Canal - Sport4Empowerment

Harnessing the Power of Sport for Inclusion

See the stories
Government of Ireland, Co-Founded by the European Union

Programme 
Introduction

Sport4Empowerment is a national programme led by Sport Ireland that uses sport and physical activity to promote social inclusion. Delivered by Local Sports Partnerships and co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the EU (ESF+), it supports people facing barriers to participation. The programme uses innovative approaches to improve wellbeing, education, and economic opportunities for those at risk of social exclusion.

Stories in Motion

See what sport means to the people who need it most

An overhead view of a group of players playing volleyball on a hardwood court

Same Side

A volleyball court in Edenderry — where IPAS residents and locals discovered that the fastest way to become neighbours is to play on the same team.Offaly LSP Learn more about Same Side

VISION

A society that fosters social inclusion and empowers people to reach their full potential.

MISSION

To develop and implement people-first programmes to improve lives, create meaningful opportunities and a sense of belonging through sport and physical activity.

A woman with long dark hair facing with her name and title in text

Social Innovation in Sport

At the heart of Sport4Empowerment is a network of ESF+ Social Innovation in Sport Officers, working within Local Sports Partnerships across Ireland. Their role is to listen, co-design, and build programmes shaped by real lives and local needs, with participants and communities at the centre of the process.

The result
Stronger community connections, greater confidence, and new pathways for social inclusion.

Principles

A group of people wearing blue high-vis vests and backpacks walking together along a wooded outdoor trail.

Inclusion

Inclusion is at the heart of Sport4Empowerment. The programme values people's different backgrounds, abilities, identities, and circumstances, and aims to create environments where everyone feels welcomed, respected, represented, and able to belong. It recognises that people may face overlapping barriers and that inclusive sport must respond to lived experience, local context, and individual need.

A small group wearing red and orange Surf Shack instructor t-shirts walking along a coastal path with dunes in the background.

Partnership

Sport4Empowerment is built on strong partnerships. By working with Local Sports Partnerships, communities, representative groups, and local, national, and European stakeholders, the programme brings together the knowledge, trust, and resources needed to support social inclusion and empowerment.

Two men in blue t-shirts compete at basketball

Innovation

Sport4Empowerment uses sport and physical activity as a platform for new ideas and creative problem solving. Through design thinking, co-creation, and locally responsive approaches, the programme aims to test, learn from, and scale new ways of addressing social challenges.

A group of participants in orange t-shirts standing beside surfboards on a beach, receiving surf instruction.

Learning

Sport4Empowerment promotes continuous learning for participants, partners, and the programme itself. Through sport and physical activity, participants can build confidence, skills, knowledge, social connections, and pathways to future education, training, and employment opportunities. The programme will also use evidence, evaluation, and shared practice to understand what works, improve delivery, and increase impact over time.