The Arete Foundation is proud to support Opportunity Sports Foundation and its Street Safe Sports project, which works with young people across some of Lancashire’s most underserved communities.

Founded in response to the widespread closure of youth services, Opportunity Sports Foundation has spent more than a decade building trusted relationships with young people who are often furthest from support. Through trauma-informed youth work and accessible community sport, the charity reaches young people facing significant barriers, including exclusion from education, social isolation, offending histories, and poor mental health.

The Street Safe Sports project uses football and boxing-based activities as a gateway to engagement, mentoring, and positive change. By taking sessions directly into neighbourhoods where antisocial behaviour and youth disengagement are growing concerns, the project creates safe, welcoming spaces where young people can build confidence, trust, and aspiration.

Importantly, many of the project’s volunteers have lived experience of the same challenges faced by participants, helping to create authentic role models and strong peer support.

We are delighted to support this work and the charity’s long-term commitment to helping young people reconnect with education, training, employment, and their wider communities.