The Youth Sport Trust was a consortium member of the Department for Educations Opening School Facilities (OSF) programme, which was led by the Active Partnership National Organisation alongside Street Games, and UK Active.

These free resources have been designed as a legacy to the programme to help more schools to open their doors beyond the school day and engage the local community.

Opening school facilities to the community is a powerful way to enhance the lives of both students and local residents. By providing access to spaces that may otherwise remain unused, schools can support a wide range of community activities that promote physical activity, wellbeing, and educational engagement.

The programme highlighted that through a flexible and tailored approach, schools can open their facilities for everything from sports clubs to community workshops, all while benefiting from external partnerships and local involvement.

We believe that schools have a vital role to play in their communities and, with the right resources, can act as hubs of activity that improve the wellbeing of all. To help you get started, we’ve created a toolkit full of practical advice, case studies, and templates to guide schools through every step of the process, from engaging with local partners to managing community activities. This will ensure your school’s facility-opening initiative is not only successful but also sustainable in the long term.