National Lottery ChangeMakers grants are fuelling a £100,000 surge of grassroots energy this year, as 16 Team GB and ParalympicsGB stars swap podiums for playgrounds and community halls.
Powered by Allwyn—the new steward of The National Lottery—these athletes will channel up to £10,000 apiece into the initiatives that set their hearts racing.
A fresh spin on sporting success
Allwyn’s ChangeMakers programme, forged in partnership with UK Sport, Team GB and ParalympicsGB, was launched in 2024 to prove that winning medals is only half the story.
The scheme offers two funding tracks: “Try It” for testing bright ideas, and “Scale It” for turbo-charging projects already gaining traction. Both streams draw from Allwyn’s £1 million Social Value Fund—money that sits outside the regular National Lottery Good Cause pot.
“Thanks to Allwyn, the ChangeMakers grant will propel Inclusive Sportswear’s mission to ensure no one drops out of sport because of sports kit.” – Tess Howard
Hockey ace Tess Howard leads the line-up, ploughing her £10,000 into an Inclusive Sportswear platform that helps schools rewrite PE-kit rules so every pupil—especially girls and marginalised groups—feels comfortable in class. “Only one in four girls feel confident in their PE kit,” she warns, vowing that “this new investment helps me build the Inclusive Sportswear Community Platform, providing free guidance and support to schools across the UK.”
Freedom to move, confidence to grow
Paralympic swimming champion Tully Kearney will expand Now I Can Run, lending frame runners to would-be athletes with impairments after her own London Marathon heroics.
“I know how powerful sport can be, and I want others to feel that same sense of freedom and confidence.” – Tully Kearney
Andria Vidler, CEO at Allwyn, sees the wider picture: “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.”
Who’s getting what – the 2025 roster
Athlete Sport Project snapshot
A full list of recipients and their chosen causes:
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 organisation that focuses 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.
Bigger than medals
Sally Munday, UK Sport’s chief, underlined the long game: “The National Lottery continues to be the biggest champion of sport at all levels in the UK, and it’s wonderful to see Allwyn … enabling our athletes to go even further and use their voice and platforms to power positive change.”
- Beyond today’s funding reveal, the ChangeMaker initiative follows a three-pronged plan:
- Post-Paris Pledge – more than 130 Olympians and Paralympians will return home to volunteer at projects they cherish.
- ChangeMakers grants – today’s Try It and Scale It awards.
- Powered By Purpose cohort – a UK Sport programme arming athletes with the skills to convert glory into sustainable community impact.
Why it matters
The National Lottery still pumps an average of £30 million every week into UK sport, arts, heritage and social causes. The additive £1 million Social Value Fund from Allwyn ensures athlete-led ideas don’t just survive—they thrive.
In short, the National Lottery change makers grants aren’t just sprinkling charity dust; they’re giving Britain’s sporting role models a fast lane to real-world impact.
And if their competitive spirit is anything to go by, the communities they champion might soon find themselves standing on a podium of their own.
