Birmingham youth employment charity celebrates two decades of impact and puts young people at the heart of the conversation about the region’s future.
Sport 4 Life UK has marked its 20th anniversary with a landmark celebration bringing together young people, business leaders, partners and supporters to reflect on two decades of changing young lives and look ahead to what needs to change for the next generation.
More than 100 guests attended the charity’s 20th Anniversary Impact Event at Millennium Point in Birmingham on Friday 4 September 2026, with the evening combining stories from Sport 4 Life UK’s past with a strong focus on the challenges and opportunities facing young people today.
Founded in Birmingham in 2006, Sport 4 Life UK uses sport, mentoring, qualifications and employability support to help young people develop the skills, confidence and opportunities they need to build better futures.
Over the past two decades, the organisation has supported more than 34,000 young people, with 22,000+ meaningfully supported, 3,300+ qualifications achieved and, since 2014, more than 2,200 young people progressing into education, employment or training.
The scale of the charity’s wider impact was also highlighted during the evening, with £14 million invested in Sport 4 Life UK over the past 20 years generating more than £87 million in social value.
But while the event celebrated what has been achieved, its central message was firmly focused on the future.
Creating opportunities with young people, not just for them
A youth-led panel explored what the next 20 years need to look like for young people across the West Midlands, particularly in relation to employment and opportunity.
Young people shared their experiences alongside voices from business and education, discussing the changing world of work, the barriers facing the next generation and what employers, policymakers, educators and charities need to do differently.
One of the clearest messages from the discussion was that simply creating opportunities for young people is not enough – young people themselves need to have meaningful influence over the opportunities, conversations and decisions that affect their futures.
Macey Winspur, who took part in the panel, said:
“We talk a lot about attracting young talent, retaining them and understanding what the next generation wants from work. But we also need to ask whether we are actually listening to young people, or still deciding what they need for them.
Creating opportunities for young people isn’t enough if we’re not creating those opportunities with them. Young people need meaningful influence over the conversations and decisions that affect them.”
The message reflects Sport 4 Life UK’s wider commitment to ensuring young people are not simply recipients of support, but have a voice in shaping the services, opportunities and systems designed to help them.
Tom Clarke-Forrest MBE, Founder and CEO of Sport 4 Life UK, said:
“Reaching 20 years is a milestone I’m incredibly proud of, but Friday night was about much more than looking backwards.
“Sport 4 Life started with a simple belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to create a better future for themselves. Twenty years later, that belief is stronger than ever.
“More than 34,000 young people have now been part of our journey, but behind every statistic is an individual story – a young person who has built confidence, gained a qualification, found employment or simply started to believe in what their future could look like.
“None of that happens in isolation. Our staff, young people, trustees, funders, employers, partners and supporters have all played a part in what Sport 4 Life has become.
“But there is still so much more to do. The challenges facing this generation are significant, and the next chapter has to be about working together – and, crucially, listening to young people – to make sure opportunity is genuinely available to everyone.”
The evening also shared stories from across Sport 4 Life UK’s history, recognising the people and partnerships that have contributed to its development from a Birmingham community organisation into a charity supporting young people directly across the West Midlands and extending its impact through a growing network of partner organisations.
The anniversary comes as Sport 4 Life UK looks towards its next strategic chapter, with priorities including strengthening employer engagement, expanding opportunities for young people and continuing to establish the charity as a leading regional voice on youth employment, social mobility and the experiences of young people. These ambitions align with the organisation’s commitment to being the region’s ‘go-to’ youth employment charity.
Sport 4 Life UK is now calling on businesses, funders, educators and organisations across the West Midlands to play their part in creating the next 20 years of opportunity for young people.
Tom added:
“Twenty years has shown us what is possible when people come together around young people. Our ambition now is to build on everything we have learned and achieved – working with young people and our partners to make the next 20 years even more impactful than the first.”