BWL to get investment boost as part of Commonwealth Games Legacy

British Weight Lifting is pleased to announce it is amongst 20 National Governing Bodies receiving funding through the B2022: NGB Sport Participation, Innovation and Digital Fund and will receive an investment of £350,000 to level up access to sport and physical activity across the country.

Our vision for the CWG legacy is a two-pronged approach as we aim to inspire and further enable people to not only improve, but also sustain levels of physical activity, amplifying sports participation opportunities with a focus on the inactive and underrepresented groups and tackling inequalities that exist.

BWL is an evolving organisation and with the launch of our STRONGER-TOGETHER strategy, we believe in being an advocate for strength to use our expertise to influence and drive greater activity in audiences interested in strength and strength-related activities.

The Commonwealth Games will be part of our broader ambitions to be part of the solution in tackling national inactivity and inequality. We will use the event to positively promote and influence the market for sport and physical activity, namely weightlifting and para powerlifting in Birmingham and the West Midlands, providing local people with opportunity to participate, volunteer and support.

As part of our legacy plan, we aim to run two key projects:

Raise the Bar (RTB) - Target local sports clubs, community organisations and schools to provide opportunities for 11–16 year olds from diverse backgrounds to learn about strength training and weightlifting. We will create 5 Talent Academies within the region to support this plan.

Couch2Kilos (C2K) - Working with our delivery partner, Her Spirit, this programme will look to increase the activity levels of women in 20 locations across England, with a focus on inactive people (< 30 minutes per week). We will recruit 4 ethnically diverse female community coaches and deploy them for 10 hours per week in well-being/community centres in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

We will also look to adapt the pilot Couch2Kilos scheme to be a precursor to Raise The Bar and create a schools version. This programme would include all levels and incorporate a competition format. We would look to use our network and upskilled workforce to deliver this.

With both projects, we will:

• Build a network of high-quality clubs and coaches to provide an experience for participants that does not currently exist in the region, and wider.
• Challenge stereotypes that strength training isn’t safe for young people and/or females and help them develop the confidence to train safely with a better understanding of the wellbeing benefits.

In addition, we will be participating in an Innovation & Digital Accelerator, to access expert innovation and digital support to maximise the impact of our plans. We will be using digital engagement to help people discover new ways to participate and engage with a wider audience. We aim to reach new communities in fun, creative and accessible ways, to engage with and enjoy our sport.