Working with children and young people in some of the most deprived areas of the UK, investment bank DC Advisory partnered with non-profit organisation Sportinspired to introduce sport as personal development for young people.

According to DC Advisory, those from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to experience mental health problems than their wealthier peers, with higher unemployment prospects in the future and double the chance of suffering from obesity by age 11.

DC Advisory and Sportinspired run a sports day specifically designed for nine-year-olds, aiming to introduce them to new sports.

Last year, DC Advisory had 23 volunteers donating a total of 138 hours to promote sports among children, particularly those who were previously not involved in sports. Additionally, a legacy programme was initiated to ensure ongoing support for their participation in sports, enabling communities to independently host sports days.

"The enormous support from DC Advisory over the years has enabled us to deliver our services and reach more young people from areas of deprivation - who have higher chances of obesity and unemployment in adult life – which is now more critical than ever," said Richard Raynes, SportInspired's CEO. "[They] also provided us with office space and pro-bono support to help us focus our funds on directly supporting young people."

The programme reports it has seen 99% of primary school children find a sport they want to continue, while 93% of secondary school pupils reported improved confidence and 95% of the schools worked with setting up new sports clubs.

One Environmental Finance Sustainable Company Awards judge commented: "[DC Advisory] has had a big impact by selecting a small local charity...The project has engaged employees and utilised their expertise and fundraising. Relevant and strong impact metrics have been shared."