From Investment to Impact: Sport, Health and Stronger Communities.

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​Manchester Conference Centre.  

12th November 2026

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Investment is one of the biggest questions facing the sport and physical activity sector. But the conversation can no longer begin and end with funding alone. The real challenge is how we move from investment to impact.

How do we build a sector that is economically stronger, more confident, more investable and better able to contribute to national priorities around health, prevention, productivity, place and community wellbeing?

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How do we make the case that sport and physical activity is not simply a cost to be supported, but an essential part of the country’s health, social and economic infrastructure?

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And how do we ensure that investment reaches the people, places and organisations where it can make the greatest difference?

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The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s Game On: Community and school sport report reinforces the urgency of this conversation, warning that current funding for community sport is insufficient and increasingly unstable, while also recognising the wider social and economic returns that can be generated through investment in sport and physical activity.

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The Investing in Sports and Physical Activity Conference will bring together leaders from across sport, physical activity, health, education, local government, facilities, investment and the wider active economy to explore what a more resilient and investment-ready future could look like.

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This is not simply a conference about raising money. It is a conference about value, evidence, confidence and long-term impact.

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The conference will examine where future opportunities for investment, commissioning and partnership may come from, how organisations can reduce their dependence on fragile short-term grant cycles, and what it takes to build stronger, more sustainable models for delivery.

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It will also ask how the sector can better measure and communicate its value — not only through participation numbers, but through its contribution to physical and mental health, social connection, community resilience, economic productivity, local pride and public value.

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With growing demand, ageing infrastructure, widening inequalities and increasing pressure to deliver more with less, the need for smarter investment, stronger partnerships and clearer economic thinking has never been greater.

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Through keynote presentations, panel discussions and practical masterclasses, delegates will hear from senior decision-makers, policy leaders, investors, commercial partners and sector experts who understand both the pressures and the possibilities ahead.

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Whether you are looking to strengthen your organisation’s financial resilience, unlock new partnerships, shape future commissioning opportunities, evidence your impact or better position your work within a changing national landscape, this conference will provide the insight, challenge and practical direction needed to move forward with confidence.

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Investment to Impact: Sport, Health and Stronger Communities. This is the conversation the sector needs to have.

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