0.24
Emotional Control 6.38 6.58 .261 ns +3.1% +0.20
Social Competence 6.53 6.72 .214 ns +2.9% +0.19
Self Confidence 6.94 7.07 .231 ns +1.9% +0.13
Active Initiative 7.07 7.14 .643 ns +1.0% +0.07
Achievement Motivation 7.20 7.21 .989 ns +0.1% +0.01
Overall 6.63 6.85 .051 ns +3.3% +0.22 Note: Sample includes 36 course participants that completed both questionnaires
*LEQ scale ranges from 1 to 8.
The time difference between the beginning of programme and end programme questionnaires
ranges between 3 and 12 months.
The findings on individual factors show that the two factors most related to leadership,
Task Leadership and Time Management, were the two that showed the greatest
increases and were statistically significant. These two life effectiveness measures are
strongly associated with the learning outcomes of leadership courses and it is
encouraging that course participants improved most in these measures, although it is
worth noting that that the scores for these two measures were the lowest of the eight
factors recorded at the beginning of the project and therefore had the greatest scope for
increasing.
Further details of the LEQ Factors scores are presented below and are shown for males
and females.
4.7 Developing Leadership in Active Champions
Task Leadership
Task Leadership is concerned with the ability to lead others to complete a task. The
three statements used to assess Task Leadership in the LEQ were (see Appendix 3):
I can get people to work for me.
I am a good leader when a task needs to be done.
As a leader I motivate other people well when a task needs to be done.
Overall task leadership scores for Active Champions increased from 6.12 to 6.68, which
was statistically significant. The increases were very similar for the males and the
female although the change in females was not statistically significant.
19
The biggest increases in scores for the eight LEQ measures was in Task Leadership.
This can be considered particularly encouraging because one of the main aims of Active
East was to improve the leadership skills of young people in order to have them lead
activities in the communities.
Figure 1: Changes in LEQ scores for Task Leadership for all Active Champions
and by males and females
Many comments for Active Champions indicated that the ability to take responsibility
and lead activities were developed while engaged with Active East. They felt much
more comfortable planning activities, encouraging others to do things, giving
instruction, trying to motivate others and giving praise.
A Note on Male and Female Differences in the Survey Findings
The results from the survey show that for most of the measures displayed (above and
below), the scores from females are lower than males. While this may raise concerns
about low self-perception of young females, it is worth noting that the challenge facing
those working with young people is not as simple as trying to increase levels of self-
perception or abilities in young females - research has shown that with regards to
measures of self-perception and ability, males often over-estimate their abilities, while
females often underestimate their abilities5. In this regard, the focus of development
should be to support and enable young people to not only develop their skills and
competencies, but also to enable them to assess appropriately their skills and
competencies.
Time Management
Time Management was another of the eight LEQ factors that was related to leadership
skills. The three statements used to assess Task Leadership in the LEQ were:
I plan and use my time efficiently.
5 Kay and Shipman (2014) The Confidence Gap, The Atlantic -
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/04/the-confidence-gap/359815/
6.12
6.68
6.33
6.88
5.85
6.44
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
Beginning End
All Males Females
20
I do not waste time.
I manage the way I use my time well.
This measure recorded the second highest increase in scores (+0.38), although there was
almost no difference between the male and female Active Champions.
Figure 2: Changes in LEQ scores for Time Management for all Active Champions
and by males and females
Some Active Champions were very aware of the benefits of good time management and
ensure that they are always on time:
“I usually make sure I am 5-10 minutes early. If I am early I can read the
session plan and I know what I am supposed to do.”
For this individual, being good with time management was important because it is a
way of avoiding stressful situations. Being early meant: “I don‟t need to panic”.
Another commented: “..if you are not on time, it doesn‟t happen.”
4.8 Developing Social Skills and Attributes in Active
Champions
The social aspects of Active East were found to be particularly important to the Active
Champions. The opportunity to meet and engage with new people (adults, peers and
younger children) and the opportunity to make new friends and acquaintances very
evident in the findings.
Social Competence
This measure assessed the social competence of individuals in a social setting. The
three statements used to assess Social Competence in the LEQ were:
I am successful in social situations.
I am competent in social situations.
6.27
6.65
6.25
6.67
6.29
6.62
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
Beginning End
All Males Females
21
I communicate well with people.
There was a small, but not statistically significant, increase in the social competence
scores of Active Champions from 6.53 to 6.72. The change was more evident in the
male Active Champions, although it is not clear why there was an increase in males and
a small decline for females. However, from the interviews with the Active Champions,
the social aspect of Active East was described as particularly important.
Figure 3: Changes in LEQ scores for Social Competence for all Active Champions
and by males and females
When asked how they had benefitted most from their involvement in Active East, Active
Champions‟ single most common reply was it had improved their confidence. When
pressed further the issue that was most obvious in relation to developing their
confidence this was their ability to speak to others, either on a one-to-one basis on in a
group context:
“I think my confidence has built with Active East …I [now] know
everyone there, but back at the start I would not have known anybody. I
wouldn‟t go and speak to anybody. Now I feel like, if I do not know
somebody I will just go and say: „Hi, I am Alice.”
This Active Champion went on to explain that at a national event she knew only one
person, but because they were away with other people:
“…and I thought „oh, no! I‟m going to have to speak to [other people]‟. I
started to speak to someone who was there. Because he was taking the
mickey out of Glaswegians, we were just having a laugh. I still speak to
him now. I‟ve made new friends.”
6.53 6.72
6.48
6.88 6.60
6.52
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
Beginning End
All Males Females
22
4.9 Developing Psychological Skills and Attributes in Active
Champions
The evaluation found that a range of psychological skills and attribute were developed
in the Active Champions.
Active Initiative
The three statements used to assess Active Initiative in the LEQ were:
I like to be busy and actively involved in things.
I like to be active and energetic.
I like to be an active 'get into it' person.
It is maybe not surprising that the scores for Active Initiative were high both at the
beginning (7.07) of the programme and at the end (7.14) and they were high for both
males and females. The only factor that achieved higher scores was Achievement
Motivation (see the section on self-efficacy below for further details). It is clear from
the number of training and volunteering hours the Active Champions have committed,
that this is a group of proactive young people who are constantly seeking activities they
can take part in. Active East is particularly suited to encouraging and supporting the
Active Champions as it can provide a broad range of positive opportunities across the
East End.
Figure 4: Changes in LEQ scores for Active Initiative for all Active Champions
and by males and females
Comments from some grant recipients highlighted the important contribution Active
Champions made to delivering activities in the communities:
“This AC has delivered Girls on the Move training and Child Protection
training. …This AC was the driving force of this activity – she did so
much.”
7.07 7.14 7.15 7.28
6.98 6.96
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
Beginning End
All Males Females
23
“The [Active Champion] delivered the project and took the lead: project
manager/youth worker - everything. The Active Champion was the main
driving force behind the programme. Without him it stopped at times.”
Emotional Control
The LEQ assessed the participants‟ ability to maintain emotional control in stressful
situations. The three statements used to assess Emotional Control in the LEQ were:
I can stay calm in stressful situations.
I stay calm and overcome anxiety in new or changing situations.
I stay calm when things go wrong.
The survey results showed positive increases in scores for Emotional Control (up form
6.38 to 6.58).
Figure 5: Changes in LEQ scores for Emotional Control for all Active Champions
and by males and females
Some Active Champions indicated that they can feel pressured when they are involved
in training and volunteering. For observations it was clear that some prefer not to put
themselves forward to lead activities, where as others may feel the same pressure but
are less likely to show it. One Active Champion explained that “I used to worry about
everything”, but though volunteering they have managed to find a way to hide any
obvious signs of this:
“Under-pressure …I panic, but I don‟t show that I panic. …I worry
inside but I don‟t show it outside.”
Confidence
Most Active Champions believed that being involved in Active East has improved their
confidence. It was common to hear or read the following feedback:
6.38 6.58 6.58 6.77
6.13 6.34
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
7.5
8
Beginning End
All Males Females
24
“I have gained more confidence in myself.”
Some indicated why their confidence had increased:
“I have become a more confident person and have gained a lot of new
skills, qualifications and experiences.”
However, when pressed in interviews to explain further, many struggled to articulate
what being more confident meant. This may because confidence is a non-specific term,
rather than a construct which can be more easily defined and measured. In most cases
the interviewees indicated it meant they were able to speak in front of a people,
something they had not enjoyed or had difficulties doing so before.
Achievement Motivation
The LEQ includes a measure that is related to self-efficacy. Achievement Motivation
assesses the extent to which individuals are motivated to achieve excellence and put the
required effort into action to attain it. The three statements used to assess Achievement
Motivation in the LEQ were:
When working on a project, I do my best to get the details right.
I try to get the best results when I do things.
I try to do the best that I possibly can.
The scores for Achievement Motivation were the highest recorded for males and
females at both the beginning and in the follow-up surveys, despite the fact that the
scores for the females declined. None of the changes were statistically significant.
Figure 6: Changes in LEQ scores for Achievement Motivation for all Active
Champions and by males and females
These findings reinforce what the Active East Team see on a regular basis through their
involvement with the Active Champions - a highly motivated group of young people
who are committed to making a positive difference to their communities.
7.20 7.21 7.23 7.39
7.17 6.97
4.00
4.50
5.00
5.50
6.00
6.50
7.00
7.50
8.00
Beginning End
All Males Females
25
Using the General Self-Efficacy Scale - Sherer (GSESH)6, the survey findings show that
there was a statistically significant increase in the self-efficacy scores of the young
volunteers. The scores increased from 25.4 to 26.9. This suggests that Active
Champions have improved their self assessment of their abilities to complete tasks and
reach their goals.
Table 4: Active Champions’ before and after general self-efficacy scores
SELF-EFFICACY
Before
Efficacy
After
Efficacy
Change
in
efficacy
Sig.
Active Champions’ 25.4 26.9 +1.5 t(34)=-2.290, p=.028
…for males (n=19) 26.4 28.5 +2.1 Not significant
…for females (n=16) 24.2 25.1 +0.9 Not significant
Base number 35 Note: Self-efficacy scores range from 0-36
The findings show that the self-efficacy scores for the male Active Champions was
higher and increased by a greater margin than female Active Champions. These
findings accord with observations of young people in practical sessions. The male
Active Champions tend to show a greater willingness to trying out practical tasks than
the female Active Champions.
Many of the Active Champions talked positively about their belief in their ability to do
things that they had previously not thought possible.
“It has made me realise what I can do and what I can achieve, …and it
has made me a better person.”
Self-Esteem
The survey results also show an increase in the self-esteem scores of the Active
Champions, up from 20.7 to 22.3 which is statistically significant. This suggests that
Active Champions have a greater sense of self-worth. However, as with self-efficacy,
the males recorded higher levels of self-esteem and greater increases than the females.
6 Details of the 12-item GSESH can be found at: http://jpkc.ujn.edu.cn/xlxyj/jxzy/xllb/10.pdf
26
Table 5: Active Champions’ before and after Rosenberg self-esteem scores
SELF-ESTEEM Before
Esteem
After
Esteem
Change
in
Esteem
Active Champions‟ 20.7 22.3 +1.6 t(35)=-2.157, p=.038
…for males (n=20) 21.9 24.5 +2.6 t(19)=-2.860, p=.010
…for females (n=16) 19.1 19.5 +0.4 Not significant
Base number 36
Note: Self-esteem scores range from 0-30, with scores between 15 and 25 considered normal
From the interviews there is little doubt that the Active Champions gain self-esteem
from being involved in volunteering and leading activities, some of whom were aware
of this change:
“Active East has made me feel more confident as a person and has helped
my self-esteem grow when delivering sports sessions.”
They appreciated being thanked by participants and by community leaders, which gives
them a sense that they are valued. One Active Champion felt this because the young
people they were working with were willing to share their worries:
“Some of them are opening up about their personal life and you know
that they have a level of respect and trust for you. I think that is
brilliant.”
This type of experience is likely to impact on self-esteem because the Active
Champions feel they are important to the young participants.
Satisfaction with Life
The Satisfaction with Life Scale is a five item measure using a 1-7 scale. The five
statements used to assess satisfaction with life were:
In most ways my life is close to my ideal
The conditions of my life are excellent
I am satisfied with life
So far I have gotten the important things I want in life
If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing
The survey findings indicated that Active Champions‟ satisfaction with life has
improved since joining Active East. Using a five item scale, the scores increased from
24.9 up to 26.4, although this change was not statistically significant. While the
increase for males was greater, the levels of life satisfaction for males and females was
similar.
27
Table 6: Active Champions’ before and after life satisfaction scores
Life Satisfaction
Scores - Before
Life Satisfaction
Scores - After Change in Scores
Active Champions‟ 24.9 26.4 +1.5
…for males (n=17) 24.5 26.6 +2.1
…for females (n=16) 25.3 26.3 +1.0
Base number 33
Involvement in Active East could have had an important impact on changes in life
satisfaction.
“[Active East] has given me the opportunity to agree that I would change
almost nothing in my life. Has also helped me benefit me in future for
university.”
Increasing social networks, immersing young people in a range of challenging and
enjoyable activities and tasks, improving self-efficacy and self-esteem are all factors
that might allow someone to re-evaluate their satisfaction with life. Furthermore, many
commented on the amount of fun they have had while being involved in Active East.
“Active East is a fantastic organisation which brings lots of people together.
It has gave me wide range of skills and has continued to develop me and I
have most importantly had great fun.”
4.10 Factors Influencing Active Champions’ Personal
Development
‘What have you enjoyed the most?’
