Brighton Student Wins Sustainability Prize With Innovative Project Making Sport Accessible To All

A University of Brighton student has been awarded the prestigious People and Planet Prize for her social enterprise breaking down the barriers to accessing community sports opportunities.

Amelia Jones, who is a third-year Marketing Management BSc(Hons) student at the University’s School of Business and Law, won the prize for her community-driven initiative, allsport, designed to make sports more accessible, especially to young people from marginalised backgrounds.

The project seeks to remove financial and social barriers that often prevent people from participating in sports by providing easy-to-access sports information, while also giving volunteers and organisers the tools to reach more people.

Her winning idea was one of six sustainable business ideas pitched at the final of the University of Brighton’s business ideas competition, hosted by beepurple, the Student Enterprise team, in March. ‘Beepurple’ is the university’s entrepreneurship support service dedicated to helping students and recent graduates with starting up their own business, creative practice or social enterprise, as well as developing their enterprise skills and entrepreneurial mindset.

Amelia will receive £1100 in funding as well as mentorship to develop the platform which serves as a free and convenient source of information about community sports activities which cater to the needs of everyone including people with disabilities and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Amelia, who reflected on her own upbringing in a low-income family in Merseyside when developing her project, said:

“Coming from a background where opportunities were often limited, I know how important it is to have access to the right resources and support. Sports played a crucial role in my life, helping me build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging. allsport is not just a business idea – it’s a way to give back and create change for others who have faced similar struggles.

“I came to the University of Brighton through clearing and without that, I don’t think I’d be here trying to start a business. I owe a lot to Brighton. Many of the lecturers on my Marketing Management course have been really supportive – it doesn’t feel like a pipeline just to end up at a marketing agency.

"Pretty much the entire way, a lot of the choices I’ve made have been guided by somebody at the university, whether it was joining a business incubator to take my idea further or attending events like beepurple to see a group of people working to bring their ideas to reality.”

Dr David Walker, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education and Students) at the University of Brighton, said:

"Amelia’s success in winning the People and Planet Prize is a testament to the incredible entrepreneurial spirit we foster here at the University of Brighton.

"Having come to the university through clearing, a route that many see as a second chance, we are proud to have supported Amelia with the resources and mentorship needed to nurture her passion for sports which has now birthed allsport.

"We look forward to seeing the positive impact her project will have on communities."

With this award, Amelia will now have the opportunity to develop allsport further and to turn her vision of making sports accessible to all a reality.

The People and Planet Prize provides students with funding and mentorship to bring their ideas to life.

This year’s prize was sponsored by Create, Plus Accounting, Plus X Innovation, and Social for Good.

For more information on the People and Planet Prize, visit the University of Brighton’s enterprise initiatives.