• Olympics

Allwyn announces Olympic and Paralympic athletes set to drive social impact through ChangeMakers

Team GB and ParalympicsGB stars have been selected to receive funding to support grassroots projects close to their hearts

Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, has announced the Team GB and ParalympicsGB stars who are set to receive grants as part of the ChangeMakers initiative, which will provide a total of £100,000 for athletes to power positive change.

Sixteen current and former National Lottery funded athletes will receive grants of up to £10,000 to support their activity across a wide range of causes including mentoring programmes for disadvantaged children, supporting mental wellbeing, and empowering women and girls with disabilities.

ChangeMakers is a partnership between Allwyn, UK Sport, Team GB and ParalympicsGB launched in 2024. The Changemaker initiative was the first campaign launched as part of Allwyn’s commitment to operate the National Lottery in an environmentally and socially responsible way, with £1m annually through its own Social Value Fund.

Supporting the launch of the grants is GB Hockey player and Commonwealth gold medalist Tess Howard. Tess, who will receive £10,000 to support her ‘Inclusive Sportswear’ campaign which is leading the charge in advocating to keep more young girls and individuals from marginalised groups playing and enjoying sport, said:

“Thanks to Allwyn, the ChangeMakers grant will propel Inclusive Sportswear’s mission to ensure no one drops out of sport because of sports kit. Only one in four girls feel confident in their PE kit, but this is an issue that can be solved by basing policy on choice and inclusion. This new investment helps me build the Inclusive Sportswear Community Platform, providing free guidance and support to schools across the UK to implement inclusive PE kit policies. 

“As athletes, we are already so lucky to be supported by The National Lottery to pursue our sporting dreams, and it’s fantastic that Allwyn is taking this one step further and supporting us through ChangeMakers grants. It’ll make a huge difference to the causes and communities we are passionate about.”

Paralympic Champion swimmer Tully Kearney, another beneficiary of the ChangeMaker grants, said:

“I’m so excited and thankful to be part of the ChangeMakers initiative and to receive this grant to help grow ‘Now I Can Run’. This project is really close to my heart and it’s all about giving people the chance to experience the feeling of running using a frame runner - something that allowed me to run the London Marathon last weekend! I know how powerful sport can be, and I want others to feel that same sense of freedom and confidence. Thanks to the support from Allwyn, UK Sport and ParalympicsGB, I can now help even more people get moving, feel included, and realise what they’re capable of.”

Andria Vidler, CEO of National Lottery Operator, Allwyn, added: 

“The ChangeMaker grants from Allwyn’s Social Value Fund will enable these inspiring athletes to make a real difference to the causes and communities which matter most to them.  Their passion extends beyond sport and I am proud that through Allwyn’s commitment to having a positive social impact, we can support to them to take the next step.  These grants represent our belief that athletes can be powerful catalysts for change both on and off the field of play.” 

Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport said:

“The National Lottery continues to be the biggest champion of sport at all levels in the UK, and it’s wonderful to see Allwyn, as operator of The National Lottery, enabling our athletes to go even further and use their voice and platforms to power positive change for people, communities and the planet.​”

The grants are split into two types; a ‘Try It’ fund which helps athletes who have a social impact idea and want to test its viability and impact, and a ‘Scale It’ fund, to support athletes who have a pre-existing social impact initiative that requires more support to take it the next level.

A full list of recipients and their chosen causes can be found below:

  1. Tess Howard – GB Hockey – Tess aims to develop the work of Inclusive Sportswear, a campaign which is helping to keep more young girls and individuals from marginalised groups playing and enjoying sport by supporting their choice in sports clothing.
  2. Richard Kilty – British Athletics – Richard will be ‘scaling up’ the ‘Sprint to Success’ project, which was founded to increase elite track and field coaching and mentorship for children.
  3. Darcy Bourne – GB Hockey – Darcy will be utilising the ChangeMaker Fund to launch two impactful multi-sport camps for ‘Raising Her Game’ which offers an opportunity for girls to come together and talk about common worries and reasons for dropping out of sport, whilst providing an introduction to Rugby, Hockey and Football.
  4. Ellen Buttrick – British Rowing – With the support of the ChangeMaker Fund, Ellen will bring mixed ability rowing to Leeds Rowing Club with investment in coach development, accessible equipment purchasing and the launch of a mixed abilities Regatta.
  5. Beth Gill – PaddleUK – Beth will be using the ChangeMaker grant to organise community workshops and training along with data collection as part of her PhD study.  This will be part of the ”To Paddle or Not to Paddle?” environment initiative in Nottingham.
  6. Dan Powell – British Judo – As a result of being awarded the ChangeMaker grant, Dan will be offering 15 sports scholarship programmes for 15 young people in New Parks, Leicester.
  7. George Kelman-Johns – AquaticsGB – George will be developing the ‘Swim 4 All’ programme. Swim 4 All is a learn to swim and wellbeing programme founded by George, aiming to provide equal opportunities by creating a positive environment for people of all backgrounds. Particularly those within ethnically diverse communities.
  8. Tully Kearney – AquaticsGB – Tully is planning to scale up the delivery of her ‘Now I Can Run’ initiative. A not for profit, that focusses on giving individuals with impairments the ability to run by using a frame runner.
  9. Robyn Love – British Wheelchair Basketball – The ChangeMaker grant will allow Robyn to develop the provision of 'The Love Handles' programme. The programme exists to empower women and girls with disabilities to realise their full potential and enhance their confidence both on and off court.
  10. Jonathan Broom-Edwards – British Athletics – Jonathan will continue evolving and scaling the delivery and impact of the pre-existing 'Dealing with Adversity Workshops'. The workshop exists to highlight the challenges those with impairments or disabilities face.
  11. Melissa Nicholls – British Triathlon – Melissa plans to teach a group of teenage girls key skills through outdoor learning, a group project at a nature reserve and taster sports sessions, culminating in an expedition.
  12. Nekoda Smythe-Davies – British Judo – Nekoda is planning to integrate regular evening Judo classes within a community in Birmingham. Predominantly for under 12s with sessions focusing on teaching the values of Judo and channeling their aggression in a safe environment.
  13. Charlotte Worthington – British Cycling – Charlotte has organised a female only riding BMX freestyle session including on and off bike activities such as meditation, mobility, self-reflection and more.
  14. Miles Beeson – British Rowing – The ChangeMaker grant will allow Miles to launch a virtual mentorship programme connecting young rowers from underprivileged backgrounds with elite athletes.
  15. Savannah Wilkinson – British Basketball – Savannah will create social media content to support athletes of all levels with the mental health challenges they often face but may be hesitant to talk about.
  16. Helen Freeman – British Wheelchair Basketball – Helen is aiming to test how introducing a lunch club element to the pre-existing junior basketball sessions at her club, impacts on the club’s ability to attract and retain new members.

The ChangeMaker initiative is made up of three elements.  Firstly, after the Paris Olympics and Paralympics more than 130 athletes committed to go back across the country to support grassroots projects they are passionate about. The second element enables athletes to apply for grants to support their personal projects, with the successful recipients being announced today. The third strand is a special ChangeMaker ‘Powered By Purpose’ cohort. This is a UK Sport programme which provides athletes with the skills, knowledge and confidence to turn success on the field of play into long-term positive impact for communities.

The National Lottery raises on average £30m every week for National Lottery-funded projects. This is the power behind the social impact that The National Lottery makes across the nation – from arts, to heritage, to community, to sport and our elite athletes. The £1M annual Allwyn Social Value Fund is designed to enhance and support those initiatives and is not being funded by money allocated for National Lottery Good Cause funding or National Lottery players.