There is little doubt that Active Champions have enjoyed the roles that they have taken
and for many different reasons. For some the most enjoyable aspects of being involved
were around the social aspects of being an Active Champion. Meeting new people was
very important to some:
“I enjoyed working with young people and getting to know them better
through sport. I also loved watching young people‟s confidence grow
through each week.”
For others it was taking part in the sport, or being involved in the delivery of the sport
that they had enjoyed the most:
“Getting to help coach football and plan the games.”
“Teaching kids how to play basketball and coaching players.”
From the observations of Active Champions at leaders‟ training it was clear that they
thoroughly enjoyed engaging in a broad range of sport and physical activities, including
those that said they were “not very sporty”. For those individuals, it was the way in
28
which the activities were delivered to them by the tutors that maintained their interest
and made it fun.
One tutor shared her philosophy of coaching basketball in which she expects the players
to make mistake and encourages them to do so. The principle behind this is to
encourage progression and development, but makes it clear to all that take part that
making a mistake in the norm and that no one should make fun of anyone else for
making that mistake. This resonated with the Active Champions and was a factor that
made them enjoy taking part in an activity they might otherwise not have been that
interested in.
Recognition for the work they had done and being given greater responsibility was the
most enjoyable aspect for one Active Champions: “Being promoted to head coach.”
For some it was a wide range of factors that they enjoyed the most:
“Meeting new people, developing leadership skills, encouraging people
to get involved.”
‘What have you enjoyed the least?’
It was clear that Active Champions enjoyed so much more than they disliked. Several
respondents to the survey indicated that there was no aspect of the projects they were
involved in that they did not enjoy. A common response was: “Nothing. Enjoyed
everything”. However, some Active Champions indicated there were some things that
they did not enjoy all that much. For some it was the challenge of working with
children that they least enjoyed:
“This project was hard and when children didn‟t show respect towards
me and were showing challenging behaviour I enjoyed that the least
because I felt they didn‟t appreciate me as a volunteer.”
“Most of it was fine. Maybe a little more concentrations from the kids.”
“Not a lot of girls showed up to take part.”
Despite difficulties experienced in working with some young people, there was a
recognition that these were positive learning opportunities:
“It has opened my eyes to different situations and helped me deal and
communicate with children from different backgrounds.”
For others it was the more mundane, administrative aspect of volunteering that were less
liked:
“The boring side of things. …Administration – paperwork.”
“The paperwork, as it took up some time that could have been used on
the project. But I understand [the paperwork is] needed.”
29
For one respondent the aspect of the project least liked was the short amount of time
they had each week with the participants:
“Not enough hours. Could be better with more hours.”
The challenges of trying to deliver a coherent programme of activities was also
experienced by some:
“Changing venue – it disrupted sessions.”
Although there were aspects of organising or delivering activities the Active Champions
disliked, they accepted that these things were just a part of the overall experience and
just needed to deal with it. Overall, the things to enjoy are much more powerful and
appealing than the things they did not enjoy as much.
4.11 Identity and Belonging
From the interviews, there is little doubt that the Active Champions are proud to be a
part of Active East and proud of making a contribution to their local communities. In
the interviews where the Active Champions talked about the photographs they had
taken, many showed images of the branded clothing they had received. Indeed, many
wore branded clothing for Active East and their respective community groups when they
were interviewed.
“This is my Active East jumper. …When I wear that Active East Jumper
I know that I am going to do sports coaching. …It is really important
because it gives me something to do - the get up and go – that attitude. If
I didn‟t have Active East I‟d be in the house wondering what to today.”
30
One interviewee explained that wearing the branded clothing made them feel a part of
the group. With the paid staff also wearing the same clothing, it makes the volunteers
feel an equal part of the delivery team. They were proud to show and tell others that
they are a part of these groups and branded clothing is important to them. This suggests
that Active East and other community groups are important to their sense of belonging
and their identity.
31
5 SMALL GRANTS PROJECTS
This section explores the nature, scale and impact of activities funded through the Active
East Small Grants programme. Small Grants has two application processes: „Active‟
which provides funding for new sport or physical activity provision and „Building‟
which provides funding to support training to support delivery of sport and physical
activity.
For either application, clubs/groups/organisations can apply on an individual basis for up
to £2,000, but in order to encourage partnership working, joint applications that link
youth work and sports organisations can receive up to £3,000.
Figure 7: Small Grants Active application process
Figure 8: Small Grants Building application process
5.1 Number, Scale and Nature of Small Grants Awards
Between February 2013 and October 2014 nine award panels have granted funds to 77
projects to support sport and physical activities four children and young people in
Glasgow‟s East End. The Small Grants Awards Panel reviews the applications received
for funding and considers whether the proposal projects meet the intended outcomes of
the Active East programme. In total, the 77 projects have been awarded a total of
£155,398, a mean average of £2,018 per project. Fifty-nine projects have been funded
32
through the „Active‟ application process for new activity provision and 18 projects under
the Building application process to improve the skills of those supporting sport and
physical activity opportunities.
Of the 77 awards made, 30 of these have been for over £2,000, demonstrating that many
of the awards have identifiable partnership links between youth work and sport
organisations.
The new sports and physical activities opportunities provided have been extensive and
include team sports, partner sports, individual sport as well as a range of lifestyle
activities, play and games. The types of activities provided have included:
Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Cycling
Dance
Fitness/Gym
(inc. Bootcamp)
Football
Go-karting
Golf
Judo
Lacrosse
Multi-sport
Netball
Outdoor
activities
Parkour/tricking
Rollerskating/
blading
Rowing
Rugby league
Rugby union
Skiing
Squash
Swimming
Table tennis
Tennis
Wrestling
In addition, some more unusual activities have been support including adventure play
and physical theatre.
Toolkit materials were returned by the grant recipients of 42 community sport and
physical activity projects that received a Small Grants award from Active East. This
section reviews the findings obtained from these projects and is organised as follows:
Attendance
Surveys findings from activity participants
Grant recipients‟ and Active Champions‟ Assessments of Small Grants Projects
Impact of the Small Grants projects
Active Champions and the Small Grants Projects
5.2 Attendance at Small Grants Projects
Thirty-eight attendance sheets were returned from 35 Small Grants projects – a response
rate of 59 per cent from „Active‟ Small Grants projects. Three projects returned more
than one attendance sheets because the activities delivered were set up in different
locations or on different evenings for different groups of participants. These sheets
provided information that allowed the following aspects of the projects to be reviewed:
Number of sessions delivered
Number of participants
Frequency of participation
Project throughput
Capacity of projects used
33
See Table 7 and the full table in Appendix 2 for details of the attendance at projects.
The figures shown are thought to provide an accurate reflection of attendance at Small
Grants funded projects. There were some anomalies in the attendance data provided (e.g.
some grant recipients reported more participants attending the project than were shown
on the attendance sheets with others reporting fewer); however, overall the data shows
the scale and nature of participation in these activities.
Number of Participants
From the 38attendance sheets returned, a total of 944 participants were recorded as
attending the activities, an average of 24.8 per project. However, the mean average
number of participants each session was much lower (mean=12.9 participants).
Based on awards being made to 59 „Active‟ projects it is estimated that projects will have
reached over 1,600 children and young people in the East End of Glasgow.
Table 7: Attendance at Small Grants projects (as indicated in Toolkit Attendance Sheets)
TOTALS MEAN / %
No. of sessions delivered 515 13.6
No. attending 75-100% of sessions 280 30%
No. attending 50-74% of sessions 222 24%
No. attending 25-49% of sessions 245 26%
No. attending 0-24% of sessions 197 21%
Total no. attending sessions 944 24.8
Min. no. at sessions - 8.5
Max. no. at sessions - 18.1
Ave. no. at sessions - 12.9
Max. capacity 8,178 215
Throughput 5,614 148
Capacity used (%) 69% 69%
No. starting project* 618 16.3
No. completing project* 579 15.2
Number of projects 38 Note: *this includes those that took part in either of the first two or the last two sessions
See Appendix 2 for full table with Small Grants attendance figures.
Number of Participants at the Start and End of the Projects
The attendance sheet findings suggest that grant recipients maintained around the same
number of participants at the beginning (mean=16.3 participants) and end (mean=15.2
participants) of their projects. However, these are not necessarily the same people. The
attendance sheets show that 40 per cent of participants dropped out of the project they
attended, with approaching one-third (30%) of participants joining after the project had
started.
34
Frequency of Attendance
The average length of projects was 14 weeks/sessions. On average, participants
attended 6.5 sessions of activity (SD±4.38), although this ranged from as few as one
session (11% of those attending took part on one occasion only), up to 24 sessions (1%
of participants took part in 20 or more sessions).
On average males took part in more sessions (mean=7.1) than females (mean=5.8), with
fewer males dropping out of their activities (35%) than females (46%).
Capacity Used
It was estimated that 69 per cent of the capacity of projects was used. The capacity of a
project was based on the total number of sessions delivered, multiplied by the maximum
number of participants at a single session. The throughput was then calculated as a
percentage of the capacity. One project recorded a capacity use of 100 per cent;
however, as an outdoor residential project held over three days, the captured audience
meant that not achieving 100 per cent would be unusual. The next highest project used
96 per cent of its capacity and covered five sessions. The project with the lowest
capacity used (32%) was spread over a longer period and had 20 separate sessions.
While this might suggest the longer a project runs the poorer the attendance, the analysis
of the data does not support this. The strength of correlation between the number of
sessions delivered and the percentage level of attendance was generally weak (r=-.242,
p<.001), which means that some short term projects had poor attendance, while some
long running projects retained good attendance. The evaluation findings suggest a range
of factors affected levels of attendance:
Type(s) of activity delivered;
Day and time of the activity;
Time of year;
Competition from other activities/events; and
Quality of the coaches/leaders.
The data were analysed to try to establish whether there is an optimum length of time
over which projects should be delivered, but longer term projects can maintain a good
level of attendance as shorter term projects.
Throughput and Throughput Subsidy
Based on the attendance figures obtained, it is estimated that throughput (i.e. visits) at the
59 „Active‟ projects was in excess of 10,000. Based on an average subsidy per session it
was estimated that the subsidy per participant for each session was £11.50.
Attracting Participants to Projects
One-half of the grant recipients indicated that they had some challenges in attracting
young people to their projects, although only six per cent (2 projects) indicated that they
experienced „great difficulty‟ in attracting participants. Both these groups were for girls
35
and the grant recipients indicated that maintaining girls‟ interest in new activity was
challenging.
Table 8: Difficulty in attracting participants to the project
Percentage of respondents
Yes, great difficulty 6
Yes, some difficulty 50
No difficulties at all 44
Base 34
Grant recipients indicated a range of difficulties in attracting participants to their
projects. This included issues of general interest, competing with other activities,
relying on other groups, challenges with suitable times, and the weather:
Apathy or Lack of Interest in Activities
“Older girls showed minimal interest in being involved. Younger girls
were very interested but needed to be constantly reminded it was on.”
“Lack of girls interested in playing football.”
“Some come but don‟t take part.”
“Getting through to young people that badminton is a fun sport and not a
sport for older people.”
Competing Interests
“The different influences on the boys now they are 16 and 17 years old.
Some were now working on Saturdays, although I managed to work
around this.”
“Football is on which sometimes take the young people away.”
“Encouraging young people to attend something positive rather than
spend time with peers.”
Relying on Others to Assist with Recruitment
“Working with partner organisations to bring people along to the [event],
we left it up to them to organise young people.”
“As it is a new groups, you are relying on friends asking friends to
attend.”
“The Active Champion pulled out at the last minute which stopped the
activity until we got a replacement.”
36
Challenges in Findings Suitable Times
“Change of days and times.”
“…on Saturday mornings, young people would not show and numbers
were constantly low.”
“When the school and college started back after the summer break we
found the numbers dropped, even although we changed the time to suit. I
was difficult to get times to suit everyone.”
The Weather
“Some of the sessions the weather was bad so young people didn‟t want
to take part in an outdoor session.”
“Unusual warm summer which caused a great number of drop outs over
this period.”
Despite these difficulties, over one-half (52%) indicated that they were able to attract
more participants than anticipated. A range of approaches were used to encourage
children and young people to attend (e.g. times of sessions were changed; invitations
extended through other groups). For some, working in partnership was important to
increasing numbers. At one project the activities were offered to other community
groups when all the places were not taken by young people at the host group. This did
mean additional work in getting young people involved but it meant there was greater
value for money and it encouraged young people from different areas to mingle.
Table 9: Number of participants at the project
Percentage of respondents
More participants than anticipated 52
Same number of participants as anticipated 29
Fewer participants than anticipated 19
Base 31
One in five (19%) grant recipients indicated that they attracted fewer participants than
anticipated due to the issue listed above.
Three out of five (61%) of grant recipients indicated that they experienced drop out
from their projects with four out of five (82%) of these having some awareness of the
reasons why participants dropped out.
Table 10: Drop out from project
Percentage of respondents
Yes 61
No 39
Base 33
37
Table 11: Awareness of why participants dropped out
Percentage of respondents
Yes 82
No 18
Base 17
Grant recipients identified a range of reasons why children and young people dropped
out of the activities. These included: the good weather during the summer; summer
holidays; other commitments (including homework, college, other sports/activities);
injury; change of venue; general lack of interest from participants (despite consultation
in planning); the Commonwealth Games; a dislike of the physical aspect of the activity;
and bullying.
In one activity the demeanour of the coach/instructor was thought to be factor in turning
off the participants:
“[The coach/instructor] seemed to have more of a „strict‟ way of
facilitating which disengaged children.”
