Sport For Confidence
Sport for Confidence CIC is a UK Occupational Therapy-led social enterprise delivering community physical activity services for adults with disabilities, long-term health conditions, and sensory needs, commissioned by local authorities and NHS partners across Essex, London, and Nottinghamshire.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersChelmsford, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sport For Confidence does
Sport for Confidence CIC is a UK Community Interest Company (social enterprise) founded in 2015 by occupational therapist Lyndsey Barrett and headquartered in Chelmsford, Essex. The organisation delivers Occupational Therapy-led community physical activity services for adults with disabilities, long-term health conditions, autism, or sensory needs, as well as those experiencing barriers to participation in mainstream sport. Its core operational model pairs Occupational Therapists with sports coaches and ~30 lived-experience volunteers to deliver person-centred, non-protocol-driven interventions rather than standardised clinical pathways.
The flagship Reconnect service is a commissioned countywide prevention service originally developed through a Sport England Local Delivery Pilot (the Prevention and Enablement Model, 2020) and now embedded within Essex County Council's adult social care and Public Health systems. Reconnect operates across Essex and the London Boroughs of Havering and Waltham Forest, delivered through embedded partnerships with three leisure operators — Everyone Active, 1Life, and Freedom Leisure — making Sport for Confidence reportedly the first organisation to embed an Occupational Therapist into a UK leisure provider team. Service delivery is direct in community leisure settings via a referral-based access pathway (self-referral, professional referral, or family/carer referral) with an OT Initial Assessment at the front door of service.
Revenue is overwhelmingly managed-services style, generated through public sector commissioning (Essex County Council, Basildon Council, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust), grants (including a £375,000 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund grant in 2026), Sport England system partnership support, a CIMSPA-accredited Learning Arena training platform (eLearning courses such as Belonging in Action, plus workshops and downloadable Therapeutic Guides), ancillary equipment hire (wheelchair scales, smoothie bikes), and merchandise. Pricing for commissioned services is contracted/quote-based, while training and equipment are unit-priced. The organisation is privately held as a CIC with no external institutional investors and reinvests surplus into community benefit. Governance was restructured in April 2025 to a Co-CEO model (Lyndsey Barrett and Jake Turner) and the board was expanded in February 2026 with four new non-executive directors.
Sport For Confidence firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sport For Confidence
- Legal name
- Sport for Confidence
- Website
- https://sportforconfidence.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sport for Confidence CIC is a UK Occupational Therapy-led social enterprise delivering community physical activity services for adults with disabilities, long-term health conditions, and sensory needs, commissioned by local authorities and NHS partners across Essex, London, and Nottinghamshire.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sport For Confidence industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Inclusive Community Health and Occupational Therapy Services
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
- SIC
- Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adaptive & Para-Sport Coaching (HSADAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance Training (HSADAEAB), Sport-Specific Private Coaching & Instruction (1:1, Small Group) (MPAKAJAE)
Keywords
Where Sport For Confidence is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chelmsford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sport For Confidence business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Public Sector Commissioning: Reconnect is a commissioned, countywide prevention service integrated within Essex County Council Public Health & Adult Social Care services, representing a fundamental shift from reactive, crisis-driven care towards whole system change.
- Sport England System Partnership: Since 2022, Sport for Confidence has been an official Sport England System Partner, contributing to the achievement of the government's ambition to make sport and physical activity more accessible.
- Government Grants: Funding from government bodies such as the £375,000 DSIT grant through the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund for the Shared Return on Investment Research Project.
- Equipment Hire: Hiring out equipment such as wheelchair scales and smoothie bikes for events, with prices starting from £250 for the smoothie bike.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts (£20) and caps (£15) through the online shop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Men's and Ladies T-Shirts |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Baseball Cap |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Smoothie Bike Hire |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wheelchair Scales Hire |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels10 records
Sport For Confidence product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sport for Confidence is an Occupational Therapy-led service that uses physical activity as a therapeutic tool to promote empowerment, wellbeing and belonging for people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, autism and sensory needs. It delivers community-based commissioned services (notably Reconnect in Essex, Havering and Waltham Forest), pilots such as Good Food Good Moves, and professional training through the Learning Arena platform. Services are accessed via referrals and delivered in partnership with local authorities, NHS bodies, and leisure providers across community leisure venues.
Product overview
Sport for Confidence is an Occupational Therapy led service using physical activity to promote empowerment, wellbeing and belonging. The organization delivers community-based services through three main pillars: SFC Community (delivering direct participant services including Reconnect - an OT-led physical activity prevention service in Essex and London, and Good Food Good Moves - nutrition and health support for people with learning disabilities), SFC Partnerships (strategic national and local initiatives to embed inclusive physical activity across systems), and SFC Learning (the Learning Arena providing professional development including eLearning courses like Belonging in Action, workshops such as Inclusive Coaching in Action and Movement Beyond Medicine, and Therapeutic Guides for sports like Boccia and Cycling). The organization also offers equipment hire including Wheelchair Scales and Smoothie Bikes for events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Reconnect: A place-based, early help and prevention service supporting people to improve health, wellbeing, and independence through meaningful activity. Delivered in Essex, Havering and Waltham Forest.
