For too long, disabled people have been excluded from community sports. This isn’t because they lack ability, but because there hasn’t been space for them in sports. Mixed Ability sport is changing that. Now, we have the numbers to show how much it matters.
The 2024/2025 IMAS Social Value Report, produced in partnership with social impact specialists Substance, is the most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken of the global Mixed Ability movement. Its findings are striking – and they carry a clear message: inclusive sport isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s one of the most powerful social interventions available to us.
What is Mixed Ability sport?
Mixed Ability sport brings together people of all abilities – disabled, non-disabled, and those facing other barriers – as equal members of the same community club. There are no separate leagues, no altered rules, and no second-tier provisions. It’s simply sport, played together under the same rules, with only minor adjustments as needed.
It sounds simple, but the impact is profound.
The numbers speak for themselves
Over 12 months of activity leading up to and during the Erasmus+ co-funded MAGIC programme and IMART 2025, the research involved 2,677 Mixed Ability participants across 11 countries. The IMAS-related activities generated an estimated total social value of £22.07 million.
This figure is not random. It is the result of careful Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis, the same method used to assess public health programs, government initiatives, and major charities. It considers what would have happened anyway, uses conservative estimates, and draws on real data from 56 clubs across four continents.
So where does that value come from?
– £12.27 million from improvements in mental health, physical wellbeing, and family relationships
– £6.23 million from volunteering, skills development, and social connections
– £1.28 million from stronger community belonging and connections
– £1.18 million from more inclusive and accessible sporting environments
In other words: for every £1 invested by IMAS partners, £20.30 in social value comes back to society.
Tackling the things that really matter
These aren’t just abstract numbers. They represent real people whose lives are better because they play sport with their community.
Mixed Ability participation consistently lowers loneliness and social exclusion–two major issues in modern public health. It strengthens family relationships, opens doors to employment and skills, and creates a sense of belonging that health systems, councils, and communities are trying to build but often struggle to achieve.
The report also points out how perceptions of disability can change. Volunteers from corporate partners like Flutter Entertainment have reported that their experiences with IMAS were life-changing. Many had little prior contact with disabled people, and they left with transformed perspectives. This kind of change, at scale, is crucial for building a more inclusive society.
Tim Crabbe, CEO of Substance, said: “After initial discussions a few years ago, it has been a pleasure to work more closely with the IMAS team and partners over the last eighteen months to produce this report. The interest and commitment to learning have enabled us to cover the movement’s work and development comprehensively. It has also opened our eyes to new social value pathways and methods. While this is reflected in the wide range and high value of mixed ability sport activities and events, what is perhaps most impressive is the commitment to ongoing transparent evaluation and reporting improvements. Thus, this report represents a first step that captures some but not all of the value of the mixed ability sport model. We are confident that there’s more to come!”
A global movement, growing fast
IMAS now reaches clubs and communities across the UK, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Canada, across sports like rugby, basketball, cricket, boxing, rowing, artistic swimming and more.
The flagship events, the International Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament (IMART) and the Mixed Ability Games (MAGIC), held in Pamplona in June 2025, brought together 1,716 participants, whose ongoing involvement is estimated to generate £14.14 million in social value alone.
This movement has been building for over 15 years. It now has the scale, evidence, and partnerships needed to grow further and faster.
The case for investment has never been clearer
The report is not just a record of achievements; it’s a call to action for what’s next.
Martino Corazza, IMAS co-founder and Director, said: “From almost 20 years of building the Mixed Ability movement, along with prior research, we’ve always known the deep impact Mixed Ability has on personal, community, and societal levels. For the first time, we could apply rigorous social value methodology to frame our impact from a different angle, providing further evidence of the social return on investing in Mixed Ability. We know this is just a starting point and that the narrative must include the direct voices and experiences of our participants. We commit to conducting accountable, transparent, and co-produced research that everyone in our movement can use to highlight the value of our shared vision and actions.”
Mixed Ability sport works. The evidence is here. What’s needed now is the ambition to expand it–more clubs, more communities, more sports, more countries–and the funding to make that happen.
If you’re a funder, a sports organisation, a local authority, a business, or someone who believes that sport is for everyone, this report is for you.
READ THE FULL SOCIAL VALUE REPORT HERE
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The IMAS Social Value Report 2024/2025 was produced by Substance, led by Dr. Tim Crabbe, Luke Bullock, and Livia Capparelli.
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