On Thursday 20^th June, 280 children from eight local schools, volunteers, sports coaches and residents from across Tower Hamlets came together to take part in a multi-sport festival at Poplar Baths and Leisure Centre.

In a community first, Tower Hamlets Housing Forum, Swan Housing, One Housing, East End Homes, Southern Housing, Gateway Housing, The Guinness Partnership, Morgan Stanley and Hammerson united to help children and local people thrive through sport.

The day kicked off with an epic cheer tunnel and the children then participated in sports sessions ran by local coaches including boxing, netball, boccia, karate, street dance and volleyball some of which were tried out for the very first time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The festival was also an opportunity for the Housing Associations to involve the wider community and tackle social isolation. Community team spirit was a key part of the day with teams having huge team banners and getting involved in chants and cheering. Everyone had the opportunity to watch a karate showcase by local coach Indran Tanabalan who performed a routine to inspire the children to keep healthy and active.

Local MP Jim Fitzpatrick attended the Community Games and stated:

“It was fantastic to see so many children finding joy in sport and learning new skills, and being supported and cheered on by so many enthusiastic volunteers from corporate and housing association partners. The involvement of these partners is so important, using the power of employee volunteering to enrich local communities. Programmes such as this strengthen the bonds of our community whilst encouraging the next generation to lead more active, healthier lives."

We also had the pleasure of special guest Councillor Sabina Akhtar attending the event to present the winning teams with the Team Spirit and Competition Cups!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A huge thank you to our eight partners for this incredible opportunity for the children and young people of Tower Hamlets. SportInspired and the partners will now work together to create lasting impact by setting up legacy sports club for each school year group so children can continue ongoing sports participation.