The reasons for drop out are extensive and there is no one thing that grant recipients can
or should do to avoid drop out. Some grant recipients did attempt to minimise the
likelihood of drop out by switching times of activities to suit participants, by adapting
activities on particularly hot days and being as supportive and encouraging as possible
to participants. Grant recipients appeared vigilant as to the reasons why young people
dropped out of activities and they took appropriate measures to try to encourage
participation.
5.3 Survey Findings of Small Grants Project Participants
Using the findings obtained from surveys undertaken at the beginning and end of
participants‟ involvement in the Small Grants project, this section examines findings on:
The type of people that took part in the activities;
Participants‟ levels of engagement in physical activity; and
The impact of the activity on participants.
Three distinct sets of data were identified: (i) findings from all those completing a
beginning of project questionnaire (n=492); (ii) findings from those that completed an
end of project questionnaire (n=317); and (iii) those that completed both questionnaires
(n=256). Findings from these three sets of data will be presented where appropriate.
Profile of Participants Involved in Small Grants Activity
A higher proportion of males took part in the Small Grants projects than females. Fifty-
nine percent of those that started the project were male, compared to 41 per cent female.
Furthermore, an even higher percentage of those that were surveyed at the end were
males (64%) compared to females (36%). This may suggest that females were more
likely to drop out of projects than males.
38
Table 12: Profile of participants taking part in Small Grants projects
Sex of respondents
Beginning of
Projects
End of
Projects
Male 59 64
Female 41 36
Base number 423 314
Age of Respondents
Mean age of participants (years) 13.9 (±6.358) 14.5 (±6.795)
Youngest (years) 5 5
Oldest (years) 52 52
Base number 408 305
School/Work Status
Primary school 37 33
Secondary school 42 44
College 7 7
University 1 2
Working full-time 5 6
Working part-time 4 4
Unemployed 2 3
Bringing up children 1 1
Full-tine in the home <1 0
Other 2 2
Base number
Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
Quintile 1 – most deprived 20 % of areas 82 80
Quintile 2 10 11
Quintile 3 5 3
Quintile 4 2 5
Quintile 5 – least deprived 20 % of areas 1 1
Base number 91 72
Disability
Yes, all of the time 2 2
Yes, most of the time 2 2
Yes, some of the time 5 7
No 91 90
Base number 368 304
Ethnic Background
White 94 95
Asian 1 1
Black 4 4
Mixed 1 0
Base number 419 310 Notes: The figures shown are percentages unless otherwise stated.
39
The average age of participants at the beginning of the projects was 13.9, with the
average age at then being 14.5. There were a small number of adults engaged in the
programme. Four per cent of those surveyed at the beginning were over 25 years of
age, many of whom were women engaged in fitness activity alongside younger females
from a sports club.
Almost four out of five (79%) of the participants were still at school, with eight percent
at college or university and nine per cent working full- or part-time.
From the postcodes provided by participants it is clear that Active East is reaching
people who live in some of the most deprived communities in Scotland. Eighty per cent
of the participants were from 20 per cent of the most deprived areas in Scotland - this is
the same percentage as Active Champions from these areas. This is substantially higher
than the percentage reached in the „Girls on the Move‟ Programme in which 34 per cent
of Participation Programme participants were from 20% of the most deprived areas in
Scotland. If reaching those from deprived areas is an explicit aim of an initiative, these
findings suggest that targeting specific geographic areas will increase the likelihood that
the target groups will benefit from the investment.
Around one in ten respondents indicated that they had a disability that impacted on their
involvement in physical activity at least some of the time, although only 2 per cent
indicated this condition affected them all the time. The disabilities or illnesses identified
by respondents at the beginning of their involvement in projects included asthma (n=10)
and epilepsy (n=2), with all other conditions identified by individual respondents.
Six per cent of participants at the beginning of the projects and five per cent at the end
were from black and minority ethnic groups. While these percentages may reflect the
Asian and other ethnic groups in Scotland (5%), it shows an under-representation for
these groups in the City of Glasgow Council Area (11.6%)7.
Participants Involvement in Community Clubs/Groups
Many of the participants (44%) were new to the clubs/groups where the Small Grants
projects were taking place. This is a positive finding because it may represent an
increase in community engagement. This is supported with findings from grant
recipients, 61 per cent of whom indicated that the number of young people attending
their there groups had increased as a result of the project (see Table A5-8).
Table 13: Length of time involved with the group
Percentage of respondents
I am quite new to this club/group 44
I have been coming here for up to a year 18
I have been coming here for over a year 38
Base number 425
The participants indicated they were also active with other clubs/groups in the
community.
7 Figures obtained from Scotland‟s Census 2011 - http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/
40
Table 14: Do you go to any other clubs/groups where you take part in sport,
physical activities or dance
Percentage of respondents
Yes 61
No 39
Base number 423
Table 15: What other groups do you attend where you take part in sport, physical
activities or dance
Percentage of respondents
After school club/group 48
Sports club 41
Youth club 27
Dance class/school 23
Uniformed group 4
Other 8
Base number 271 Note: Multiple response – figures do not sum to 100 per cent
Based on the length of time involved with the groups and whether they attend any other
groups, as much as 17 per cent of the participants may have been attracted to organised
community activity as a result of the Active East programme. This is a positive finding
as it suggests the programme is reaching those that might not normally take part in
organised activity.
Participation in Sport and Physical Activity
The two most commonly participated in activities were badminton (14%) and football
(12%); however, only a little more one in ten took part in these two sports. This
demonstrates the variety of activities supported by the Small Grants awards.
41
Table 16: The types of activities in which the respondents are about to participate
Number of respondents Percentage of respondents
Badminton 71 14
Football 58 12
Outdoor Activities 44 9
Tricking / Parkour 38 8
Fitness/Gym 33 7
Rugby 29 6
Table tennis 29 6
Rowing 23 5
Bootcamp 22 4
Athletics 21 4
All sports / multi-sports 20 4
Netball 18 4
Rollerskating/blading 17 3
Cycling 14 3
Dance 13 3
Physical Theatre 12 2
Athletics 11 2
Basketball 11 2
Golf 10 2
Tennis 10 2
Gymnastics 2 <1
Go-karting 1 <1
Base number 492 Notes: Multiple response – figures do not sum to 100 per cent
Many participants had taken part in these activities before, but one in five (20%)
indicated that they had not take part in the activity before.
Table 17: Have you taken part in this type of activity before?
Percentage of respondents
Yes, lots of times 39
Yes, a few times 28
Yes, but not very often 13
No 20
Base number 428
Despite the high proportion that had taken part in the activity before, most were „very
excited‟ (66%) or „a little excited‟ (29%) about taking part in the activities.
42
Table 18: How excited about taking part in the activity?
Percentage of respondents
Very excited 66
A little excited 29
Not very excited 4
Not excited at all 1
Base number 428
While there is concern that many children in Scotland are not as active as they should
be, these findings suggests that children are excited about taking part and providing
opportunities is needed if children are to find opportunities to be active.
Levels of Engagement in Sport and Physical Activity
Using paired data, that is where a respondent completed both a beginning of project and
end of project questionnaires, the finding show that the number of times participants
attended activities and the number of days per week in which they were physically
active increased.
The mean number of times participants attended club/project activities increased from
3.2 times per week before they started to 3.6 times per week at the end of the project.
This represents a statistically significant increase in the number of times participants
take part in club/group activities, which suggests there is a demand for such activities.
Table 19: Number of times per week participants attends these types of activities
(paired data)
Beginning of Project End of Project
Mean
number
(Std Dev)
Range
Mean
number
(Std Dev)
Range
How many times per week
do you attend clubs/groups
to take part in activities
3.2 times
(±1.802) 0-12
3.6 times
(±1.694) 0-15
Base number 224 224 Notes: Paired t-test results: t(223)=-2.937, p=.004
Coupled with the number of visits to club/group activities, there was also a statistically
significant increase in the number of days participants claimed they were active for 60
minutes or more per day, up from a mean average of 3.8 days per week to 4.2 days per
week.
43
Table 20: Number of days active (60 minutes or more) in the last week (paired
data)
Beginning of Project End of Project
Mean
number
(Std Dev)
Range
Mean
number
(Std Dev)
Range
During the last 7 days, on
how many days did you
take part in 60+ minutes of
activity
3.8 times
(±1.805) 0-7
4.2 times
(±1.928) 0-7
Base number 249 249 Notes: Paired t-test results: t(248)=-4.047, p<.001
There was also an increase in the percentage of participants who responded „I am a very
active person‟ between the beginning of the project (58%) and the end of the project
(66%). These finding also showed a statistically significant difference between the
beginning and end of projects.
Table 21: How physically active would you say you were? (paired data)
Beginning of Projects End of Projects
I am a very active person 57 66
I am quite an active person 35 29
I am not a very active person 6 5
I am not active at all 2 <1
Base number 255 255 Note: Figures do not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding
Wilcoxon test results: Z=2.994, p=.003
In support of the above findings, 70 per cent of participants thought they were more
active than they were at the beginning of the project, with six per cent indicating they
were less active than before. The remainder (24%) indicated their levels of activity had
remained about the same.
Table 22: Level of activity compared to beginning of the project
Percentage of respondents
More active than before 70
Active about the same as before 24
Less active than before 6
Base number 316
Physical Self Assessment
Respondents were asked to respond to a series of statements about their levels of
sporting ability, their levels and activity, their flexibility and their physical self. Figure
9 shows the questions as presented in the questionnaire. This could be regarded as a
rather simple self-assessment of physical self, but they give a sense about how the
participants see themselves.
44
Figure 9: Extract for the participants’ survey questionnaire on assessment of
physical self What are you like?
12 Please read the statements below and circle the number that is most like you for each statement:
1
False
Not like me at
all
2
Mostly false
3
More false
than true
4
More true than
false
5
Mostly true
6
True
This describes
me well
False True
Other people think I am good at sports 1 2 3 4 5 6
I am quite good at bending, twisting and turning my body 1 2 3 4 5 6
I often do exercise or activities that make me breathe
hard 1 2 3 4 5 6
I am good at most sports 1 2 3 4 5 6
Physically, I am happy with myself 1 2 3 4 5 6
My body is flexible 1 2 3 4 5 6
I do physically active things at least three times per week 1 2 3 4 5 6
I have good sports skills 1 2 3 4 5 6
Physically I feel good about myself 1 2 3 4 5 6
My body is stiff and inflexible 1 2 3 4 5 6
I do lots of sports, dance, gym or other activities 1 2 3 4 5 6
I feel good about who I am and what I can do physically 1 2 3 4 5 6
I do lots of sports, exercise, dance and other physical
activities almost every day 1 2 3 4 5 6
I play sports well 1 2 3 4 5 6
I feel good about who I am physically 1 2 3 4 5 6
I think I would perform well on a test measuring
flexibility 1 2 3 4 5 6
Note: Adapted from Physical Self Description Questionnaire
The findings of participants‟ sense of physical self also suggest an improvement over
the course of their involvement in the project. While scores for physical self (e.g. „I
feel good about who I am physically‟) declined from 4.95 to 4.78 (no statistical
difference), the scores for sporting ability (e.g. „I am good at most sports‟), active (e.g. I
do lots of sports, dance, gym or other activities) and flexibility (e.g. „My body is
flexible‟) all increased and were statistically significant.
Table 23: Participants’ self assessment of physical self
Beginning of
project
End of
project Z-score Sig.
Physical self 4.95 4.78 z=-1.675 p=.094
Sporting ability 4.57 4.66 z=-4.542 p<.001
Active 4.37 4.56 z=-4.168 p<.001
Flexibility 4.00 4.20 z=-3.794 p<.001
Base number 233 233
45
While the findings in the five tables above indicate positive increases in the levels of
engagement of participants in sport and physical activities, it is important to recognise
that these are self reported measures. They do not provide a true measure of levels of
activity. The survey responses may be subject to social desirability bias - that is the
respondents providing answers that will be viewed favourably by others. Despite this
limitation, the findings demonstrate a positive response to the activities being provided.
Level of Enjoyment
A high percent age of those completing the questionnaire at the end of the project (85%)
indicated that they had enjoyed taking part in the activity „a lot‟. With regards to level
of enjoyment only three percent of participants indicated „not very much‟ or „not at all‟.
Table 24: How much enjoyed taking part in the activity
Percentage of respondents
A lot 85
A little 13
Not very much 1
Not at all 2
Base number 316
Social Networks
The findings from the surveys suggest there were positive social outcomes for the
participants. By the end of the project a higher percentage of participants indicated „I
know most of the people here‟ (up to 75% from 62% at the beginning of the project),
with the number indicating „I only know a few people here‟ declining from 17 per cent
to 6 per cent.
Table 25: Participants’ familiarity with others at the beginning and the end of the
projects
Beginning of Projects End of Projects
I know most of the people here 62 75
I know some of the people here 20 19
I only know a few people here 17 6
I don‟t know anyone here 2 <1
Base number 410 315 Note: Figures do not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding
Furthermore, 48 per cent indicated they had become close friends with other
participants, and 61 per cent got to know Active Champions.
46
Table 26: Did you become close friends with any of the other participants
Percentage of respondents
Yes 84
No 16
Base number 315
Table 27: Do you know any Active Champions?
Percentage of respondents
Yes 61
No 39
Base number 310
5.4 Grant Recipients’ and Active Champions’ Assessments
of Small Grants Projects
This section provides grant recipients‟ and Active Champions‟ assessments of the Small
Grants funded projects. Their responses were obtained from End of Project Assessment
Reports and from interviews.
Overall the grant recipients rated their success of their projects highly. On a scale of 1-
10, the mean score was 8.0, with four rating the success of their project 10 out of 10.
