Opening Schools Facilities Fund

Opening Schools Facilities (OSF) is a Department for Education (DfE) funded programme to meet the goals of the Government’s School Sport and Activity Action Plan (SSAAP) .

The OSF program aims to reduce inequalities and get more children and young people aged 5-16 years active and moving more. The funding supports schools to open-up their facilities, (including swimming pools) by partnering up with local sporting, youth and community organisations to provide collaborative, inspiring, accessible and meaningful provision that helps improve physical activity levels and participation in their area.  The programme will ensure that all children, young people and the wider community can access inclusive, fun, safe and needs led co-designed extra-curricular active activities, experiences and opportunities outside of curriculum time, particularly in those communities that experience the most significant health, social and economic inequalities.

The large investment into schools, which runs through to March 2025, will ensure that local place-based approaches and solutions are developed collaboratively, focusing on insight, learning, youth voice and lived experience. It will seek to establish knowledge and understanding about key success factors as well as common and unique barriers regarding opening school facilities outside of the school day to ensure sustainability and longevity of the programme and offer.

Programme benefits and opportunities for our Northumberland and Tyne & Wear Schools 

  • up to £40,000 and sustainable funding over 2+ years (up to 31st March 2025)

  • Access to free CPD and wellbeing resources/opportunities for staff/volunteers to support sustainable upskilling and capacity building

  • Support to empower and embed meaningful youth voice, young leadership, accreditation, volunteering and youth led funding opportunities across your school

  • Increased brand awareness and engagement from Children, Young People, parents, community, and wider stakeholders 

  • Information, advice, guidance and support from a dedicated OSF Programme Project Manager and a wider team of consortium professional partners (Youth Sport Trust, Street Games and UK Active)

  • Access to data, insight and learning from a Community of Learning (CoL) Hub 

  • Active Lives bespoke report and Healthy School Award for your school

  • Access to wider opportunities / resources through Rise and our local system partners

We look forward to working with your school, children, young people, and families throughout the OSF Programme.

If you would like further information, please contact our Children and Young People team – cyp@wearerise.co.uk

Useful documents