Inner city women’s cricket bags award
As England take on South Africa at the Oval this weekend, a few miles East an Olympic legacy project has been honoured after getting dozens of young woman into cricket.
Back to Cricket has brought cricket into the heart of Tower Hamlets, with bespoke cricket sessions for young Bangladeshi Muslim women who requested women-only sessions.
It’s part of Sport England’s Sportivate Olympic and Paralympic legacy initiative, whichgives 14- to 25-year-olds a chance to try different sports.
More than 25 young women have attended each of the weekly sessions, with Middlesex Cricket Board ensuring a Bangladeshi-speaking female coach was on hand to support those for whom English is a second language.
Teenager Shamima who lives in Poplar, Tower Hamlets, said: “I like it because cricket is a fun game and there is a nice group here. The environment is really good and I have made lots of friends. I really enjoy it.”
Cumbria’s young people CanDance
A legacy project in Cumbria has been named as the best in the North West after inspiring young people to get into dance.
CanDance was created after a consultation revealed a lack of inclusive dance opportunities in Cumbria for young people with learning disabilities such as autism. Lynn Fade, Project Organiser said: “We wanted to make dance available to young people who face the most barriers to participation. Dance is the perfect activity because it’s non-competitive, sociable, and other people can see the result of your efforts. Everyone involved in the CanDance project has really worked hard and enjoyed themselves.”
CanDance created six new inclusive youth dance groups, one in each of Cumbria’s districts, as part of Sport England’s Sportivate Olympic and Paralympic legacy initiative. Sportivate gives 14- to 25-year-olds who weren’t active in their own time, the chance to find a sport they enjoy.
The award was handed over by Paralympic basketballer, Dan Highcock, who is one of a team of Sporting Champions. He said: “Discovering sport as a teenager totally transformed my life, so it’s fantastic to see how CanDance is changing the lives of young people in Cumbria.”
Image credit: SportEngland
Youngsters hit the water in Buckinghamshire
As Team GB rowers prepare to go for gold at Eton Dorney, a few miles away in Marlow a community rowing club are already celebrating after winning a Olympic-inspired legacy award. Rowing in 2012 worked with local schools, colleges, young offender institutions and disability support groups, to provide young people with six weeks of rowing coaching. It’s recently been named as a Sportivate project of the year.
Rebecca McGowan, one of the first young people to take advantage of the courses at Longridge, said: “I’d never really thought about rowing before I saw the Sportivate courses advertised at school and thought I would give it a try as I’d been thinking I should do more sport.”
The project forms part of a Sport England campaign to get more 14- to 25-year-olds playing sport. Thousands of youngsters across the South East have already benefited from a range of Sportivate courses offering a taste of different sports.