For the four grant recipients that rated the success of their project as 10, factors
contributing to this level of success included:
„Excellent‟ attendance (despite one project recording 50% drop out rate);
New visitors to the project;
Strong partnership working;
Development of sports skills and players taking part in competition;
A player progressing on to a selected squad;
Encouraging parental involvement;
Engaging girls in physical activity;
Active Champions leading activities; and
Being informed that there had been a reduction in vandalism in the local area.
At one project, the success was still recorded as a 10 despite the Active Champion
disengaging from the project.
Despite a high drop out rate and the loss of an Active Champion, one grant recipients
still rated their project successful, because retaining young people described as „hard to
reach‟ is considered a success:
“I think it has been a success because even getting a couple of young
people attending regularly is a success.”
47
The grant recipients from the two projects with the lowest success scores (scores of 5
and 4) indicated that the lack of rapport with the coaches (not Active Champions)
resulted in a drop off in numbers (from 24 to 15), while in the other it was reported that
the attendance was poor (drop off from 18 to 3). The organiser reported that some of the
young people did not like the discipline and did not want to listen. Despite this problem,
the grant recipients also received positive comments from some parents that their
children‟s behaviour at home had improved.
Impact on Participants
Grant recipients and Active Champions reported a range of positive impacts on the
participants of the projects including: building a repertoire of activities; increased levels
of activity; health benefits; improvement in skills and increasing friendship networks.
Many of these correspond with the participants‟ own feedback on taking part in the
projects. However, the findings should be treated with some caution. Many of the
comments are anecdotal in nature. The findings may not apply to all projects and some
findings may be perceived, rather than being real. Despite this, the comments provided
by grant recipients were mostly positive.
Grant recipients suggested that the amount of activity in which participants were
engaged increased. Eighty-eight per cent of grant recipients thought that visitors to their
clubs or groups were more active as a result of taking part, although there was no
indication from grant recipients about how much more active the participants were since
joining the project.
Table 28: Level of physical activity of participants attending club/group
Percentage of respondents
Increased 88
Stayed the same 12
Decreased 0
Base 34
It is clear in some places that the activity provided through the Small Grants gave
children and young people with an opportunity to take part in activities that would
otherwise not be available. It is thought this has contributed to higher levels of activity
among children and young people.
Active Champions also supported the view that children in the East End were taking part
in new activities:
“The girls involved got to try something they never done before”
“Participants got to experience a new sport and they thoroughly enjoyed
it.”
“[The project] improve participants‟ fitness as well as broadening
horizons – opening their eyes to new activities”
“The impact of the programme has been a massive success. We have
engaged with a significant number of young people aged 12-21 who
48
would otherwise not be able to participate in sport (particularly football)
because of the associated costs.”
An important observation for one organiser was the inclusion of young people that have
little experience of being involved in structured activity, which can provide
opportunities for developing skills and engaging positively with young and adult
leaders:
“They have been involved in regular, structured physical activity. This is
something that not many of them have done previously.”
For many of the young people that came …this was their only social
activity.”
Sport Specific Skill Development and Sports Development
Participants were also adjudged to have improved their skills in the activities in which
they took part:
“It has made them better at football.”
“We have now formed an 11-a-side football team called Tollcross AFC.”
“Young people have learned dance skills and performances.”
“All young people who attended at the start could not cycle – they all
can now cycle.”
There have also been a number of very tangible sports developments as a result of the
Active East programme. Engagement in sports activities at some projects have resulted
in the formation of constituted competitive teams and clubs that are new to children and
young people in the East End. An Active Champion at YMCA Tollcross developed a 5-
a-side football activity session into an 11-a-side team called Tollcross Athletic FC. In
addition, a new badminton club was created in Cranhill. This development required the
support of parents and young people now play competitively in a local junior league.
Grant recipients have also indicated that some participants have been invited to trials or
have been selected for representative squads. While this may have impacted on a
relatively small number of participants, this is a very tangible benefit for those young
people and demonstrates the potential for a sport for development project like Active
East contributing to sport development outcomes.
Social Networks and Friendship
Grant recipients and Active Champions have also highlighted the benefits of the project
to strengthening social networks of young people, allowing them to meet more people of
their own age and engaging with young leaders and adults:
“It brought us together as a team. When I see all that we as a group have
achieved over the least 6 months it‟s amazing.”
49
“They [participants]…got to meet new people and make new friends.”
“Big impact on participants. They love to participate in the Friday Night
Football League. Numbers throughout the project have been excellent
and as a result new friendships have formed.”
One organiser also indicated that the way their activity was delivered developed positive
relationships between the participants and project staff:
“Having staff and young people exercise together was very effective and
we built relationships and motivated each other. Many of the young
people who were previously shy amongst staff became a lot more
confident in speaking to staff.”
An Active Champion also mentioned that social engagement generated through the
projects extends beyond the activity itself:
“The kids all know me now as I stay here as well. They all say hello
when I meet them.”
Confidence
Project leaders also described the participants as gaining confidence as a result in taking
part in activities:
“Girls in particular who were reluctant to engage in any form of sporting
or physical activity now engage freely in outdoor activity and lead their
own sessions/games confidently.”
Behaviour
Some of those involved in organising or leading projects commented on the positive and
improved behaviour of the participants, particularly when some of the participants
showed challenging behaviours:
“Two boys who were extremely „unruly‟ not listening and disruptive
were able to complete the programme and take part in the showcase
event. The coaches were very supportive and patient with them and
supported these two boys. They were able to take part in the showcase to
the surprise of their parents.”
In addition, not only did the organiser see improvements in the behaviour of participants
during the activity, they also received positive comments from parents:
“Parents of participants were surprised and pleased at how their
children‟s behaviour at home improved and also that their children had
the confidence to take part in the showcase event.”
50
Impact of Small Grants Projects on Community
Grant recipients and Active Champions also claimed that the projects had an impact on
the wider community too including: strengthening the youth/community group; bringing
communities closer together; addressing issues of territorialism; and reducing anti-
social behaviour.
Strengthen the Club/Group
As has already been highlighted through survey findings, grant recipients indicated that
the number of children and young people attending their groups had increased.
However, in some cases this has resulted in the extension of activities to adults too:
“The adults who saw their children learning how to cycle realised they
need to learn too. …community member approached myself and now
adult cycle clubs have been set up.”
Bringing Communities Together
Many of the grant recipients gave positive comments on how the activities managed to
bring communities and people from different areas of the East End together. Comments
included:
“It‟s brought new young people closer to the community.”
“Parents coming out to support children.”
“It has brought together a large number of boys and young men from
different social and ethnic groups to participate in a fun, structured and
safe environment.”
“We have brought two primary schools together. Integration of the two
is now working well.”
In addition, some suggested that this was also addressing issues of territorialism,
although it was made clear by many people that territorialism is not as problematic an
issue as it was 5-10 years ago.
“This has brought different communities and territories together. ”
“Tackling territorialism by providing the opportunity for different
groups from across the north east to engage in a positive activity.”
“Some of the kids from different areas have made real and lasting
friendships. …They are really friendly now.”
Reducing Incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour
Several comments were received in support of the projects addressing issues of anti-
social behaviour. Many of the comments were related to the diversionary role that sport
51
and physical activity can play (i.e. engaging in organised activity means opportunities to
engage in anti-social behaviour are reduced, at least for the duration of the activity).
“Lots of young people were coming to training and games on a Friday so
were not on the street causing trouble.”
Brought lots of children off the street and into sport/badminton.”
“It gave young people something to do rather than loitering.”
“I think it helped a little bit as it got kids off the street and doing
something beneficial and inventive.”
“A significant number of local young people are engaged in activities in
a structured and safe environment. Informally we have been told that
vandalism has dropped in local area.”
“I have 20 young people new to [the group] who are off the streets and
play in 11-a-sides.”
“As this activity is delivered on a Friday night it has reduced negative
activity til 11pm or 12 midnight according to the police.”
In addition, one organiser suggested that engagement in gang culture and violence
education workshops encouraged young people to explore and challenge their own
behaviours:
“Young people are now challenging each other when causing anti-social
behaviour and the local community are now ready to support [the project]
to work with the young people.”
In this case it is important to recognise that positive changes in behaviour are not
necessarily a result of taking part in sport or physical activity, but are more associated
with outcomes of youth work education activities. A strength of Active East is the
desire to bring together different community groups (youth groups and sports groups) to
share experiences and experiences. Some groups have experienced a positive impact of
working with other groups to enhance outcomes for young people:
“Through working in partnership with [another community group], their
project co-ordinator has highlighted that, as well as engaging with the
young people they work with, we have been able to attract the harder to
reach 16+ age group and keep them engaged.”
Strengthening Partnership Working Between Clubs/Groups
The Small Grants projects also served to improve links between clubs and groups.
Many grant recipients indicated that they had better working relationships and more
frequent contact with other projects with whom they were working in partnership.
Further detail of the nature of partner working is explored in the next chapter.
52
Sport Specific Benefits
One organiser listed the following impacts as a result of the involvement of Active East
or Active Champion:
Progression of player to select squads;
Club progression into junior badminton tournaments;
Committee created involving parents and the local community; and
Junior committee created involving active Champion and members of the club.
It is anticipated that this club will have a lasting legacy and will be a part of the
community for years to come.
Extending Opportunities for Girls
As has been shown the number of girl and young women involved in the activities was
lower than that of boys and young men. This pattern is typical of sport and physical
activity participation across Scotland and developed countries, so it is not unique to
Active East. Those involved in delivering activities were aware that Active East had the
potential to offer more to females in the East End and that some positive experiences
had been identified:
“Positive outcome. Most physical activities are primarily attended by
males. This [project] showed the possibilities available to females.”
“Opened people‟s eyes on opportunities for sporty young girls.”
“The AC is a strong female role model and has now attracted many more
[young people] to her club.”
Despite these positive comments, creating and sustaining activities for girls remains a
challenge for those involved in sport and physical activity.
Assessment of Challenges Facing Small Grants Projects
Despite grant recipients and Active Champions highlighting many positive aspects of
the Small Grants projects, some aspects of the projects did not works as well.
“We need to work on health messages. At the first tournament we gave
out water bottles and talked about drinking water. None of them [water
bottles] were brought to the second [session] and all the young people
had fizzy juice and sweets.”
While there may be challenges in addressing issues concerning healthy eating, the
comment above is maybe a little naïve in expecting actions one week to have a direct
action the next week. This is a cultural issue and it will take time to resolve. What is
comforting is the attempt to address this issue and persistence and appropriate
encouragement and support will provide the best chance for project deliverers to affect
healthy eating behaviours.
53
The availability of leaders impacted on some projects and had a disruptive effect:
“Unfortunately our first facilitator decided to leave the group
approximately 4 weeks in, which meant when another facilitator started it
was back to basics – which slightly delayed the project.”
Despite this change the project continued and a core of participants remained in the
project.
Interestingly, several groups identified problems with attendance at projects during the
summer months, particularly during the hot and sunny period (29oC in Glasgow on
some days). While the heat may have put some young people off attending, others
mentioned that other community activities may have impacted on attendance.
“During the summer, young people had lots of community events and
trips with other organisations and so could not make [the project].”
While attendance may have been disappointing at times, the opportunity for young
people to take part in a range of activities or events (including Commonwealth Games
activities) should be regarded as positive and maybe some small adjustments to
planning during the summer months may alleviate problems of low attendance.
5.5 Active Champions and the Small Grants Projects
It is clear from comments given by grant recipients and the Active East Team that the
roles played by Active Champions were critical to the success of many projects.
Although each Small Grants project needed to secure the involvement of at least one
Active Champion to be eligible for funding, the average number of Active Champions
per project was 1.9, with some projects having up to six Active Champions providing
support.
Table 29: Number of Active Champions working at the project
Range - minimum 1
Range - maximum 6
Standard deviation 1.3
Mean average 1.9
Base number 32
The Active Champions were considered central to the delivery of many of the Small
Grants projects. Over one-third (36%) of grant recipients indicated the Active
Champions were „of critical importance‟ to the delivery of the programme, while a
further 48 per cent regarded them „of great importance‟.
54
Table 30: How important were the Active Champions to the delivery of the
project?
Percentage of respondents
Of critical importance 36
Of great importance 48
Of some importance 10
Of little importance 3
Of no importance 3
Base 31
Grant recipients explained the importance of their Active champions:
“They played and active role in all aspects of the project.”
“Our Active Champion was great in enthusing the group through
activities and proved especially important at the early stages of the
sessions when the group were very reluctant.”
“Their role was pivotal at the start during application and the planning
/organising. Although they moved on [from the group], their peers have
continued to benefit from their efforts.”
“[The Active Champion] chaperoned young people to the community
centre. If the Active Champion was not present, the kids …would not
have participated.”
“One nominated as team captain with additional responsibilities. …He
has also been nominated to become a member of the club committee.”
For those that indicated that the Active Champions were „of little importance‟ (3%) or
„of no importance‟ (3%) to the delivery of the project, this was because the Active
Champions disengaged from the project:
“Unfortunately both [Active Champions] dropped out.”
“Unfortunately, they did not take on role to its full potential.”
With regard to the disengagement of one Active Champion it was thought that the
location of the training was problematic:
“…putting training for Active Champions outwith young people‟s area,
when we already explained their fear of travelling outwith their area
could have been looked at better.”
55
Role Model
Grant recipients suggested the Active Champions were role models to their
communities:
“One of them has been an inspiration to his peers by succeeding in his
progression to formal training and work.”
“[The Active Champion] learned a lot of new exercises and stretches. He
also learned more about the evaluation process and how to write reports.
