In 1999, Sport England (East Midland) began to increase their priory of sports development advice and programmes to the minority ethnic communities and other organisations involved with the ethnic minority communities, as a result of the national governmentís PAT 10 report.  In the same year Sport Englandís report also revealed that minority, ethnic communities did not have an equal access to sports opportunities and services at local levels within the East Midlands region.  It was also acknowledged within this report that specific measures were needed to address this trend.

Why Leicester?

Due to Leicesterís status, as having the most significant minority ethnic populations in the United Kingdom, the city was chosen as a showcase project that broadly seeks to increase opportunities for the minority communities to take part and excel in sport.

Project Aim is to:

"Ensure that Black and Ethnic Minority Communities are able to access sports/physical activity participation opportunities, including access to resources provided by Sport England and other agencies, and develop a more effective link between Black and Ethnic Minority Communities and the statutory and Voluntary sector sports providers/organisations in the city".

In April 2001, the project was formally launched in Leicester with the appointment of the Project Director Rakesh Chander-Nair.  Rakesh has now taken up the post of National Development Manager with Sporting Equals in partnership with the Commission for Racial Equality and Sport England.  The LRE&SP has successfully recruited Cheddi Gore (Project Manager) and Rekha Chudasama (Women & Girls Officer)