Sported – the charity which supports community sports clubs – has partnered with soft drinks giant Britvic to increase its volunteer support and fundraising initiatives.

Funding and volunteer support from Britvic will allow Sported to extend its services to more community groups that offer sporting opportunities to disadvantaged young people.

While Sported declined to reveal the level of Britvic’s investment, the level of funding is likely to be in the region of the £100,000 (US$140,693, €123,445) it raised for Cancer Research as a corporate partner over a three-year period.

“Our members use the power of sport to turn around the lives of some of the most vulnerable young people in our society,” said Sported chief executive Chris Grant. “With the support of Britvic and its employees we can make sure these important assets in our communities remain and thrive long into the future.”

Sported supports more than 3,000 local sports groups across the UK, engaging 450,000 young people with 100 different sporting activities.

Seperately, Britvic – which owns fizzy drinks brands Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, 7Up and Tango – has also partnered with The Wildlife Trust.

Alison Rothnie, senior sustainability manager at Britvic, said: “We are determined to make a positive contribution to society more broadly and partnering with Sported and The Wildlife Trust supports our ambition to encourage people to lead healthier and more active lifestyle as well as protecting the environment for posterity.”