He also gained experiences in planning and organising sessions and
helping staff set up course or session. …Young participants were
inspired and motivated by [the Active Champion]. They also felt
supported by him.”
Some Active Champions also recognised their status as role models and indicated that
they were pleased to have this role. One Active Champion acknowledged they were
regarded as a positive role model and felt comfortable that young people could speak to
him about issue they may have:
“…sometimes they don‟t have someone to talk to and to be that person
[makes me] feel proud. …That‟s fantastic [for me] just as a young
volunteer.”
Ensuring Active Champions Become Active Volunteers
One organiser expressed concern that some Active Champions were involved in Active
East and enjoying the benefits of taking part in the training and social opportunities, but
were not utilising the skills they developed within their local communities. They
commented:
“I think the Active Champions need to be encouraged more to put their
learning into practice. A lot of them just participate in training or
residentials, but don‟t actually volunteer with the organisation.”
This observation has been acknowledged by the Active East Team and greater efforts
able being made to ensure that Active Champions become active as volunteers. Aims to
do this have been illustrated recently with an Active Champion who requested to attend
a governing body of sport UKCC Level 1 coach education course. However, that
individual had stopped volunteering in that particular sport and was volunteering
elsewhere. Following a negotiation with the Active Champions it was made clear that
they would need to make a commitment to the sport if the opportunity to attend the
Level 1 course was to be supported through Active East.
In addition, changes have been made to the Personal Development Plan (PDP)
paperwork the Active Champions complete on a quarterly basis. The earlier version
PDP provided space where Active champions could list up to four training opportunities
they would aim to complete over the next three months. The new form now has space
for one training opportunity. The aim is to ensure that Active Champions get the
opportunity to put their skill into practice before embarking on a new sport or activity.
56
Positive Outcome
As well as identifying the benefits of projects to participants, grant recipients have also
highlighted benefits accrued by Active Champions from being involved in Small Grants
projects. This has included increased leadership skills, positive changes in behaviour,
on-going job or placement opportunities:
“Active Champion able to build on his confidence and realise he is able
to aid the running of sessions and gain respect form his peers.”
“The [Active Champion] is in less trouble and volunteers more…”
“This person is now a youth worker at [name of project].”
Importantly almost all of the grant recipients wished to retain the services of the Active
champions. They are a considered a important resource and are valued by the local
clubs/groups.
Table 31: Do you want to keep Active Champions in your club/group?
Percentage of respondents
Yes 94
No 0
Don‟t know 6
Base 31
57
6 ACTIVE EAST NETWORK
Chapter Title: It is important to note that the title „Active East Network‟ has been
created for the purposes of reporting findings in this evaluation report. It is not intended
to infer that Active East has ownership of this network. The Active East Team
recognise the important role they have in facilitating a strong network across the East
End, but they would like to see the network become the responsibility of the local
community groups.
The evaluation assessed the extent to which Active East has contributed to improving
partnership working among community clubs, groups and organisations across the East
End of Glasgow. This related directly to the following outcome for Active East:
Outcome 2: Increase and improve partnership working among local community
organisations.
This section will explore the scale and nature of partnership working in the Active East
programme. This will identify the organisations working at strategic levels (funders and
strategic partners) as well as the clubs/groups/organisation involved in the delivery of
activity (Small Grants partners). In addition, the report will assess the extent to which
Active Champions contribute to partnership working.
6.1 Scale and Nature of Partnership Working in Active East
The findings from the evaluation demonstrate that the Active East Team has achieved
some success in creating strong partnership working across the East End of Glasgow
(see below). However, achieving strong partnerships has not been easy to achieve. In
the early stages of the re-launched programme, the Active East Team members had to
work hard to get more community club, groups and organisations co-operate with each
other. The Active East Team experienced tensions between representatives from
interested community groups and organisations at early partner meetings. There was a
sense that representatives from the clubs, groups and organisation were unwilling to
share openly with others their hopes and aspirations for the programme, although they
were prepared to have discussions with the Active East Team on a one-to-one basis.
Some groups had previously worked together, but there was a need for more co-
operative working. The Active East Team sought to overcome these difficulties through
the following approaches:
Having regular meetings and fostering an environment of openness;
Ensuring the agendas of meetings reflected the interests of all groups attending;
Sharing the minutes with partners immediately after meetings to maintain
partners‟ interests and generate momentum;
Promoting co-operation between groups;
Encouraging the sharing of good practice between groups;
Ensuring the work of Active Champions was visible across the network of
organisations;
Continually reminding partners of the desired outcomes; and
Including partners in the decision making process.
58
These approaches had some success because many interested groups became active
stakeholders with Active East, with many developing formal partnerships through joint
Small Grants applications and supporting each other with the delivery of activities.
These groups shared resources, shared knowledge, collaborated on projects and
supported each other to achieve success. It is very clear that Active East, or more
precisely, the Active East Team, has worked in a professional and open manner which
has meant that different partners have the trust and confidence to work collaboratively
with each other.
Funders
The Robertson Trust
Comic Relief
The Big Lottery Fund
Strategic Partners
SSF
Glasgow Kelvin College
Glasgow Life
Youth Scotland
Street Games
H4U Youth Health
Clyde Gateway
Young Scot
Truth About Youth
The Outward Bound Trust
Small Grants Delivery Partners
The number of partner clubs/groups/organisations involved in the delivery of activity
supported through the Small Grants programme has grown since it was launched in
February 2013 and it continues to grow. Through to October 2014, 50 partner
organisations have been identified in Small Grants applications. These organisations are
shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10 titled: Active East Small Grants Projects – Partnerships Links8 is an attempt
to show in a visual format the extent of the links between clubs/groups/organisations
brought together through the Small Grants awards since March 2013 (a period of around
20 months). The clubs/groups/organisations within the blue box are those that have been
lead applicants for funding and those outside the box are non-applicant partner groups.
In total, this diagram identifies 50 different partners in the Active East programme,
many of which had no previous connections. It is evident that many have become
extensively engaged through Active East. For example, Reidvale (13 connections),
Tollcross YMCA (11 connections) and A&M Training (9 connections) are working with
8 Notes on Figure 10
The diagram shows only clubs/groups/organisations that were included in Small Grants
Application.
Service providers named in Small Grants Applications (e.g. sports centres, swimming
pools, outdoor centres) have not been included.
The clubs/groups/organisations within the blue box are organisations that were lead
applicants for funding and those outside the box are other partner groups.
Connecting lines could represent more than one Small Grant application.
59
(or have worked with) multiple partners to provide opportunities for children and young
people to engage in sport and physical activities.
It should be noted that Figure 10 shows the connections that were identified at the
application stage, however, further links have also been established as the projects have
progressed. One organiser explained that they had 4-5 groups coming together for one
activity, although only two of the groups were named in the application. Consequently,
Figure 10 under-estimates the extent of partnership working created through Active
East.
It is maybe not unsurprising that it is the youth/community clubs that have the greatest
number of connections, compared to the sport clubs or initiatives. However, the links
between youth/community groups and sports specific clubs/groups are particularly
important in appreciating some of the strengths of Active East and the importance of the
programme in bringing these groups together.
Active East, in seeking to join these different groups together, is attempting to marry the
strengths associated with youth work to the benefits that are believed to be associated
with participation in sport and physical activity.
Sport Specific Clubs and Organisations
It is clear that Active East has had some success in bringing several youth/community
groups together with sports clubs and sports organisations. Several sports specific clubs
have been involved in Small Grants projects, which could be important for the long-term
sustainability of activities. Sports clubs have been identified as very stable
organisations9 and the clubs can provide opportunities for sustained involvement in a
particular sport. Many sports clubs have histories that are over one hundred years old,
they have survived world wars and economic crashes, and many have lasted through
many changes of local and national government.
Five governing bodies of sport (Badminton Scotland; JudoScotland; Lacrosse Scotland;
Scottish Rowing; Scottish Squash and Racketball) have also been included in the Small
Grants projects and with the support of these bodies there is the potential to develop
robust local groups that can sustain activity for a long time.
Arguably this approach is bringing together sport for development with sports
development. While it is too early to comment on the strength or the possibility of
sustaining these new links, it would be sensible to continue to strengthen these links
further as it may provide a good opportunity for creating sustainable sporting
opportunities in the east End.
9 Allison, M. (2001) Sports Clubs in Scotland: Research Report No. 75, Edinburgh, sportscotland
60
61
6.2 Active Champions’ Contribution to Partnership
Working
It is also worth noting the important role Active Champions have played in enhancing
partnership working and contributing to the Active East Network. While many of the
Active Champions may have initially joined Active East from their own
club/group/organisation, many of them have subsequently worked on projects for other
partner groups. For example, several Active Champions have volunteered on Small
Grants projects that have been run by four different community clubs/groups. While
they may still retain their strongest link with their home community club/group, they are
welcomed by other community club/groups to support the delivery of sport and physical
activities for young people.
As a consequence, Active Champions are important to the partnership working
arrangements that are being supported through Active East, with many Active
Champions having become good friends with Active Champions linked to other
partners.
Working in a partnership could be daunting experience for some Active Champions.
The prospect of going to another community club/group to work with others they did not
know was frightening. One Active Champion explained:
“[It was a] big challenge because it was a partnership with [another
group] but I was a young person for [my home group] and there have
been disputes between them [between the young people]. …For me to go
and have responsibility over some of the young people made me a bit
anxious. …I mean the staff are nice, but still they might think „he‟s from
[my home group]. [I had] that bit of doubt if I was intruding.”
“I think I began to know that my doubts were just doubts when you see
some of the young people thank you [for helping]. …Being able to go
back each week and feel welcome from the staff and the young people. I
think you know that you are respected and that you are not intruding, you
are actually a part of a community which is fantastic.”
Grant recipients consider this type of interaction between young people form different
areas is important to strengthening communities and in this respect, the Active
Champions are important stakeholders in improving partnership working.
62
7 PRACTICES AND MECHANISMS IMPACTING ON
OUTCOMES
This section provides some comment and analysis of the practices and mechanisms that
have made a contribution to many of the outcomes highlighted above. Many of the
positive outcomes have been achieved because of the ways the programme has been
designed and through ways in which the Active East Team work with partners and
Active Champions.
7.1 The Contribution of the Active East Team
It is worth commenting on the importance of the Active East Team to the good work that
is being undertaken through the programme. During the evaluation, many positive
comments were received on the work of the three team members. All have shown
considerable levels of commitment to achieving positive outcomes. Some of the terms
used to describe the team members have included:
Knowledgeable
Experienced
Enthusiastic
Committed
Organised
Importantly, with regards to working with Active Champions, they practice and
demonstrate the skills, characteristics and attributes they are trying to instil in the Active
Champions. Although some have described the Active Champions as role models for
young people in their communities, the three Active East Team members are themselves
positive role models for the Active Champions. One Active Champion explained:
“They inspire me basically. See Rohanna, I‟d like to be so much like her
because she is so outgoing, she motivated everyone.”
On commenting on an exercise where they had to identify words that described good
leaders, this Active Champion said that “every word we got, that was the three of them”.
Whatever outcomes are achieved through Active East, the team members‟ contributions
will have made these possible.
7.2 Practices and Mechanisms Associated with Active
Champions
The following activities and approaches are thought to have an important impact on
outcomes associated with Active Champions:
Residential Induction
Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
Timely and regular contact
Plan – Do – Review
63
Monthly Mingle
Volunteer Sign Up sheets
Active East Awards Night
Further details of these activities are explored below.
Residential Induction
Residential weekends proved to be very popular with the young participants, but the
evaluation found that building the programme of induction into a residential weekend
had some positive longer-term outcomes. The induction programme allowed the Active
East Team to introduce to prospective Active Champions a lot of learning about Active
East, the benefits of physical activity and ways in which they can become involved as
young volunteers. The content of the inductions included:
Definition of physical activity
„5 years longer‟ video
Active East overview
Fun team building games
Personal development plans
Health behaviours and role
model session
Stretch zone
Plan – Do – Review
Youth Achievement
Event planning session
Evaluation and creative
techniques
Play session
Human Connection ETC module
These activities helped develop the skills and competencies that Active Champions
find useful in volunteering contexts. Undertaking these activities in an intensive
weekend residential may be important in giving the young people the confidence to
engage with volunteering activities and secure long-term commitment.
The level of engagement obtained from Active Champions who attended the first
induction which was part of a residential weekend is impressive. Fourteen of the
nineteen that attended were still active as of October 2014, a 74 per cent retention
rate, which compares favourably to an overall retention rate of 61 per cent.
Furthermore, the average number of hours per quarter is higher among those that
attended the first residential induction in Dunoon (50 hours per quarter), compared to
those that joined Active East later (37 hours per quarter – excluding those that have
joined in the last 6 months).
A number of factors might have contributed to the high retention rate and substantial
commitment of this first cohort. As the initial group of Active Champions to the
programme it may be that they feel a much greater sense of ownership and belonging
to the programme. If this is the case then it may be that more needs to be done to try
to make the later recruits feel a greater sense of ownership. However, it may be that
the residential nature of the induction allowed the young people to bond and create a
cohesive group, not just with themselves, but also with the Active East Team and the
support staff at the weekend. It may be that a residential induction can provide the
best opportunity for bringing a new group together and give them a greater sense of
ownership.
64
While some later recruits have attended residential weekends soon after joining and
these essentially become their induction into Active East, they would have attended
with already established Active Champions. Consideration should be given to
running another residential induction weekend for new recruits only and assess
whether this is a more effective way of introducing young people to the programme.
