Youth cricket and disability sports charity, The Lord’s Taverners, announced on Monday 8 February that it is partnering the leading social think-tank, the Centre for Social Justice, in a major national inquiry into how to harness the power of sport to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people.

A Government-commissioned survey by pollsters MORI published last summer showed that a staggering one in four children are not taking part in any organised sport. This rises to nearly 60 per cent among 16-19-year-olds.

This is despite extra Government investment in school sport and a £100 million official campaign launched in 2007 to get children doing five hours of sport a week, with at least two hours during school time.

The report, which is expected to be published next year (2011) in the run up to the 2012 London Olympics, will focus on evaluating the social benefits sport can deliver, identifying examples of best practice across the UK and internationally, and making recommendations to national policymakers.

The Lord’s Taverners is one of the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charities and the official charity for recreational cricket whose objective is to give disadvantaged and disabled young people a sporting chance. This year The Lord’s Taverners will donate nearly £3 million to help young people of all abilities and backgrounds participate in sporting activities:

Matthew Patten, Chief Executive of the The Lord’s Taverners, said: “Every day I see our community sports projects transforming the lives of young people in the most spectacular ways. It can help in schools, improving attendance, concentration and academic performance and also reduce anti-social behaviour in local communities. It provides adult role models, often for the first time, brings families together, and can provide pathways for young people to find their way out of disadvantage.

But while there is no shortage of great work going on, government research tells us that 72% of young people do not get a regular chance at teamwork while 81% will never play anything against another school. The overall participation rate in sport for ethnic minority groups is 40% compared with a national average of 46%. The Pakistani (31%) and Bangladeshi (30%) populations have particularly low participation rates. The figures are much worse for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and simply disastrous for those who are disabled.

For something that teaches us so much about leadership and teamwork, sport will continue to achieve bronze medal results when it comes to transforming young lives until it is given real political clout and an integrated national strategy. That’s why The Lord’s Taverners partnering the Centre of Social Justice’s national sports inquiry.”

Iain Duncan Smith, founder of the Centre for Social Justice, said: "At the CSJ we are dedicated to finding the pathways out of poverty for disadvantaged people, especially the young.

"Like The Lord’s Taverners, we believe that sport can play a major role in reversing the tide of social breakdown and creating new opportunities and a new sense of achievement for deprived youngsters.

"We will study in detail the contribution currently made by schools, youth clubs and the voluntary sector in general.

"I personally believe that competitive games can play much bigger role in giving deprived and disaffected youngsters a second chance in life and teach them social, intellectual and physical skills that will help them overcome the obstacles they face at home and in their communities.

"This is not about identifying Olympic champions, but as the 2012 London Games draws nearer, it is about harnessing the inspirational qualities of sport to our national efforts to reverse social breakdown and widen opportunity."

The start point for the inquiry is a general call for evidence from individuals and organisations that are already helping to transform young lives through sport. Schools, clubs, volunteers, governing bodies, parents, local authorities, coaches – anyone in fact who has a point of view and can evidence a positive impact. For further information, contact www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk

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