Include to Improve is a two-year programme led by Activity Alliance and Sport for Confidence, funded by Sport England. It aims to create more opportunities for disabled people to take part, volunteer, and work in sport and physical activity by supporting organisations to become more inclusive, accessible, and responsive.

The programme focuses on strengthening workforce capability and system-wide practice, helping organisations better understand and respond to the experiences of disabled people. By turning insight into action, Include to Improve supports meaningful, lasting change across health, social care, leisure, and community settings.

Include to Improve is built on the voices and experiences of disabled people. Using nationally gathered insight alongside local learning, the programme helps organisations to better understand the barriers people face – and what meaningful inclusion looks like in practice.

Through a structured approach, organisations and disabled people are supported to explore themes such as access, attitudes, communication, and environment, ensuring that inclusion is considered across every aspect of delivery.

To support this, the programme hosts two networks: The Lived Experience Network for disabled people, and the Strategic Partner Network for organisations who want to strengthen their commitment to inclusion. Listening to and working collaboratively with these groups is fundamental to improving existing services and shaping new inclusive solutions across the sector.

We work with partners across health, social care, leisure, and community sectors to embed inclusive thinking into everyday practice – not as an add-on, but as a core principle.

Include to Improve moves beyond compliance and intention, focusing on practical, system-wide change. By combining insight, reflection, and action planning, we support organisations to:

• • Understand the experiences and needs of disabled people
  • Identify gaps and opportunities within current provision
  • Build confidence and capability within their workforce
  • Create more inclusive and accessible environments
  • Embed inclusion into long-term strategy and culture

This approach aligns closely with our Occupational Therapy-led model, recognising that participation, belonging, and meaningful activity are central to health and wellbeing.

Include to Improve is delivered through collaborative workshops, tools, and resources that support teams to reflect, learn, and take action together.

We work alongside organisations to create safe, open spaces for discussion – enabling honest reflection and shared learning. From frontline practitioners to system leaders, the programme brings people together to co-produce solutions that are practical and sustainable.

Include to Improve supports long-term change by helping organisations move from awareness to action. It strengthens inclusive practice at every level – from individual interactions to system-wide design.

By focusing on insight, collaboration, and continuous improvement, the programme helps create environments where more people feel welcome, valued, and able to take part.