As we soak up the glory of the Lionesses and get engrossed in the Commonwealth Games I’d like to share a story of sporting success from closer to home…
Since April, Hunslet Initiative has been running free weekly sports sessions every Tuesday for local children and teenagers – the first session takes place on Grove Road field (next to St Mary’s school) at school finishing time. The team (& equipment!) then moves up the hill for a session on West Grange MUGA in Belle Isle.
Over 50 children have taken part in the sessions over the term bringing big smiles, enthusiasm, determination and great sporting skill. It has been wonderful to see young people coming together with friends (old and new), enjoying being outdoors in the sunshine and getting active – all of which are particularly important following two years affected by the pandemic.
We have enjoyed traditional sports such as football, rugby and rounders but the kids have also embraced new challenges – having a go at cricket, basketball, tennis, badminton, volleyball, Frisbee and footgolf! All the children have developed their skills with some showing some real natural ability. As a celebration of the success of the project so far and to thank the youngsters for their participation we took two trips to Laser Quest. We had great fun and the attitude and behaviour of the kids was outstanding.
Activities will continue in August on a slightly reduced programme. Sessions will take place on 9th, 16th & 23rd August. Weekly sessions will return in September and we are already exploring options for October onwards as the weather turns and days shorten.
The activities give young people of all ages, abilities and experiences a chance to take part in fun sports activities in the heart of their community. We are use public spaces within walking distance of local homes making them as accessible as possible.
There is no cost to take part. Please drop in any time and give it a go!
This project is made possible by the support of both Pears Youth Trust and Flint Family Fund managed by Leeds Community Foundation. We are grateful for the generousity of both funders and the ongoing supppot of Leeds Community Foundation.
The Hunslet Initiative has over 15 years experience delivering a range of activities and events for children and young people across Hunslet and Belle Isle and are excited for this new project.
To find out more about this project or the ongoing work of the Hunslet Initative please contact Ben Hutchinson on 07419 366 058 or visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/thehunsletinitiative.
These sports activities will give youngsters a chance to get active, make new friends, improve their mental health and hopefully inspire ongoing sporting participants!
We will provide a wide range of sports, encouraging participants to develop their skills in sports they know but also experiment with trying new sports. Sports available throughout the summer will include football, rugby, basketball, netball, cricket, rounders, volleyball, tennis, badminton, skipping and athletics.
Who knows, perhaps we will discover a future sporting champion?
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