The ‘world’s largest social outcomes partnership’ reports high success in bringing opportunities to young people through sport

The world’s first sports-based social outcomes partnership – financed by social investor Big Issue Invest – has announced a high success rate in positive outcomes for young people involved in the programme. 

The Chances Social Outcomes Partnership, launched in 2020 by research and technology company Substance, received an upfront investment of £1.25m from Big Issue Invest’s Outcomes Investment Fund four years ago, as well as funding from Sport England and the Government’s Life Chances Fund.

By emphasising early intervention through enjoyable activities, we've created sustainable pathways to better life outcomes

Chances is the largest social outcomes partnership in the world, when measured by the number of commissioners involved. The partnership was co-commissioned by 21 local authorities and delivered by 17 partner organisations, including professional football club charities and youth and community providers. 

Sangita Patel, head of programmes at Substance, said: “Chances shows what’s possible when social investors, local authorities and community organisations unite for a shared vision focused on outcomes. By emphasising early intervention through enjoyable activities, we've created sustainable pathways to better life outcomes.”

What are social outcomes contracts and funds?

A social outcomes contract (SOC), also sometimes known as a social impact bond, is a type of Payment by Results (PbR) financial vehicle, which means impact investors provide upfront finance that is repaid only when the agreed upon outcomes are successfully achieved. 

Social outcomes funds allow for multiple outcomes contracts to be funded together. While Big Issue Invest financed the upfront investment of £1.25m, Chances has separate outcomes contracts with Sport England and The Life Chances Fund.

• Read more: What is an outcomes fund?

Sport England is an executive non-departmental public body, receiving funding from the National Lottery and sponsored by the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), that aims to bring sports and physical activity to everyone across England. 

Jeanette Bain-Burnett, executive director for policy and integrity for Sport England, said: “Sport England are proud to have invested in Chances, which not only transformed young lives through sport and physical activity, but which also redefined how outcomes can be achieved through collaboration, innovation and early intervention.”

Sport England commissions the ‘physical literacy’ outcomes aspect of Chances, meaning the organisation “pays out when participants increase their participation in and understanding of physical activity and sport.”

Chances is Sport England’s first time commissioning through a social outcomes partnership.

The Life Chances Fund – also funded by the DCMS and administered by the National Lottery Community Fund – pays for the education, training and reduced offending outcomes within the programme.

Youth Impact 

Since 2020, the programme has worked to provide support for more than 5,000 young people aged 8 to 17 in vulnerable or disadvantaged circumstances. Chances’ partner organisations use sport, physical activity, therapy and mentorship to improve young persons life trajectory. 

Being able to come out into the world and reintegrate myself again, it was huge for me

Specifically, the programme aims to help participants improve their school attendance, gain qualifications and work experience, and reduce offending behaviour. Many participants also improve their physical literacy. 

According to Big Issue Invest’s calculations, 77% of participants have “achieved at least one positive outcome.”

Riley Butler (pictured below), now 20-years-old, joined Chances when he was 16 at Arsenal in the Community. Butler left school at 14-years-old.

Butler said: “My confidence was really shot after school. I shut myself away and went really down in mental health and stuff, I struggled a lot. Being able to come out into the world and reintegrate myself again, it was huge for me.”

Started during the Covid-19 pandemic, Chances offered support to young people facing additional disruptions during an already challenging and unpredictable time in their lives. 

Sport England’s Bain-Burnett said: “Tackling Inequalities is at the heart of our strategy Uniting the Movement, as we aim to break down the barriers people can face in accessing physical activity, and Chances is a great example of how sport can be a powerful tool for social change.”

The Chances programme led to Butler landing his first paid job. He also studied for a part-time Business and Technology Education Council coaching qualification. Butler is now applying for full-time employment. 

Butler said: “At that age – 16 to 17 – you’re transitioning into a young adult, trying to move on in your life, you need to find work, you need to provide for yourself… for people who have lost their way, they’re going to find that difficult. It gave me my life back.”

According to Substance’s most recent quarterly performance data, young people who participated in the programme have achieved: 

• 1,350 recognised qualifications 
• 118 work placements of 30 hours 
• 451 reductions in offending behaviour 
• 334 improvements in school attendance 
• 4,252 improvements in physical literacy at mid and end points

Mark Lovell, Head of the Outcomes Fund at Big Issue Invest, said: “The programme’s success reflects our goal of creating sustainable social impact while generating financial returns for more community initiatives. It shows how innovative social investment models can address complex challenges and deliver measurable outcomes.”

Lovell explained that Big Issue Invest’s Outcome Investment Fund was set up to invest into outcome contracts/outcome partnerships. The early smaller investments from the fund were into social sector organisations and the later (early 2019 onwards), larger investments were into outcome partnerships that had the potential to scale, replicate and deliver better outcomes for vulnerable groups and/or delivered more cost effective and sustainable ways of delivering impact.

Better Society Capital was the LP (Limited Partner) providing capital for the fund, and Big Issue Invest’s strategy was fourfold:

• Develop strategic relationships with commissioners
• Co-develop solutions with delivery partners and outcome funders
• Walk towards the difficult, persistent social challenges to test new/novel solutions through an outcome partnership
• Be transparent in the cost of capital and deploy funds on patient and flexible terms to support outcome delivery/impact

“The fund very deliberately worked with investments that were developing new and innovative solutions,” added Lovell. “The Chances programme and the investment with Substance is a really good example of some of the points above.”

Government plans to create a new ‘Social Impact Investment Vehicle’

In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the UK Government announced plans for a new ‘Social Impact Investment Vehicle’ designed to “mobilise private investment to deliver positive social impacts.”

• Read more: Budget 2024: UK Government will create social impact investment vehicle to deliver its missions

While further details have not yet been announced, Big Issue Invest “hopes” that the positive outcomes achieved by the Chances programme will encourage continued social investment in the future. 

Lovell said: "The success of the Chances programme offers insights for future social investment initiatives that support vulnerable young people and drive change in communities facing socioeconomic challenges. As the government considers new outcome partnership models, we will share our learning with the Social Impact Advisory Group."

How to get involved in Chances 

Young people are referred to Chances by their local authority young people’s service, youth justice team, education team or they can refer themselves. Participants must meet at least one of the following eligibility criteria:

• Excluded from school or have low school attendance,
• NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) or at risk of becoming NEET,
• Have previous offending behaviour.

To refer someone or find out more, contact Sangita Patel or Matt Baird.

Chances partners:

• Arsenal in the Community (London)
• Aston Villa Foundation (West Midlands)
• EnergizeSTW – Shropshire (West Midlands)
• Exeter City Community Trust (South West)
• Flying Futures – Doncaster (North)
• Foundation of Light – Sunderland (North East)
• Leyton Orient Trust (London)
• Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation (North East)
• Newcastle United Foundation (North East)
• Oxfordshire Youth (South East)
• Palace for Life Foundation (London)
• Positive Youth Foundation – Coventry (West Midlands)
• Project PT (Oxford City Council)
• Saints Foundation (South East)
• Watford FC’s Community Sports and Education Trust (London)
• Wigan Athletic Community Trust (North West)
• Youth Moves – Bristol (South West)

Top Image: Participants in the Chances programme playing football in a sports hall (Credit: Substance)