Personal Development Plans (PDPs)
The PDPs are very useful tools that are appreciated by the Active Champions. The
PDPs allow the young volunteers to identify and commit to paper the training and
awards they would like to pursue and identify the volunteering opportunities they will
undertake. This goal setting approach helps the Active Champions to maintain focus
on their volunteering activities. When reviewed each quarter with the Active East
Team, the Active Champions have to reflect on what has happened over the last three
months and the experiences they have gained. PDPs are an effective tool for
maintaining the motivation of Active Champions and are making a contribution to the
personal development of the young volunteers.
Timely and Regular Contact with the Active East Team
Coupled with the PDPs, the regular contact the Active East Team has with the Active
Champions is critical to their engagement in the programme. If an Active Champion
has identified in their PDP a desire to take part in a particular type of training, the
Active East Team will contact the Active Champion soon after to inform them of the
date and time of the next available training opportunity and asking if they would like
to sign up. Rather than leave it to the Active Champion to arrange, the Active East
Team will reserve the place on behalf of the Active Champion. This provides greater
assurance that the young person will then engage in the training. While this may
potentially be seen as leading the Active Champions too much, it does ensure greater
engagement and as can be seen from the substantial time commitment to training and
volunteering from many Active Champions, this approach is working.
The Active East Team also have general contact with the Active Champions through
social medial, including Twitter and Facebook, which allows regular updates ad
reminder to be shared with Active Champions. Furthermore, the Active East News
letter, which is produced every 2-3 months, shares news updates on what has been
happening and provides further dates for the up coming events and activities.
The contact is important to maintaining Active Champions‟ involvement and this
should be maintained.
Plan-Do-Review
The Active East Team has introduced to the Active Champions the Plan-Do-Review
model which provides the young people with a strategic approach to managing their
projects and voluntary work. Use of this model is encourage at all training and
planning exercise and has been used successfully. In interviews some Active
champions mentioned using this approach and it encourages them to be reflective on
their own practice.
65
While the Plan – Do – Review model has been criticised for being too simple
(http://mydevelopmentjourney.com/2012/03/add-reflect-reframe-refocus/) it can be
considered appropriate for young volunteers and allows an easy to remember
framework for approaching planning exercises.
Monthly Mingle
The Monthly Mingle has been introduced to Active East as a way of maintaining the
Active Champions involvement in the programme and has been a useful tool for
allowing Active Champions to update their PDPs, introduce new Active Champions
to the programme, share opportunities for volunteer opportunities and to allow
planning exercises for projects and activities to take place.
These well organised and well attended monthly meetings held at Kelvin College
Haghill Road Campus are a well liked and useful to the Active Champions. In
addition to being a fun gathering (typically the evening starts with fun games often led
by the Active Champions), Active Champions get to hear about other volunteering
opportunities and events in which they can choose to take part.
Volunteer Sign-Up Sheets
At the monthly meetings the Active East Team hang posters on the walls with a range
of volunteering opportunities that are available to them. For example, at one recent
Monthly Mingle the following volunteer opportunities were posted:
Scottish Badminton Open
o Helping in the Coaching Zone with the Primary and Advanced sessions
and Badminton Festivals
Scottish Rocks
o Volunteers needed for raffle ticket sales, 50/50 promoter, box office.
Some of the opportunities are not volunteering but are for training or events in which
the Active Champions can take part:
Create a CV workshop
Tollcross Park Run
o A 5km run that is free to enter.
The Active Champions can write their names on the sign-up sheets and they are
subsequently provided with information on how to get involved. This is an effective
way of recruiting volunteers and should be maintained.
Active East Awards Night
The Active East Awards Night is important to many stakeholders. This annual event
provides an opportunity for the Active East community to celebrate the contribution
and achievement of those involved and connected with the programme. The event is
planned, organised and delivered by the Active Champions which means the event
66
provides an opportunity for those involved to develop further a broad range of skills
relating to planning, co-ordination, leadership, budget management, logistics and team
working. The events delivered in 2013 and 2014 were very well planned and
delivered with guests describing the event as “very professional” and the
achievements of the Active Champions as “inspiring”. The event also provides an
opportunity for some of the Small Grants projects to showcase their talents. At the
2014 event, A&M Training and Tollcross Dance Groups delivered energetic and
expertly choreographed routines.
7.3 Practices and Mechanisms Associated with Partnership
Working
The following activities and approaches have been identified as having an important
impact on outcomes related to developing partnership working across the East End of
Glasgow and providing opportunities for sport and physical activity:
Partnership Meetings
Encouraging youth work and sports partnerships
The Active East Team
Active East Awards Night
Partnership Meetings
The partnership meetings that clubs/groups/organisations are required to attend if they
are in receipt of funding have been described as very important both by grant
recipients and by the Active East Team. These meetings provide opportunities for
partners to share their experiences and have helped groups work together on Small
Grants projects.
One organiser explained that the Partnership Meetings were filling a gap that has been
created due to austerity cutbacks. They explained that a lot of the networks that were
in place have disappeared and opportunities to meet with others have stopped. The
creation of the partnership meetings were needed and for this organiser the meetings
were very effective:
“[I was] highly impressed with what I saw. …The spirit around the
table. Everybody was very open, there was no preciousness around the
table. …Everybody seemed happy there, everybody was co-
operating. It was the kind of meeting if you did a training video of
what a good meeting would be, that is what it seemed like to me.”
More importantly, the meetings resulted in partners finding out about what others
were doing and it has led to joint applications to support inter area working.
In one project the joint application resulted in additional funding: “Without that
support we would not have been able to link the kids [from different areas]”, young
people that would otherwise not have come together. Although the organiser
described this as a „soft outcome‟, they were particularly pleased at being able to
67
bring young people from different areas together where they have formed good
friendships.
Encouraging youth work and sports partnerships
A strength of the Active East programme is the approach of bringing together those
whose interests lie within youth work and those interested in sport/physical activity.
The expertise within youth work and sport have been combined to provide the Active
Champions with a rich developmental experience and has provided participants with a
diverse range of options within their local communities. There is an argument that
taking part sports activities alone is not sufficient enough to provide participants with
positive social outcomes. Many of the important outcomes of engagement in sports
programmes are often attributed to the non-sport components of the programmes10
.
Consequently, combining sports activity with input from youth workers, whose skills
seek to build confidence and self-esteem, develop social relationships and assist with
good decision-making11
, may increase the chance of positive social outcomes for
young people.
The Active East Team
As has been mentioned in Section 7.1 above, the members of the Active East Team
have been central to the successes achieved to date. They have been critical to
ensuring that the partnerships that are created are strong and can be sustained. The
team members make sure that they are visible to the partners and they ensure that they
are in regular contact with representatives from partner groups and organisations.
It is evident that the Team has been successful in getting community groups to work
together. The Interim Report (Copius Scotland, 2012) on the initial launch of Active
East highlighted the challenges in getting potential partners to work together. These
problems have largely been overcome and the success of the programme to date is due
to the vision and determination of the Active East Team to create strong working
relationships between partners.
Active East Awards Night
The Active East Awards Night also provides an opportunity for a range of
stakeholders – funders, partners, deliverers, supporters – to come together to
recognise the contribution made by those involved in ensuring the programme is a
success. This event provides opportunities for people to meet, further enhancing the
sense of community that Active East is engendering.
10
Hartmann, D. (2003) Theorising Sport as a Social Intervention: A View form the Grassroots, Quest,
55, 118-140 11
YouthLink (not dated) Statement on the Nature and Purpose of Youth Work, Edinburgh, Youth Link
68
8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
8.1 Progress Toward Outcomes
The findings from the evaluation support many stakeholder views that the Active East
programme is functioning well and is having an impact on the East End of Glasgow.
Outcome 1: Increase and maintain number of young people accessing
accredited training and development opportunities;
Outcome 2: Increase and improve partnership working among local
community organisations; and
Outcome 3: Young people increase their levels of physical activity and
associated well-being.
With regards to Outcome 1, Active East reached and exceeded its targets for getting
young people into accredited training and developing opportunities. The training and
volunteer opportunities available to the Active Champions has been extensive and
developed the young volunteers‟ knowledge and experience of youth work as well as
their knowledge and experience of leading sport and physical activity. This has had
positive impacts both in terms of their personal development (social and
psychological) and allowing them to make positive contributions to their local
communities. This contribution to their communities is substantial. Without their
commitment, many opportunities for children and young people to benefit from taking
part in sport and physical activities would not have been available.
The extent of the partnership working generated through Active East (Outcome 2) is
also substantial and has resulted in stronger working relationships between many
groups. It would seem that Active East has come along at a time where existing
networking opportunities had declined and has provided a new forum for
clubs/groups/organisations to come together. Importantly, the partnership working
has increased opportunities for those involved in youth work to share experiences and
resources with sports specific clubs/groups. This has lead to some increased
opportunities for children and young people to take part in sport and physical activity
in the East End of Glasgow.
Through achieving Outcomes 1 and 2, Active East has succeeded in making strides
towards achieving Outcome 3. It should be noted that actual measures of young
people‟s physical activity were not collected as part of this evaluation; however, self-
reported measures from participants indicate that they are more active then they were
before. Supporting these findings, the grant recipients of projects indicate that the
number of young people attending their groups has increased and that they see a
difference in the levels of participants‟ activity.
8.2 Recognition of the Contribution of the Work of Active
East
It is worth also worth noting that the Active East Programme has received a lot of
recognition for the quality of its work through a range of organisations. Active East,
69
as well as individuals in the Active East Programme, have received awards for
demonstrating excellence in the area of youth work and sport and physical activity
development. Indicators of the success of Active East can be seen in some
nominations and awards received by the programme. These include:
Shortlisted for 2014 UK project of the Year with StreetGames;
Shortlisted for 2014 Sports Project in Evening Times Awards Community
Champions;
Shortlisted for National Lottery Awards UK Sports Project of the Year; and
was
Winner of the Dell Beyond the Games Award 2014.
In addition, two Active Champions won the following awards:
Ahmed Mumin won Dedication to Personal Development with UK
StreetGames Awards - http://www.streetgames.org/www/content/ahmed-
mumin-dedication-personal-development
Gary Penders, Active Champion, won; Scotland Regional Volunteer, Best
New Volunteer and Volunteer of the Year in UK StreetGames Awards -
http://www.streetgames.org/www/content/gary-penders-csyv-volunteer-year-
2014
These nominations and awards highlight the awareness of the programme by other
Scottish and UK bodies.
8.3 Achieving Greater Impact
The findings of the evaluation show that substantial progress has been made towards
achieving the intended outcomes for the programme. In particular, the Active East
Team has overcome initial problems with getting partner groups working together.
Through fostering an environment of openness, sharing good practice, including
partners in decision making processes and reminding partners about the desired
outcome, substantial progress has been achieved. However, there is scope for Active
East to achieve greater success and improve opportunities for sport and physical
activity. Outlined below are a number of areas in which further progress could be
achieved.
Residential Inductions
The positive outcomes obtained from the first induction that was undertaken in a
residential setting (e.g. high retention of Active Champions, strong friendship
connections) suggests that giving new Active Champions an intensive start to their
involvement in the programme may be desirable. It would be worth while seeking to
recruit a new cohort of Active Champions and have them attend a residential
induction weekend to establish whether this approach encourages high levels of
engagement. While this approach may require more investment, the initial cost could
be off-set by Active Champions‟ long-term commitment to volunteering.
70
Maximising Learning and Skill Development in Active Champions
To maximise the learning Active Champions obtain from taking part in formal
training, it is desirable that the Active Champions get the opportunity to put into
practice the learning they have obtained. Priority should be given to ensuring that
Active Champions get the opportunity to gain experience of putting the learning into
practice as soon as possible after completing the training in an appropriate setting with
the appropriate support. Consideration should be given to limiting further training to
Active Champions to avoid them accumulating awards/certificates/qualifications
without first gaining practical experience in those activities/sport. This will enhance
learning and contribute to the active development of young people. This challenge
has been acknowledged by the Active East Team and greater effort is being made to
ensure that Active Champions use the skills obtained in training in a practical session
before more training is accessed.
Girls’ Participation in Sport and Physical Activity
The findings on girls‟ involvement, while positive in places, could potentially be
stronger. If women and girls‟ participation in sport and physical activity are to be
improved nationally, there is a need for interventions to make greater strides to ensure
that more opportunities and more encouragement are given to girls to take part.
Active East is in a good place to make this type of difference. Through developing
skilled female volunteers to become role models in their community, Active East has
the potential to grow these opportunities. Consideration should be given to ways in
which Active east could reach out to more girls and young women in the community.
Attracting Young People from Minority Ethnic Communities
The findings from the survey of participants suggest that the percentage of young
people from minority ethnic groups is under-represented. As with seeking to increase
participation in girl‟s and young women, consideration should be given to measure
that could increase involvement of those form minority ethnic groups.
Evaluation of Active East
The recent decision to work with Evaluation Support Scotland in order to support
practitioners to undertake evaluation of their own projects is considered positive.
While commissioning external organisations to evaluate a programme has benefits,
encouraging organisations to evaluate their own activities has the potential to ensure
learning is achieved at the local level. This may allow practitioners to amend or adapt
their activities to ensure the outcomes achieved are maximised. Furthermore, the
decision to use Upshot, a monitoring system that allows funders to check on progress
of projects, also has the potential to make the findings of evaluation more immediate.
Photo Elicitation
The photo elicitation research approach used in this evaluation was found to be very
useful in encouraging interviewees to speak openly about their experiences and what
it meant to be an Active Champion. If the Active East Team or other partners wish to
gather evidence on the impact of projects or the programme through interviewing,
71
consideration should be given to using the photo elicitation technique. This can be
achieved with budget cameras, so the technique does not need to be expensive.
