Sporting Heritage Community Interest Company

The last 12 month has seen us grown and develop as an organisation. It has allowed us to better understand our reach and impact, and fine tune the work we do as a very small organisation working nationally (and at times internationally) to protect, preserve, and celebrate the diverse stories of sporting heritage. We are a very small team, and often the quality and extent of our reach and delivery can make it look like we are a well-funded, large organisation. One of our key objectives over the last 12 months has been to consider how we better narrate the organisations profile to increase funding and sponsorship opportunities to deliver our work in the long term. Our work has included: Successfully delivering the first 12 months of a hugely important Heritage Fund programme The development and delivery of a Welsh Government funded groundbreaking Significance project Working in partnership with the DCMS as a key partner in developing the UK's Intangible Heritage inventory Being a key partner on an ICOM (International Council of Museums) project Stronger, clearer and more resilient Sporting Heritage: The Heritage Fund investment has enabled Sporting Heritage to have a: Greater strategic clarity - it better understands its mission and focus Better defined core value Clearer way of articulating its value Simplified approach to supporting the organisation, rather then membership Greater ability to adapt and be agile More focused approach to fundraising and sponsorship More focused use of staff time, making decisions based on what contributes the greatest to the organisation's strategic objectives. Conversation looking at the benefits of moving from a CIC to charitable status Greater engagement with funders and government departments Enhanced approach to social media engagement Protecting the nation's sporting stories - directly supporting and raising awareness of the importance of preserving tangible and intangible heritage: Supporting projects directly and delivering training and awareness to: Capture and document stories through archival research and oral history The physical and digital preservation of records and artefacts Highlighting underrepresented sporting stories Sharing and inspiring through events, creative engagement and exhibitions Direct grassroots impact through community grants: Supporting projects through grants to: Meet sector needs address demand Preserving and highlighting underrepresented histories Develop community engagements Strengthen and develop organisations Inspire future audiences Promoting wellbeing Strengthening skills, networks and confidence across the sector: Delivering a range of webinars, study days and workshops to: Strengthen networks and connections - bringing people together in person, sharing and collaborating on projects and events Strengthen skills and knowledge - raising awareness and learning, providing practical guidance and case studies, providing the chance for reflection, supporting personal development Strengthening confidence and inspiration - sparking ideas and project, increasing confidence of those working in the sector, providing the chance to learn from others. Quotes from organisations we have supported show the range and impact of our work, for example: Powered by Hip Hop: "Many Breakers were excited that their contributions were finally being recognised, and the wider public found it fascinating to learn how Breaking has developed over the years" "This project has laid the foundation for something much bigger, and we can't wait to see how it grows! British Deaf History Society: "The project reached a wider audience than what we originally expected it to do. Through the project we managed to attract and inspire young Deaf attendees, opening options they had not been previously exposed to, giving them opportunities for future participation in sport" Leeds Irish Health and Homes: "One very clear consequence of the project is that LIHH have established a Men's Group, to meet twice a month... This wouldn't have happened without the funding form Sporting Heritage" "I think our project brought a lot of joy to people" Skye Camachachd: "This has been a hugely successful project bringing people from around Skye together to be a part of this photography project and being involved in something together. The sport connects us all and to photograph it tied us all together" "This project has taught me a lot about how important community work is and how bringing people together is so important for the future generations to show what we have within our culture" Women in Rugby League: "I think the children were surprised to see how women in sport were treated, essentially not that long ago compared to where we are now" Jim Clark Motorsport Museum: "It let us undertake an important if unglamorous project internal budgets could not have stretched to, and with relative flexibility" Carmarthenshire Museum: "Sport is a brilliant way of starting a conversation with people who don't usually engage with museums or heritage" Likewise, quotes showing the impact of study days as follows: Belfast Study Day: "Thank you for the opportunity to connect with like-minded people working in sporting heritage. Sometimes our work in museums can be isolating so it's valuable to network on days like today and remind each other that we are all facing similar challenges and can support each other. A very inspiring day! It's also great to get out of the office!" "Today has been very beneficial in sparking ideas, networking and learning how others are telling their sporting heritage stories. Thank you." "Meeting some lovely new people and making contact with organisations we have not previously worked with before! New inspiration for exhibitions / projects that we can do with our sporting collections." Edinburgh Study Day: "The opportunity to get together in a room to swap stories and info about work solutions. It's so valuable! Thanks for all that you do!" "Great day. Best for me has been the opportunity to network and exchange ideas - very useful as we all seem be facing the same or similar challenges. There have been good ideas on tackling risks to collections. I learned a lot." "Being part of a small team in a rural location can be quite isolating and Sporting Heritage in person events are a rare chance to meet with other professionals at Scottish and UK level." "Hearing how other organisations are dealing with their collections at risk challenges, opens up conversations that are very useful for everyone. They can lead to project ideas and improvements on our own collection. Thank you!" Cardiff Study Day: "Really amazing day. Really useful practical hands on case studies and appreciated the lessons learnt. Definitely gave me a little more confidence to begin looking at the significance of our sporting heritage collection." Leicester Study Day: "I knew I'd get a lot out of today but it's far exceeded my expectations. From ideas for teaching sessions with students to how to conserve textiles, to potential research topics. Absolutely brilliant." "I learned a lot which I will take back to work. Some really useful ideas and ways of working with collection - making objects more accessible." "Feeling part of a community of shared interest." "Keynote speakers were excellent and really brought the sessions to life. Learning through the overlapping topics engaged new ideas and ongoing plans within an onward plan. Excellent event!" "Comfortably the best study day I've been to in my 30+ years of working in the sector. Relevant. Interactive. Interesting. Supportive. Educational. Aspirational. Thank you so much for providing this free event. Congratulations."