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Powered by Purpose

Athlete Darcy Bourne coaches a young girl at hockey. Darcy is leaning over with the ball at her feet, the girl is watching as Darcy shows her what to do. They are stood on a grass pitch with other people out of focus in the background being coached at hockey.

What is Powered by Purpose?

Powered by Purpose, delivered in partnership with The True Athlete Project, is a six-month learning and development programme designed to improve athlete’s knowledge, confidence, and skills to become effective changemakers in social causes authentic and genuine to them.

Thanks to The National Lottery’s new operator Allwyn, we are pleased to announce applications are now open for the next cohort of Powered by Purpose; The ChangeMakers Cohort.

Programme Information

The programme lasts for six months and will run from January to June 2025. Successful applicants will need to be available to attend a virtual onboarding session from 6:30pm onwards on the 14th January 2025.

Up to 20 athletes from a diverse range of Olympic and Paralympic sports and backgrounds, will take part in a series of tailored, highly personal, live online workshops, which will lead them to explore the world of sport and athletes for social change.

Laura Gallagher presents her Powered by Purpose presentation.

Workshop Schedule

1) Onboarding Session

  • An introduction to the programme and connection time to meet the other athletes involved

2) Introduction to Athletes and Sport for Social Change

  • What is a social change maker?
  • Introduction to sport for social change movement
  • Introduction to athlete activism and advocacy
  • Building a Theory of Change

3) Inner Exploration

  • Exploring the power of being led by your personal values
  • Mindfulness as the foundation of values-led living
  • Starting with self-compassion as an act of changemaking

4) Transferable Skills and Connecting the Dots of Athletes and Activism

  • Gaining perspective on what you have learned and what you have already that makes you perfectly suited to make a difference in your community or the world around you.

5) Open Session

  • Space for sharing and reflecting as a group

6) Creative Problem Solving

  • Myths around creativity
  • Barriers to creative insight
  • Unlocking creative insight
  • Tools and strategies for creating elegant and sustainable solutions

7) Brand of You Masterclass

  • Creating an authentic public image
  • Attracting and retaining sponsors/ partners
  • Creating your personal Coat of Arms

8) Presentation Skills and Public Speaking

  • Foundations of speaking publicly
  • How to craft a compelling story

9) Building Your Team and Community

  • Mapping your community to discover who you need to communicate/ collaborate with
  • The communication funnel
  • Conflict resolution/ overcoming resistance

10) Presentation Day

  • An in-person event for all attendees to present your journeys on the programme and your social impact aspiration for the future.

Given the sessions are virtual, athletes do not need to be based in the UK to participate. However, in recognising that each athlete has differing performance and personal commitments, we ask all applicants to be prepared to engage in the programme and prioritise attending the live workshops (usually scheduled in the evening UK time).

Athletes will also have access to:

  • An online portal with additional resources and a discussion forum
  • Buddy system, where athletes will be paired up to peer support each other through the programme.
  • Two 1-2-1 consultations with a mentor/ advisor with relevant experience to your needs/ areas of interest

"Powered by Purpose was a programme that far exceeded my expectations from applying. I left each workshop feeling inspired and positive, learned loads about myself and have created more structure and actioning around my chosen social impact area."

Lewis Richardson, Paris 2024 Olympic Bronze Medallist, Boxing

Lewis Richardson presenting

Who can apply

It is UK Sport’s belief that every athlete, regardless of their performance success to date, can contribute to having a positive impact on society. This ethos saw previous cohorts of Powered by Purpose open to funded athletes across the breadth and depth of UK Sport’s funding portfolio.

However, we recognise that the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games presents a unique, time bound opportunity. This opportunity is to utilise Powered by Purpose to empower Games times medallists to turn the moment (i.e. the medal), and in most cases the heightened visibility and access to resources that come with it, into a sustained impact off the field of play.

You are eligible to apply if:

  1. You medalled at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
  2. Are over 18 years old by 8th November 2024.
  3. Supported by a UK Sport funded National Governing Body.

If you are suspended by your NGB or in the process of switching eligibility to another nation, you are ineligible to apply.

Programme Impact

The impact and evaluation from the 20 athletes involved in the first cohort showed:

  • 100% of participants have INCREASED confidence in making a difference on community or social issues
  • 100% of participants believe they have strengths (aside from being elite athletes) that support their social impact
  • 100% of participants view themselves as having the skills and resources to address social challenges
  • 100% of participants confirmed that "Lack of purpose" is no longer a barrier

Watch what the cohort 2 athletes thought of Powered by Purpose, below.

How to apply

Eligible athletes will receive an email from the UK Sport Athlete Support Team notifying them of this opportunity.

Applicants need to complete the sign-up form below by 5pm 8th November 2024.

Want to know more?

If you have any queries regarding the programme or the application process, please contact the Programme Lead from the True Athlete Project, Laurence Halsted.

Powered by Purpose application form

What to Expect

  • 7 October 2024 – Applications Launch
  • 8 November 2024 – Application Deadline (5pm)
  • 9 November – 13 December 2024 – Application Assessment and Athlete Comms
  • 14 January 2025 – Virtual Onboarding Event (6:30pm)
  • June 2025 – Delivery Ends

About the True Athlete Project

The True Athlete Project (TAP) is a UK charity that aims to build a more compassionate world through sport. Their team of athletes, coaches, sport psychologists and mindfulness teachers design and deliver a range of creative, holistic, mindfulness-based programme at all levels of sport – from community sport centres through to Olympians and Paralympians across 40+ sports.

Their programmes demonstrate how improving performance, nurturing wellbeing, and cultivating social change can exist in a symbolic relationship, as part and parcel of athlete development.

TAP has been appointed by UK Sport to design, co-ordinate and manage all operations of Powered by Purpose.

"Before starting on the programme I thought I had some idea of how to use my platform, but the workshops and incredible guest speakers as well as the other athletes on the course have really opened my eyes to how much we can actually use our platform to make worthwhile change and how powerful our voices can be, as well as giving me the tools I need to do so"

Tully Kearney, Paris 2024 Paralympic Gold Medallist, Para-Swimming

Photo of Tully Kearney in her running frame on an athletics track
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