Furthermore, with permission from the participants, there is scope for the images to be
used in reporting findings or promoting the programme.
Sport for Development and Sport Development - Encouraging Youth Work and
Sports Partnerships
The Active East Programme could best be described as a 'sport for development'
programme, where sport is used as a vehicle to impact on social issues in the East End
of Glasgow such as community cohesion, education and employability, personal
development, and crime and anti-social behaviour. However, the programme is also
satisfying the aims of „sport development‟, where the intention is to increase
participation in sport through creating routes into sport, developing athlete pathways,
strengthening support infrastructure such as facilities and coaching, and enhancing
sport performance. The findings on the personal development of Active Champions
and facilitating stronger partnership working indicate successful sport for
development outcomes; however, the links with sports clubs and sports governing
bodies, the creation of new sports clubs with opportunities for competition and
progression, also indicate success in terms of sport development.
The programme‟s success in these areas is bringing together those involved in youth
work and those from sport. The skills from those with a youth work background in
personal development, counselling, community development etc. complement those
who bring skills in sports such as sports coaching, coach education, sports event
planning and delivery. This is a strength on which Active East should continue to
explore and develop. While the findings on attendance were not sufficient to provide
definitive results, there is the possibility that sports and physical activities provided
through a youth club/group environment are likely to have a short life span. There is
likely to be a need to renew/change the activities after a 6-12 week period before low
attendance will impact on the viability of the activity. However, for those individuals
wishing to engage in an activity over an extended period of time, linking these
individuals to a sports club (new or established) is necessary. Continuing to combine
the skills and resources of youth workers with sports tutors, coaches and leaders
contributes to the strength of the Active East programme and should be pursued.
A More Sustainable Partnership Network
There is a desire from the Active East Team for the network of partners to become
stronger and more sustainable. The ideal position would be for Active East to slowly
withdraw its support, with no noticeable impact on the strength of the partnership
network. There is still a feeling that the Active East Team is still too involved in
facilitating the network, but there is satisfaction with what has been achieved to date.
While further funding for Active East has recently been secured, there is a need for a
succession plan that will allow the partnership network to take responsibility for the
activities that are currently being undertaken by the Active East Team.
72
8.4 Learning from the Active East Approach
The Active East Programme has demonstrated positive impacts on developing young
leaders and creating opportunities for young people to engage in physical activities
and sport within the East End of Glasgow. If there is a desire to adopt learning from
the programme, the following factors may be important to achieving positive
outcomes:
Appointing experienced, skilled, motivated and dedicated staff who are able
to work together is critical to programme success;
Working across an identified geographical area in which partners have a
realistic chance of meeting regularly and allowing participants to share
activities;
Concerted effort to engage with, and bring together, potential stakeholders
and encouraging these partners to share resources;
Encouraging an environment of openness, sharing good practice, including
partners in decision making processes and reminding partners about the
desired outcomes;
Availability of funding which encourages organisations to work together and
across recognised boundaries might encourage greater co-operation. Higher
amounts of funding for joint applications can encourage greater collaboration;
Comprehensive range of training and development opportunities, with the
emphasis on developing young leaders;
Encouraging young people to become active as leaders in their local
communities;
Follow up young people‟s request for training and support promptly and
actively sign them up for training opportunities;
Provide transport where necessary to ensure that young people can attend
training or activities;
The ability to adapt and modify the procedures and delivery of activities when
necessary. Being flexible and open to alternative approaches will provide a
greater chance of success.
Despite this list of suggested factors that could lead to success delivery of an Active
East styled programme programme, it should be noted that these will not guarantee
success. Factors that might have contributed to success in the East End of Glasgow
might not be appropriate in another area. Consequently, the list above is presented as
a guide only.
73
Appendix 1
Table 1 (FULL): Number of hours Active Champions were engaged in Active East by quarters
Qu
art
er 1
-2013
Qu
art
er 2
- 2
013
Qu
art
er 3
- 2
013
Qu
art
er 4
- 2
013
Qu
art
er 1
- 2
014
Qu
art
er 2
- 2
014
Qu
art
er 3
- 2
014
Qu
art
er 4
– 2
014
*
Tota
l h
ou
rs
Aver
age
nu
mb
er
of
hou
rs p
er
qu
art
er
Active Champion 1 60 60 30 6 20 5 40 n/a 221 32
Active Champion 2 50 50 60 90 48 88 94 n/a 480 69
Active Champion 3 50 50 37 32 50 61 70 n/a 350 50
Active Champion 4 50 40 36 16 66 120 70 n/a 398 57
Active Champion 5 50 26 72 20 58 72 n/a 298 50
Active Champion 6 40 50 60 43 75 83 90 n/a 441 63
Active Champion 7 40 22 59 33 64 142 111 n/a 471 67
Active Champion 8 40 n/a 40 40
Active Champion 9 36 n/a 36 36
Active Champion 10 35 45 50 25 53 90 200 n/a 498 71
Active Champion 11 30 50 50 40 n/a 170 43
Active Champion 12 30 40 50 14 24 54 202 n/a 414 59
Active Champion 13 30 24 144 60 50 n/a 308 62
Active Champion 14 26 60 6 32 52 36 56 n/a 268 38
Active Champion 15 20 60 6 32 52 36 36 n/a 242 35
Active Champion 16 20 30 30 30 44 102 10 n/a 266 38
Active Champion 17 16 30 53 15 20 12 20 n/a 166 24
Active Champion 18 16 10 34 41 44 152 159 n/a 456 65
Active Champion 19 16 10 12 10 10 106 n/a 164 27
Active Champion 20 16 n/a 16 16
Active Champion 21 14 10 27 3 5 20 n/a 79 13
Active Champion 22 12 28 27 18 32 15 n/a 132 22
Active Champion 23 10 24 6 n/a 40 13
Active Champion 24 10 24 4 n/a 38 13
Active Champion 25 10 16 45 5 12 19 24 n/a 131 19
Active Champion 26 10 10 67 24 50 15 n/a 176 29
Active Champion 27 50 6 30 5 n/a 91 23
Active Champion 28 32 40 10 38 31 60 n/a 211 35
Active Champion 29 32 38 3 40 31 30 n/a 174 29
Active Champion 30 30 64 26 44 29 30 n/a 223 37
Active Champion 31 30 40 n/a 70 35
Active Champion 32 14 43 10 40 31 55 n/a 193 32
Active Champion 33 10 52 21 20 16 20 n/a 139 23
Active Champion 34 10 40 5 7 n/a 62 16
74
Active Champion 35 10 40 11 n/a 61 20
Active Champion 36 10 24 n/a 34 17
Active Champion 37 10 2 n/a 12 6
Active Champion 38 10 n/a 10 10
Active Champion 39 5 24 39 74 111 80 n/a 333 56
Active Champion 40 42 27 99 350 360 n/a 878 176
Active Champion 41 36 n/a 36 36
Active Champion 42 26 n/a 26 26
Active Champion 43 14 12 n/a 26 13
Active Champion 44 9 9 12 52 93 n/a 175 35
Active Champion 45 9 n/a 9 9
Active Champion 46 6 n/a 6 6
Active Champion 47 3 31 15 75 15 n/a 139 28
Active Champion 48 3 31 10 70 20 n/a 134 27
Active Champion 49 2 n/a 2 2
Active Champion 50 31 10 50 30 n/a 121 30
Active Champion 51 25 20 59 15 n/a 119 30
Active Champion 52 12 n/a 12 12
Active Champion 53 10 n/a 10 10
Active Champion 54 10 n/a 10 10
Active Champion 55 8 13 40 72 n/a 133 33
Active Champion 56 6 n/a 6 6
Active Champion 57 2 n/a 2 2
Active Champion 58 28 25 n/a 53 27
Active Champion 59 24 105 n/a 129 65
Active Champion 60 8 80 40 n/a 128 43
Active Champion 61 100 90 n/a 190 95
Active Champion 62 54 30 n/a 84 42
Active Champion 63 36 62 n/a 98 49
Active Champion 64 16 25 n/a 41 21
Active Champion 65 15 35 n/a 50 25
Active Champion 66 10 30 n/a 40 20
Active Champion 67 5 20 n/a 25 13
Active Champion 68 54 n/a 54 54
Active Champion 69 35 n/a 35 35
Active Champion 70 30 n/a 30 30
Active Champion 71 24 n/a 24 24
Total hours 737 1,022 1,528 821 1,260 2,623 2,745 10,736
Mean hours per
quarter 28 28 34 22 34 58 64 151 34
Mean hours per week 2.4 2.4 2.8 1.8 2.8 4.9 5.3 2.8
Note: *Figures for Quarter 4 - 2014 were not available at the time of reporting.
75
Appendix 2
Table 7 (FULL): Attendance at Small Grants projects (as indicated in Toolkit Attendance Sheets)
Pro
ject
1
Pro
ject
2
Pro
ject
3
Pro
ject
4
Pro
ject
5
Pro
ject
6
Pro
ject
7
Pro
ject
8
Pro
ject
9
Pro
ject
10
Pro
ject
11
Pro
ject
13
Pro
ject
14
Pro
ject
15
Pro
ject
16
Pro
ject
17
Pro
ject
19
Pro
ject
20
Pro
ject
21
Pro
ject
22
No. of sessions
delivered 15 13 15 15 5 5 5 12 12 18 20 3 12 12 20 15 12 12 10 14
No. attending 75-
100% of sessions 4 10 15 7 45 26 44 1 1 0 8 10 5 2 0 7 9 12 6 6
No. attending 50-74%
of sessions 19 4 0 12 11 29 6 5 0 7 5 0 4 5 3 8 3 0 1 2
No. attending 25-49%
of sessions 17 0 4 7 11 16 0 6 5 0 0 0 2 2 6 4 0 0 3 2
No. attending
0-24% of sessions 5 0 0 2 12 15 0 4 2 0 0 0 1 0 19 0 0 0 0 2
Total no. attending
sessions 45 14 19 28 79 86 50 16 8 7 13 10 12 9 28 19 12 12 10 12
Min. no. at sessions 15 8 14 11 46 39 42 2 1 4 3 10 3 3 3 9 9 10 3 5
Max. no. at sessions 30 14 17 21 61 70 46 11 6 6 12 10 11 8 17 16 12 12 9 11
Ave. no. at sessions 22 11 16 16 53 52 44 6 3 5 9 10 8 5 5 12 10 11 6 6
Max. capacity 450 182 255 315 305 350 230 132 72 108 240 30 132 96 340 240 144 144 90 154
Throughput 330 143 238 238 266 260 220 76 32 88 180 30 90 63 108 193 123 132 67 96
Capacity used (%) 73% 79% 93% 76% 87% 74% 96% 58% 44% 81% 75% 100% 68% 66% 32% 50% 85% 92% 74% 62%
No. starting project* 20 10 16 19 46 49 42 8 4 4 8 10 12 3 12 13 12 12 9 12
No. completing
project* 35 14 18 24 61 41 45 8 2 6 11 10 9 8 5 18 10 12 9 7
Note: *this includes those that took part in either of the first two or last two sessions
76
Table 7: Attendance at Small Grants projects (as indicated in Toolkit Attendance Sheets)
Pro
ject
23
Pro
ject
24
Pro
ject
25
Pro
ject
26
Pro
ject
27
Pro
ject
28
Pro
ject
29
Pro
ject
30
Pro
ject
31
Pro
ject
32
Pro
ject
33
Pro
ject
34
Pro
ject
35
Pro
ject
36
Pro
ject
37
Pro
ject
40
Pro
ject
41
Pro
ject
42
TO
TA
LS
ME
AN
/ %
No. of sessions
delivered 13 8 8 8 31 22 15 18 23 11 10 15 16 15 6 8 28 15 515 13.6
No. attending 75-
100% of sessions 7 8 8 7 0 3 0 1 4 0 3 0 2 2 4 5 2 6 280 30%
No. attending 50-74%
of sessions 0 5 12 11 2 10 5 2 4 1 2 9 9 1 10 5 3 7 222 24%
No. attending 25-49%
of sessions 0 13 6 7 27 7 14 7 1 6 11 26 18 3 4 4 6 0 245 26%
No. attending
0-24% of sessions 9 0 0 1 10 12 1 13 6 12 14 20 3 12 6 3 13 0 197 21%
Total no. attending
sessions 16 26 26 26 39 32 20 23 15 19 30 55 32 18 24 17 24 13 944 24.8
Min. no. at sessions 3 9 10 6 6 6 3 2 3 1 5 10 4 1 3 6 2 4 - 8.5
Max. no. at sessions 7 16 22 23 19 18 13 12 11 10 18 29 24 12 16 12 12 12 - 18.1
Ave. no. at sessions 6 13 15 14 11 12 8 6 7 4 10 18 13 5 11 9 7 10 - 12.9
Max. capacity 98 128 176 184 589 374 143 216 264 110 180 435 384 180 96 96 336 180 8,178 215
Throughput 81 108 124 117 353 274 126 104 173 44 101 276 204 75 68 71 195 147 5,614 148
Capacity used (%) 83% 84% 70% 64% 60% 73% 88% 48% 66% 40% 56% 63% 53% 42% 71% 74% 58% 82% 69% 69%
No. starting project* 7 23 25 26 27 17 10 15 5 11 19 35 20 12 22 11 6 6 618 16.3
No. completing
project* 10 18 23 19 13 19 13 5 8 4 10 18 21 3 9 10 11 12 579 15.2
Note: *this includes those that took part in either of the first two or last two sessions
77
APPENDIX 3: LIFE EFFECTIVENESS QUESTIONNAIRE
(LEQ)
To assist in understanding the impact of Active East activities the Life Effectiveness
Questionnaire (LEQ) was used to help assess any changes in the personal skills of the
Active Champions. This was embedded into the questionnaires completed by the
Active Champions before they attended the course and at three monthly intervals during
their involvement in Active East. Life effectiveness is defined as “a person‟s capacity
to adapt, survive and thrive” (http://wilderdom.com/leq.html) and the LEQ is a tool that
has been designed to assess levels of life effectiveness and allow for an assessment of
changes in personal development, particularly with regard to programmes or
interventions. The tool consists of eight different measures of life effectiveness (see
Figure 11 below) and an overall measure of life effectiveness. These were considered
particularly appropriate for assessing the impact of Active East.