- Good Food, Good Moves
- Learning Arena
- Connect Service
Products and services
- Reconnect A place-based, early help and prevention service supporting people to improve health, wellbeing and independence through meaningful physical activity. Led by Occupational Therapists and delivered in local community and leisure settings, working alongside coaches and partners across Essex, Havering and Waltham Forest.
- Good Food, Good Moves A pilot initiative focused on improving nutrition, weight, mealtime engagement and overall health outcomes for people living with a learning disability in Essex. The team is made up of a learning disability dietitian, a health and wellbeing mentor, and a Sport for Confidence occupational therapist.
- Learning Arena Sport for Confidence's learning and development programme designed to support professionals in the use of inclusive physical activity as a therapeutic tool within their practice. Offers eLearning courses, workshops, and hands-on experiences online and face-to-face as an official CIMSPA Training Provider Partner.
- Belonging in Action eLearning Course A free 90-minute e-learning course designed to help organizations in Essex foster inclusivity in sport, physical activity, arts, education, health, and community settings. Early access is currently available to Essex-based organisations, with wider rollout planned as the programme expands.
- Inclusive Coaching in Action A full or half-day course (online or in-person) led by an Occupational Therapist and Coach Educator, giving coaches practical skills to create truly inclusive environments for participants.
- Movement Beyond Medicine A workshop for health and social care teams, reframing physical activity as a powerful wellbeing tool in daily life that can be used to help themselves and those they work with.
- Wheelchair Scales Hire Accessible and dignified wheelchair scales for hire, allowing wheelchair users to be weighed while remaining in their wheelchair. Available across Essex community centres for health monitoring, nutrition and medication management. Free to hire for Essex residents at community centres and leisure venues.
- Smoothie Bike Hire A fun, pedal-powered experience that blends fresh smoothies as you ride, combining healthy living with an interactive activity. Perfect for events, schools and community groups. Part of the Good Food, Good Moves project. Prices start from £250 for event hire, with packages including staffing, fruit and vegetables, and leaderboard.
- Occupational Therapy Referral Service Self-referral and professional referral system for accessing Occupational Therapy services across Essex, Havering, Waltham Forest and Westminster. All new referrals receive an Occupational Therapy Initial Assessment at the front door of the service, with support shaped around individual need.
Quantifiable outcome
- 98.8% of participants rate the service as good or very good
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sport For Confidence
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sport For Confidence technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sport For Confidence partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Digital Essex (Essex County Council)coreSport for Confidence CIC was appointed to work with Digital Essex, part of Essex County Council, to tackle digital exclusion through targeted digital skills development. The project titled 'Shared Return on Investment Research Project' is funded through a £375,000 grant from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) through the Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund.
- Sensory Integration Education (SIE)coreCollaboration to create 'Movement for Sensory Joy', a short film celebrating movement as a vital source of sensory joy, connection and wellbeing. Brings together shared values, occupational therapy-informed practice, and commitment to making movement genuinely accessible.
- Youth Sport TrustcorePartnership with Youth Sport Trust and Inclusion 2028 Young Person Collective to co-design strength and balance activity cards and toolkits supporting more young people with SEND to be more active.
- Inclusion 2028 Young Person CollectivecoreCo-design partnership with young people aged 14-22 with lived experience contributing ideas for strength and balance activity cards to ensure they are relatable and accessible.
- Teesside UniversitycoreWorkforce development collaboration to embed physical activity within occupational therapy pre-registration degree course using a spiral curriculum approach, connecting local community services with the university.
- Active EssexcoreActive Essex is the Active Partnership delivering Reconnect in partnership with Sport for Confidence across Essex. Sport for Confidence is also a Sport England System Partner contributing to national objectives.
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustcoreSport for Confidence CIC works in partnership with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Active Notts to explore new ways of supporting people with learning disabilities to access meaningful physical activity. The partnership centres on a 12-week community-based programme at YMCA Newark and Sherwood, bringing NHS Allied Health Professionals together with sport and leisure providers.
- Everyone ActivecoreOne of three leisure providers delivering Reconnect services. Everyone Active has supported Sport for Confidence for over a decade and was the first leisure provider in the country to welcome an occupational therapist into their team.
- 1LifecoreLeisure provider partner operating Lord Butler Leisure Centre and other venues in Essex, delivering inclusive leisure services in partnership with Sport for Confidence.
- Freedom LeisurecoreLeisure provider partner contributing to the network of community providers delivering Reconnect services across Essex.
