Overview
The Changing Lives Grant is a large‑scale funding programme aimed at transformational infrastructure projects that deliver long‑term social impact through sport.
This grant supports multi‑sport infrastructure developments where a hockey pitch is a core and intentional element of the overall design, and where hockey plays a central role in achieving all three EuroHockey Foundation three core objective focus areas:
- Gender Focus
- Urban Integration
- Intellectual Disability
Purpose
- The Changing Lives Grant is designed to support projects that go beyond individual programmes and instead create permanent, sustainable environments for social change.
- Funded projects must demonstrate how infrastructure investment will:
- Create safe, inclusive, and accessible places to play
- Serve multiple communities and user groups
- Deliver measurable outcomes across gender equality, urban integration, and intellectual disability
- Act as a long‑term hub for education, health, and social inclusion
Grant Characteristics
- Large grant funding with a co‑funding requirement
- Focus on capital and infrastructure investment
- Supports multi‑sport sites, with hockey embedded as a strategic component
- Requires a robust business case and sustainability plan
- Designed for long‑term impact, not one‑off delivery
Mandatory Requirements
- Projects applying for a Changing Lives Grant must:
- Include a hockey pitch or hockey‑specific space within the development
- Demonstrate how the facility will actively deliver all three objective focus areas, not just host sport
- Provide a clear business case, including:
- Governance structure
- Financial sustainability
- Community access and usage plans
- Long‑term maintenance and safeguarding
- Show strong partnership working (e.g. local authorities, education providers, NGOs, multi‑sport operators)
Eligible Projects
Examples include:
- Multi‑sport community hubs integrating hockey with education, health, and social programmes
- Urban regeneration projects where hockey supports social cohesion and inclusion
- Regional inclusive sport centres designed to serve people with and without disabilities
- Facilities that embed gender‑equal access, inclusive design, and targeted programming from day one
Expected Impact
- The Changing Lives Grant is expected to deliver system‑level change, including:
- Sustainable access to sport for diverse and disadvantaged communities
- Permanent infrastructure that supports inclusive participation
- Long‑term delivery aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Evidence‑based social impact across health, education, equality, and inclusion
- This grant represents the Foundation’s commitment to lasting, scalable social change, using hockey as a powerful and unifying force within larger community systems.
