Barclays Spaces for Sports will once again play a pivotal role as a Global Partner to Beyond Sport, including a prominent presence at the Beyond Sport Summit 2011 taking place in South Africa later this year.

South Africa marks the third destination for the annual Summit following on from events in London and Chicago with Beyond Sport's global development mirroring the expansion of the Barclays Spaces for Sports programme into new territories.

Barclays Spaces for Sports is a community sports programme using sport to revitalise disadvantaged communities and tackle key social issues in countries around the world where Barclays operates.

It was launched in the UK in 2004 and has delivered 200 sustainable sports sites across the UK in partnership with the Football Foundation, giving more than half a million people in disadvantaged communities the opportunity to benefit.

Following its success in the UK the programme was extended globally in 2008, bringing the total commitment by Barclays to more than £37 million ($60 million).

Further sites and projects are already established in South Africa, the United States, the UK, Zambia, Spain and China with more to follow during 2011.

Kirk Harrison, Head - Barclays Spaces for Sports, said: "We are delighted to be renewing our partnership with Beyond Sport for a third year.

"We believe our global sport for development programme makes us ideally suited to partner Beyond Sport and to share and exchange knowledge in this developing field.

"We are particularly pleased this year's Summit will take place in South Africa where we launched our first site outside the UK in Gansbaai, Western Cape in 2008."

Added Nick Keller, Founder of Beyond Sport: "Barclays' investment in sport as a tool for social change is a first-class illustration of how the corporate world can engage in such activity and we are thrilled to work alongside such an organisation that leads by example.

"With the Beyond Sport Awards 2011 now open for entries, furthering our reach into new regions and communities, and plans for the Summit in South Africa taking place, we look forward to working ever more closely with Barclays Spaces for Sports over the coming months."

The Beyond Sport Summit is a unique event designed to celebrate, promote and drive forward the use of sport as a tool for positive social change. It brings together those who use sport as a vehicle to create social impact and influencers from the world of business, Government and federations whose attitudes and decisions can have substantial impact.

Attended by over 750 influential people from the world of sport and development, the 2010 event in Chicago also boasted an impressive line-up of speakers including Olympic legends Michael Johnson and Ian Thorpe; Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan and former South African soccer captain Lucas Radebe.

The Beyond Sport Awards are designed to recognise and reward the best sport and development projects from across the world on an annual basis.

The Awards incorporate 12 categories covering the entire sporting spectrum of health, social inclusion, corporate and social responsibility and philanthropy.

Last year, the Awards attracted entries from more than 400 projects, further extending the significant reach of the global initiative to over 200 countries and territories.

The Awards winners, unveiled at the Summit in Chicago, received a support package worth more than $1 million (£620,000).