- Essex Carers Network CICminorPartnership to secure funding from the Southend, Essex and Thurrock Learning Disability and Autism Health Equalities Programme for wheelchair accessible weighing scales, addressing barriers faced by wheelchair users during routine healthcare interactions.
- University of EssexcorePhD research partnership with Erica De La Garza conducting a three-year systems-thinking evaluation as part of the National System Partnership with Sport England, helping understand how communities, organisations and services interact to support inclusive access to physical activity.
- YMCA Newark and SherwoodcoreCommunity venue for the 12-week programme supporting people with learning disabilities to access meaningful physical activity, working with NHS therapists and leisure providers.
- Boccia EnglandminorSpecialist partner contributing to inclusive physical activity programming for people with disabilities, providing expertise in adapted sports delivery.
- ThinklusiveminorPartner in co-production of the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, providing guidance and expertise in inclusive practices.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sport For Confidence competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WheelPower (British Wheelchair Sport): National wheelchair sport charity delivering participation and elite pathways. Direct peer in the adaptive/para-sport category with overlapping beneficiaries, particularly relevant given Sport for Confidence's wheelchair-inclusive programmes.
- Whizz-Kidz: National charity focused on disabled children's mobility, including sport and activity programmes. Comparable target beneficiary (disabled young people/people with long-term conditions) and overlap with NHS paediatric commissioning buyers.
- CP Sport (Cerebral Palsy Sport): UK-wide disability sport organisation delivering inclusive sport for people with cerebral palsy and physical disabilities. Comparable as a specialist adaptive sport provider serving overlapping beneficiary cohorts and working with similar leisure providers.
- Special Olympics Great Britain: Provides year-round sport training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities across the UK. Directly comparable as a disability-specialist sport coaching and competition provider, with overlapping beneficiaries.
- Sense: National disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities (including deafblind) with sport, wellbeing and community programmes. Overlaps with Sport for Confidence's sensory and learning disability segments and broader disability-services commissioning buyers.
- Activity Alliance (formerly English Federation of Disability Sport): National NGO that grows participation in sport and physical activity for disabled people across the UK. Most direct peer: same adaptive sport mission, works through commissioned programmes and partnerships with local authorities, and serves overlapping government and leisure provider buyers.
- The Active Wellbeing Society: Birmingham-based CIC delivering community-led physical activity and wellbeing programmes that tackle health inequalities in disadvantaged communities. Closely comparable operating model: CIC structure, commissioned public health delivery, lived-experience-led design.
- Access Sport: UK charity using sport to transform the lives of disadvantaged and disabled young people via community-based programmes. Similar inclusive-community delivery model with a volunteer-driven, leisure-centre-based approach.
Broad incumbents
- Better (GLL) Inclusive Programmes: Large UK leisure operator running its own inclusive sport and disability programmes across hundreds of facilities. Comparable as a leisure-provider-led inclusive sport channel, but at much larger scale and as part of a broader portfolio.
Regional players
- Disability Sport Wales: National disability sport body for Wales with same mission of increasing participation in inclusive sport. Comparable in operating model and beneficiary focus, but operates in a different UK nation rather than competing directly.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sport For Confidence social profiles
Digital presenceSport For Confidence compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Sport For Confidence financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sport For Confidence leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Sport For Confidence funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sport For Confidence M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sport For Confidence
What does Sport For Confidence do?
Sport for Confidence is an Occupational Therapy-led service that uses physical activity as a therapeutic tool to promote empowerment, wellbeing and belonging for people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, autism and sensory needs. It delivers community-based commissioned services (notably Reconnect in Essex, Havering and Waltham Forest), pilots such as Good Food Good Moves, and professional training through the Learning Arena platform. Services are accessed via referrals and delivered in partnership with local authorities, NHS bodies, and leisure providers across community leisure venues.
Is Sport For Confidence a public or private company?
Sport For Confidence is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sport For Confidence founded?
Sport For Confidence was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sport For Confidence based?
Sport For Confidence is headquartered in Chelmsford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sport For Confidence make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Public Sector Commissioning is the primary driver. The others are sport England System Partnership, government Grants, equipment Hire and merchandise Sales.
Who are Sport For Confidence's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WheelPower (British Wheelchair Sport), Whizz-Kidz, CP Sport (Cerebral Palsy Sport), Special Olympics Great Britain, Sense, Activity Alliance (formerly English Federation of Disability Sport), The Active Wellbeing Society and Access Sport. Better (GLL) Inclusive Programmes is listed as a broad incumbent. Disability Sport Wales is listed as a regional player.
Does Sport For Confidence have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sport For Confidence.
What industry is Sport For Confidence in?
Sport For Confidence's product category is Inclusive Community Health and Occupational Therapy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAEAM, Adaptive & Para-Sport Coaching, with a secondary code of HSADAEAB, Strength & Conditioning / Athletic Performance Training. Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 8090.