Figure 11: Measures in the Life Effectiveness Questionnaire (LEQ)
Measure Description
Time
Management The extent that an individual makes optimum use of time.
Social
Competence The degree of personal confidence and self-perceived ability in social
interactions.
Achievement
Motivation The extent to which the individual is motivated to achieve excellence
and put the required effort into action to attain it.
Intellectual
Flexibility
The extent to which the individual adapts his/her thinking and
accommodates new information from changing conditions and different
perspectives.
Task
Leadership The extent to which the individual leads other people effectively when a
task needs to be done and productivity is the primary requirement.
Emotional
Control The extent to which the individual maintains emotional control when
faced with potentially stressful situations.
Active
Initiative The extent to which the individual initiates action in new situations.
Self
Confidence The degree of confidence the individual has in his/her abilities and the
success of his/her actions.
Overall The extent to which the individual is effective in generic life skills.
The LEQ consists of 24 items which are assessed on a six-point scale (1=‟FALSE not
like me‟ to 8=‟TRUE like me‟) (see Figure 12 for an extract for the questionnaire).
Each measure is scored on the response to three items, with the overall life effectiveness
score bases on the mean average of all 24 items. Consequently, the scores for each
measure and can range from 1 (low) up to 8 (high).
78
Life Effectiveness Questionnaire
Figure 12: Extract for the Life Effectiveness Questionnaire (LEQ)
The following lists the items (statements) that make up the eight LEQ measures:
Time Management (TM)
01. I plan and use my time efficiently.
09. I do not waste time.
17. I manage the way I use my time well.
Social Competence (SO)
02. I am successful in social situations.
10. I am competent in social situations.
18. I communicate well with people.
Achievement Motivation (AM)
03. When working on a project, I do my best to get the details right.
11. I try to get the best results when I do things.
19. I try to do the best that I possibly can.
Intellectual Flexibility (IF)
04. I change my thinking or opinions easily if there is a better idea.
12. I am open to new ideas.
20. I am adaptable and flexible in my thinking and ideas.
Task Leadership (TL)
05. I can get people to work for me.
13. I am a good leader when a task needs to be done.
21. As a leader I motivate other people well when a task needs to be done.
Emotional Control (EC)
06. I can stay calm in stressful situations.
14. I stay calm and overcome anxiety in new or changing situations.
24. I stay calm when things go wrong.
Active Initiative (AI)
07. I like to be busy and actively involved in things.
15. I like to be active and energetic.
23. I like to be an active 'get into it' person.
Self Confidence (SC)
08. I know I have the ability to do anything I want to do.
16. When I apply myself to something I am confident I will succeed.
24. I believe I can do it.
79
APPENDIX 4 - Small Grants Projects
Participants’ Beginning of Project (and End of Project)
Survey Findings
Presented below are the findings from surveys completed by participants involved in Small
Grants projects. Participants completed questionnaires at the beginning of their involvement in
the activities and at the end of the projects. There are three distinct sets of data presented: (i)
findings from all those completing a beginning of project questionnaire (n=492); (ii) findings
from those that completed an end of project questionnaire (n=317); and (iii) those that
completed both questionnaires (n=256).
Table A2-1: Sex of participants
Beginning of Projects End of Projects
Male 59 64
Female 41 36
Base number 423 314
Table A2-2: Age of participants
Beginning of Project End of Project
Mean age
(Std Dev) Range
Mean age
(Std Dev) Range
Age of participants 13.9
(±6.358) Ages 5-52
14.5
(±6.795) Ages 5-52
Base number 408 305
Table A1-3: Status if no longer at school
Beginning of Project End of Project
Percentage of respondents
P1 1 <1
P2 2 <1
P3 2 3
P4 9 6
P5 10 9
P6 11 11
P7 13 13
Primary 47 43
S1 14 9
S2 8 11
S3 7 9
S4 9 12
S5 9 10
S6 6 5
Secondary 53 56
Base number 333 237 Note: Figures do not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding
80
Table A2-4: Status if no longer at school
Beginning of Project End of Project
Percentage of respondents
Bringing up children 4 3
College 33 31
Unemployed 10 11
Full-time in the home 1 0
Working full-time 25 28
Working part-time 16 17
University 5 8
Other 8 8
Base number 91 72
Note: Multiple response – figures do not sum to 100 per cent
Table A2-5: SIMD
Beginning of Projects End of Projects
Quintile 1 – most deprived 20 % of areas 82 80
Quintile 2 10 11
Quintile 3 5 3
Quintile 4 2 5
Quintile 5 – least deprived 20 % of areas 1 1
Base number 256 179
Table A2-6: SIMD
Beginning of
Projects
End of Projects
Those living in the 15 % of most deprived areas 71 69
Other areas 29 31
Base number 256 180
Table A2-7: Prevalence of disability or illness affecting participants’ ability to take part in
physical activities
Beginning of Projects End of Projects
Yes, all of the time 2 2
Yes, most of the time 2 2
Yes, some of the time 5 7
No 91 90
Base number 368 304
The disabilities or illnesses identified by respondents at the beginning of their involvement
included asthma (n=10) and epilepsy (n=2), with all other conditions identified by individual,
respondents.
Table A2-8: Ethnic origin of project participants
Beginning of Projects End of Projects
White 94 95
Asian 1 1
Black 4 4
Mixed 1 0
Base number 419 310
Note: Figures do not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding
81
Table A2-9: Length of time involved with the group
Percentage of respondents
I am quite new to this club/group 44
I have been coming here for up to a year 18
I have been coming here for over a year 38
Base number 425
Note: Multiple response – figures do not sum to 100 per cent
Table A2-10: Do you go to any other clubs/groups where you take part in sport, physical
activities or dance
Percentage of respondents
Yes 61
No 39
Base number 423
Table A2-11: What other groups do you attend where you take part in sport, physical
activities or dance
Percentage of respondents
After school club/group 48
Sports club 41
Youth club 27
Dance class/school 23
Uniformed group 4
Other 8
Base number 271
Note: Multiple response – figures do not sum to 100 per cent
Table A2-12: Number of times per week participants attends these types of
activities (paired data)
Beginning of Project End of Project
Mean
number
(Std Dev)
Range
Mean
number
(Std Dev)
Range
How many times per week
do you attend clubs/groups
to take part in activities
3.2 times
(±1.802) 0-12
3.6 times
(±1.694) 0-15
Base number 224 224 Notes: Paired t-test results: t(223)=-2.937, p=.004
82
Table A2-13: Number of days active (60 minutes or more) in the last week
(paired data)
Beginning of Project End of Project
Mean
number
(Std Dev)
Range
Mean
number
(Std Dev)
Range
During the last 7 days, on
how many days did you
take part in 60+ minutes of
activity
3.8 times
(±1.805) 0-7
4.2 times
(±1.928) 0-7
Base number 249 249 Notes: Paired t-test results: t(248)=-4.047, p<.001
Table A2-14: How physically active would you say you were? (paired data)
Beginning of Projects End of Projects
I am a very active person 57 66
I am quite an active person 35 29
I am not a very active person 6 5
I am not active at all 2 <1
Base number 255 255 Note: Figures do not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding
Wilcoxon test results: Z=2.994, p=.003
Table A2-15: The types of activities in which the respondents are about to participate
Number of respondents Percentage of respondents
Badminton 71 14
Football 58 12
Outdoor Activities 44 9
Tricking / Parkour 38 8
Fitness/Gym 33 7
Rugby 29 6
Table tennis 29 6
Rowing 23 5
Bootcamp 22 4
Athletics 21 4
All sports / multi-sports 20 4
Netball 18 4
Rollerskating/blading 17 3
Cycling 14 3
Dance 13 3
Physical Theatre 12 2
Athletics 11 2
Basketball 11 2
Golf 10 2
Tennis 10 2
Gymnastics 2 <1
Go-karting 1 <1
Base number 492 Notes: Multiple response – figures do not sum to 100 per cent
83
Table A2-16: How did you find out about the activity?
Percentage of respondents
Member of the group 52
Friend told me 26
Family told me 9
School 9
Advert/poster 7
Other 4
Base number 429
Note: Multiple response – figures do not sum to 100 per cent
Table A2-17: Have you taken part in this type of activity before?
Percentage of respondents
Yes, lots of times 39
Yes, a few times 28
Yes, but not very often 13
No 20
Base number 428
Table A2-18: How excited about taking part in the activity?
Percentage of respondents
Very excited 66
A little excited 29
Not very excited 4
Not excited at all 1
Base number 428
Table A2-19: Participants’ familiarity with others at the beginning and the end of the
projects
Beginning of Projects End of Projects
I know most of the people here 62 75
I know some of the people here 20 19
I only know a few people here 17 6
I don‟t know anyone here 2 <1
Base number 410 315
Note: Figures do not sum to 100 per cent due to rounding
Table A2-20: How much enjoyed taking part in the activity
Percentage of respondents
A lot 85
A little 13
Not very much 1
Not at all 2
Base number 316
Table A2-21 Level of activity compared to beginning of the project
Percentage of respondents
More active than before 70
Active about the same as before 24
Less active than before 6
Base number 316
84
Table A2-22 Did you become close friends with any of the other participants
Percentage of respondents
Yes 84
No 16
Base number 315
Table A2-23 Did you know the club/group leaders before you started the project?
Percentage of respondents
Yes 61
No 39
Base number 315
Table A1-24 Do you know any Active Champions?
Percentage of respondents
Yes 61
No 39
Base number 310
Table A2-25: Participants’ self assessment of physical self
Beginning of
project
End of
project Sig.
Sporting ability 4.66 4.69 z=-4.203 p<.001
Flexibility 4.10 4.31 z=-4.475 p<.001
Active 4.41 4.86 z=-4.661 p<.001
Physical 5.20 5.01 z=-1.883 p=.060
Base number 233 233
85
APPENDIX 5 – Small Grants Project
Grant Recipients’ End of Project Assessment Report –
Findings
The findings below are from the Grant Recipients‟ End of Project Assessment Reports
completed by grant recipients following the completion of their projects. In total, 34 completed
reports were returned – a response rate of 58 per cent of funded projects.
Table A3-1: Number of participants attending at the beginning and end of the
projects
Number of participants at
beginning of the project
Number of participants at the
end of the project
Range - minimum 8 3
Range - maximum 79 79
Standard deviation 18.5 17.4
Mean average 26.1 17.6
782 529
Base number 30 30
Table A3-2: Number of participants at the project
Percentage of respondents
More participants than anticipated 52
Same number of participants as anticipated 29
Fewer participants than anticipated 19
Base 31
Table A3-3: Difficulty in attracting participants to the project
Percentage of respondents
Yes, great difficulty 6
Yes, some difficulty 50
No difficulties at all 44
Base 34
Table A3-4: Grant recipients’ rating of level of attendance at project
Percentage of respondents
Excellent 32
Good 38
Okay 29
Poor 0
Very poor 0
Base 34
Table A3-5: Drop out from project
Percentage of respondents
Yes 61
No 39
Base 33
86
Table A3-6: Awareness of why participants dropped out
Percentage of respondents
Yes 82
No 18
Base 17
Table A3-7: Grant recipients’ Rating of the Success of their Project (on scale of 1 to
10 - 1 = lowest rating 10 = highest rating)
Range - minimum 4
Range - maximum 10
Standard deviation 1.4
Mean average 8.0
Base number 34
Table A3-8: Impact on the number of young people attending club/ group
Percentage of respondents
Increased 61
Stayed the same 27
Decreased 12
Base
Table A3-9: Level of physical activity of participants attending club/group
Percentage of respondents
Increased 88
Stayed the same 12
Decreased 0
Base 34
Table A3-10: Demand from young people to continue with the activity
Percentage of respondents
Yes 94
No 6
Base 34
Table A3-11: Organisation able to continue the activity without an award form
Active East
Percentage of respondents
Yes, definitely 30
Yes, possibly 52
No 18
Base 33
Table A3-12: Demand for further sport or physical activities
Percentage of respondents
Yes, a lot of demand 47
Yes, some demand 32
No 21
Base 34
Table A3-13: Club/group able to provide these activities?
87
Percentage of respondents
Yes, definitely 19
Yes, possibly 41
No, unlikely 41
Base 32
Table A3-14: Number of Active Champions working at the project
Range - minimum 1
Range - maximum 6
Standard deviation 1.3
Mean average 1.9
Base number 32
Table A3-15: How important were the Active Champions to the delivery of the
project?
Percentage of respondents
Of critical importance 36
Of great importance 48
Of some importance 10
Of little importance 3
Of no importance 3
Base 31
Table A3-16: Do you want to keep Active Champions in your club/group?
Percentage of respondents
Yes 94
No 0
Don‟t know 6
Base 31
Table A3-17: How likely is it you will be able to keep the Active Champion(s)
engaged with your club/group?
Percentage of respondents
Very likely 77
Likely 20
Unlikely 3
Very unlikely 0
Base 30
