Our vision for funetics and this legacy initiative...

...is ambitious, exciting and puts children and young people first.

Legacy outcomes

  • funetics is backed by England Athletics and delivered by our athletics family in clubs and sports partnerships will create a positive step change in experience of athletics and the levels of physical literacy in the communities of greatest need (in the West Midlands and other towns/ cities throughout England with high levels of deprivation).
  • We will diversity the participation base of the sport through an inclusive participation programme for children delivered to significantly deprived communities.
  • Improving children’s experience of athletics in the form of ‘Run, Jump, Throw’ from an early age is part of a long term strategy to address drop-out in the sport. The creation of a ‘habit for life’, and lifelong involvement of sport and physical activity. We will use the Athletics experience to underpin ‘fundamental skills’ of Run, Jump, Throw, which will benefit all children in all sports and activities.
  • New athletics leaders (called funetics leaders) will provide a new delivery resource for clubs and community partners who are skilled and equipped to introduce athletics to children 4 to 11 years of age.
  • Our affiliated clubs - not all of which have junior sections - will be given the support to establish sustainable operations that in the long term could generate the club income, support more members, and provide better environments for young athletes to thrive and enjoy our sport.
  • To embed run jump throw activity for children and young people within all 12 track and field clubs across the West Midlands and extend the reach of athletics into the most, hard to reach communities in the city of Birmingham (most notably in the wards identified as priorities by Birmingham City Council and other local partners) through the creation of a new workforce for community delivery of the funetics programme.
  • To embed run jump throw activity for children and young people in track and field clubs across the country by the end of 2023.
  • Learn about the funetics legacy engagement.