Sport and Physical Activity has been a core focus of research for Substance since 2005.

We have produced a breadth of research for organisations including Sport England, UEFA, the Rugby League World Cup 2021 and the English Football League (EFL). We have also evaluated many major programmes including the Greater Manchester Local Pilot, the Premier League Charitable Fund’s PL Kicks programme and Sport England’s Club Matters programme.

Social impacts of sport and physical activity

Major sporting events

Barriers and enablers to participation in sport

Children and Young People

  • We research the role sport and physical activity play in society, their impacts on well-being and communities, and the ways in which they can deliver positive social change.
  • We have developed many bespoke approaches for evaluating the impact of national sport and physical activity programmes on target audiences and always aim to ground our research in real-world contexts.
  • We focus on using research approaches that help to inform programme delivery and as well as helping organisations to demonstrate the impact their work has on communities.

Research and Consultancy Case Studies

View all projects
Curiosity
Research and Consultancy
RLWC 2021
Research and Consultancy
RNLI – Coastal Anglers
Research and Consultancy
RNLI – Leisure Divers
Research and Consultancy
StreetGames
Research and Consultancy
Ambition
Research and Consultancy

Provide a better service to your audience and society.

We can provide unbiased, evidence-based understanding, to help you adapt and grow your organisation to provide a better service to your audience and society.