NEW BALANCE FOUNDATION AND BEYOND SPORT ANNOUNCE HOOPS 4 HOPE, SENTINEL OCEAN ALLIANCE AND TRAINING4CHANGES AS GRANT RECIPIENTS OF FUTURES IN MOTION SOUTH AFRICA
The three organizations will receive funding and capacity-building support to foster Positive Youth Development through sport
Cape Town, South Africa – 27 October 2026 - New Balance Foundation and global sport for social change foundation Beyond Sport, have announced the South African grant recipients of their “Futures in Motion” program. Following Australia, Japan and Poland, the country is the fourth and final location of the program which launched in 2025 to invest in brighter futures and resilient communities through inclusive sport and physical activity.
Futures in Motion supports organizations championing youth who are typically excluded from sport and the invaluable health and development opportunities that come with it. Over the next three years, Hoops 4 Hope, Sentinel Ocean Alliance and training4changeS, will receive an approximate combined ZAR 4,110,000 (USD $250,000) to strengthen their youth wellbeing, education, employability and inclusion programming, and their organizational sustainability.
Additionally, one Youth Leader was selected from each of the nonprofits to attend the 2026 One Young World Summit in Cape Town in November. Alongside their participation, the Young Leaders, plus two from New Balance South Africa, will co-facilitate a Futures in Motion workshop with Beyond Sport for 40 One Young World delegates.
"At New Balance Foundation, we believe sport and physical activity can be powerful catalysts for positive youth development when all young people have the opportunity to participate,” said Megan Bloch, Director of Global Philanthropy, New Balance Foundation. “Through Futures in Motion, we’re proud to invest in community-based organizations that understand the unique needs of the young people they serve and are creating meaningful pathways to wellbeing, connection and opportunity."
South African youth have low physical activity levels due to a range of factors including inequitable access to sport opportunities and appropriate facilities, transportation challenges, financial constraints, coach shortages and growing screen time. Young women and girls, youth with disabilities and those in low-income, township, rural or remote communities face even higher barriers, resulting in growing health problems and social divides. The three organizations are actively working to change this.
“With Futures in Motion’s expansion to South Africa, the program can refine and strengthen support for organizations who bring a diversity of expertise, sporting disciplines, delivery models and community insight. Together, Hoops 4 Hope, Sentinel Ocean Alliance, training4changeS, New Balance Foundation, Beyond Sport and our FIM expert advisors can demonstrate how sport and physical activity can accelerate positive youth development in ways that reflect local needs—because there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” said Beyond Sport Executive Director, Fred Fikouhi-Turner.
Since 1995, Hoops 4 Hope (H4H) has run year-round FUNdamental basketball and life skills programs that empower youth through the spirit of Ubuntu - “I am because we are.” Working primarily in under-resourced Cape Flats communities, the organization provides safe spaces, trusted coaches and mentors and learning opportunities that nurture confidence, empathy, resilience and leadership. Its participants include youth directly affected by violence, trauma, poverty and social exclusion, with a focus on girls, young women and youth with disabilities. Programs combine physical and mental wellbeing activities with Youth Empowerment, Health & Wellness and Girls in Sport.
This grant will support H4H’s “7 Tools of an Ubuntu Champion” program in Nyanga, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Philippi, strengthening coach development, community delivery, global learning networks and long-term youth impact.
Since 2019, Sentinel Ocean Alliance (SOA) has offered ocean-based programs for young people excluded from mainstream sport due to poverty, disability and geography. Through adaptive surfing, ocean swimming and aquatic therapy it promotes inclusion, water safety, employability, social connections and wellbeing – particularly for Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN), girls and young women, youth from low-income households and those with limited opportunities to learn to swim.
This grant will support their “Indigo Programme – Inclusive Ocean Therapy” project in Hout Bay to improve water competence, emotional regulation, belonging and life skills for teenagers with disabilities and neurodevelopmental differences. Participants receive free weekly specialist coaching, door-to-door transport, adaptive equipment, meals and Makaton communication support for seven months of the school year. SOA will also develop an accredited methodology to share with like-minded organizations.
Since 2013, training4changeS (t4c) has combined healing-centred football and futsal programming with education assistance and mentorship for at-risk children and young people across Stellenbosch. Spanning socioeconomic divides across 10 municipal wards, it takes a particular focus on girls, youth impacted by violence and trauma, neurodiverse learners and young people with disabilities. Leveraging sport, t4c strengthens community connections, promotes wellbeing and empowers young changemakers.
This grant will support their “Community Re-Creation Program,” run in partnership with Courageous Care and Open Play Foundation. The initiative works to increase and sustain physical activity and confidence among girls and boys, support adapted futsal coaching at Dorothea Special School and create pathways into education, employment and leadership for 8–18-year-olds.
The Futures in Motion program was both developed and operates in close collaboration with in-country business leaders, consultants, advisory groups and subject matter experts to ensure both cultural and local relevancy.
“We’re thrilled to bring Futures in Motion to South Africa as New Balance Foundation continues to expand its impact around the world,” said Katharine Stewart, Country Business Leader, New Balance South Africa. “It’s especially meaningful to see this global commitment come to life through inspiring local organizations that know their communities and are creating brighter futures for young people through sport.”
The program seeks to expand in the coming years to continue helping to strengthen community organizations, ensuring their long-term sustainability and equipping young leaders to drive change. To learn more, visit beyondsport.org/futures-in-motion.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Karen Asare, Beyond Sport, press@beyondsport.org
Jacqueline Boas, New Balance Foundation, jacqueline.boas@newbalance.com
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About New Balance Foundation
Since 1981, New Balance Foundation has invested in proven pathways to help young people achieve their goals. Grantmaking focuses on community-led, outcomes-driven initiatives that promote access to sport, educational support, career readiness and overall well-being. They have granted over $200 million to date to trailblazing non-profits across the globe. This includes more than $29 million in donations to 115+ non-profits in 2026 alone.www.newbalancefoundation.org
About Beyond Sport
Beyond Sport is a global foundation that uses sport’s unique power to address the most critical social issues of our time. By championing people, programs and communities that are leveraging physical activity to build opportunity and equity, they are working to create a more inclusive and progressive world. Since 2008, Beyond Sport has raised over $30 million to promote sport for social change. To date, the foundation has granted over $21 million to 641 initiatives across 82 countries and 58 sports, in addition to vital capacity-building tools to support long-term impact. beyondsport.org