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For generations, young people in sport have been described as “the future.” The phrase is repeated constantly across conferences, campaigns and development programmes. Young people are encouraged to participate, to dream, to aspire and to prepare themselves for the future of sport. But too often, they are still excluded from the spaces where decisions are actually made. Policies affecting young people are frequently developed without youth voices in the room. Conversations about athlete welfare, inclusion, safeguarding and the future of sport are still commonly led by older generations, while young people remain positioned as participants rather than contributors. Their presence …

The meeting starts as it always does. A long table. Laptops open. Papers neatly stacked. Everyone in the room is experienced, qualified, confident in what they are there to say. They are here to design a policy on athlete well-being. The conversation moves quickly. Safeguarding procedures are discussed. Reporting systems are mapped out. Language is carefully chosen. On paper, everything is thorough, considered, complete. But as the discussion continues, something becomes clear. Not a single young athlete is in the room. It is a crucial detail, yet easy to overlook. The people present are experts. They understand policy, governance and …

Sport is meant to be one of the few spaces that belongs to everyone. It is where differences are put aside, where people come together, where opportunity is supposed to be equal. That is the story we are told. But for many young people, that story does not match their reality. For some, the barrier is immediate. The cost of equipment, club fees, travel and facilities adds up quickly, and for families already under pressure, sport is not always possible. It is not a lack of interest that keeps young people away, it is the simple fact that access comes …

A young Ugandan swimming champion is proving that true strength isn’t measured in the pool, it’s measured in the courage to show up for others. Heer Hitesh is not waiting for permission to change the world. At an age when most young people are focused inward, this competitive Ugandan swimmer and United Through Sports young leader is shaving his head, raising $5,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation, and sending a message that ripples far beyond any fundraising total: one act of kindness can ignite an entire community. Through the World’s Greatest Shave, Heer is fuelling life-changing cancer research and delivering vital …

Kyra didn’t wait for permission to start changing the world. As a Pentathlon athlete and founder of Better World Project in Singapore, she represents a growing wave of young people who have stopped asking when change will come and started making it happen themselves. This Earth Day, her story is a reminder that the most powerful environmental movements often begin not in boardrooms, but in the everyday decisions of ordinary people. Earth Day, celebrated on 22 April each year, has grown from a 1970 grassroots movement into a global call for action. But awareness alone isn’t enough. Climate change, pollution, …