Our Story
YST Our Charity Story
The Youth Sport Trust was established in 1995 and in 2020 we will be celebrating the charity's 25th anniversary. Here you can find a brief timeline of our life so far - from a 'TOP Start' all the way up the to present day.
1995 – A TOP Start
YST established as a charity by Sir John Beckwith. We pilot our first ‘TOPs’ sporting programmes for children and a national rollout follows through our network of specialist tutors.
1997 – Developing Young Leaders
We host our first youth leadership camp, equipping young people with the confidence and skills to lead inclusive sport. This paves the way for our Step Into Sport Camps and later the Young Ambassadors programme.
2002 – Delivering School Sport Strategy
We’re appointed to deliver government’s PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy. By 2008 we’ve helped create 450 School Sport Partnerships across England.
2003 – Athletes Changing Lives
Our Changing Lives concept pioneers using elite world-class athletes as mentors to inspire children. This is brought to life as we partner with Sky Sports to launch Living for Sport which runs for 14 years reaching over 500,000 young people.
2006 – First UK School Games
1,000 talented young athletes – including Ellie Simmonds - compete in the four-day multisport event held in Glasgow. In 2012 we take the School Games to the Olympic Park ahead of the London Olympics.
2008 – National School Sport Week
We launch the annual summer celebration of PE and school sport which is joined by thousands of schools all over the country.
Find out more about National School Sport Week
2010 – Fastest Improving Schools
Government appointed YST to support Sports Colleges within the Specialist Schools programme back in 1996. Figures release in 2010 show them to be the fastest improving schools in the country.
2012 – International Legacy
YST International supports the delivery of International Inspiration, the legacy programme of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, using sport to enrich the lives of over 25 million children in 20 countries.
Find out more about YST International
2013 – PE and Sport Premium
We help ensure the continuation of the PE and Sport Premium, with government pledging to extend the funding to schools to 2020. Our school guide forms part of the National Physical Literacy Framework.
Find out more about our PE and Sport Premium guidance
2014 – Girls Active
Launch of our pioneering programme to raise girls’ participation in sport and PE. Delivered with Women in Sport and This Girl Can through Sport England National Lottery funding, it reaches 50,000 girls by 2017.
Find out more about Girls Active
2016 – Play Unified
We partner with Special Olympics GB to tackle intolerance to children with intellectual disabilities through creating inclusive environments for sport in schools. It reaches almost 30,000 children in two years.
Find out more about Play Unified
2017 – Active 30:30
In response to the Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan we launch Active 30:30 to help schools reduce sedentary behaviour and increase young people’s physical activity outside of timetabled curriculum PE.