Case study: Together Fund
The Alliance of Sport (AoS) partnered with Sport England to deliver the Together Fund, helping communities most affected by inequality and the COVID-19 pandemic to remain active, connected, and supported through sport and physical activity.
The Together Fund builds on the success of the Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF), established in 2020 as part of Sport England’s emergency response to the pandemic. This £20 million National Lottery initiative continues to empower grassroots and specialist organisations to reach those who face the greatest barriers to being active.
Our Role
As a trusted sector partner, AoS worked to ensure funding reached organisations that use sport as a tool for inclusion, rehabilitation, and social connection.
Between 2022 and 2023, AoS distributed £171,152 of Together Fund investment to 19 community organisations within our national network. These organisations focus primarily on:
- Lower socio-economic groups, and
- Culturally diverse communities
Our role extended beyond funding distribution — AoS provided guidance, mentoring, and capacity-building support to help partners strengthen delivery, governance, and impact measurement.
The Challenge
Communities facing disadvantage and inequality were among those hit hardest by the pandemic. Many grassroots and specialist organisations serving these groups faced severe funding shortfalls and reduced capacity. Without targeted support, thousands risked losing access to the sport and physical activity programmes that underpin wellbeing, belonging, and resilience.
Our Impact
Through the Together Fund, AoS helped community-led projects:
- Sustain delivery and maintain a trusted presence in vulnerable communities.
- Re-engage participants who had become isolated or inactive during lockdown.
- Adapt programmes to new contexts, ensuring inclusive and safe participation.
- Demonstrate the wider social impact of sport — from improved mental health and confidence to reduced anti-social behaviour.
By working closely with delivery partners, AoS ensured investment not only reached those most in need but also strengthened local systems that use sport as a driver of change.
Legacy
The Together Fund has shaped AoS’s understanding of how intermediary organisations can play a critical role in making funding more equitable and effective. By acting as a trusted connector between national funders and grassroots organisations, AoS enabled investment to reach communities that might otherwise be excluded from traditional funding processes due to size, capacity or structure.
This experience reinforced AoS’s core mission: to help systems use sport and physical activity intelligently — not just to deliver programmes, but to build the partnerships, evidence, and confidence needed for long-term social impact.