Inspire Through Sport
Latest on our Inspire Through Sport programme
This year will see SCF working even harder and through important collaborations with schools, councils and corporate partnerships who are equally passionate and determined to tackle the ever-growing challenges our children and young people were already facing but have now been intensified due to the impact of the COVID pandemic.
With over 4.1 million children across the UK now living in poverty and battling social deprivation, increased levels of anxiety and depression that have risen significantly and the plight of hunger amongst children during school holidays now commonplace. That's 31% of children, or nine in a classroom of 30.
We will be utilising our team to deliver our Inspire Through Sport programmes in different regions across the UK, beginning again in areas that will include Peterborough, Huntingdon, Cambridge and Essex. We’re really looking forward to providing exciting opportunities, enrichment activities as well as providing digital online support through new partnerships as we look to create new ways to improve the health and wellbeing of our children and young people who need our support more than ever before.
SCF National Lottery Grant
Sports Connections Foundation receives £10k National Lottery grant to support school children across Basildon
We’re delighted that we have secured a £10,000 grant from the National Lottery Fund which will be used to support hundreds of school children across Basildon in Essex.
From September, we will partner with the CRESCO Multi Academy Trust to offer important mentoring and sports programmes to pupils. A key aim of the programme will be to help reduce the long-term impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent national lockdowns have had on students, with
research suggesting that children and young people in some areas of the UK have felt increasingly isolated and displaced over the course of the past year.
The activity sessions and mentoring programmes will help to build self-esteem, resilience and confidence, with children encouraged to develop new skills while at the same time identifying and working towards their personal goals.
Damian Pye, CEO of CRESCO Multi Academy Trust, said: “Within the town of Basildon are areas and schools where a high percentage of the pupils come from disadvantaged families. The grant will help benefit the children of these families enormously, whose issues have unfortunately been compounded by the recent pandemic and lockdown periods.
SCF will now be able to provide memorable experiences for children that simply would not have otherwise had access to these opportunities.”
Welcome to our New Ambassador
SCF welcome professional explorer Justin Miles as a new ambassador
Justin is a professional adventurer, explorer and author who has been on an incredible and inspirational journey. After suffering brain injuries from a life-changing car accident that left him having to learn to walk and talk again, Justin overcame many mental and physical hurdles, and persevered through failures and setbacks to achieve his childhood dream of becoming an explorer.
Justin’s adventures have taken him all over the globe and has used these experiences and personal battles to help others with skills such as leadership, motivation, personal development and maintaining positivity through adversity.
Justin said: “SCF is a brilliant charity that runs incredible projects and programmes to support many children and young people. The charity’s work aligns with my own beliefs particularly through encouraging children to get outside, be active, and challenge themselves to chase their dreams. I am looking forward to working with SCF.”
lnspire Through Sport Presentation
Before the summer term ended a year 5 pupil from Great Berry Primary was presented with a pair of signed football boots donated by our ambassador Gwion Edwards. The 10 year old was thrilled when he was presented with the boots and a thank you card as acknowledgement of his own resilience shown during lockdown. He had taken part in a Q&A session earlier this year with Gwion.
The session, led by Gwion, was organised as part of our Inspire Through Sport mentoring programmes, and the pupils were encouraged to talk about how they have shown resilience throughout lockdown, and they were praised for working so hard during this difficult time, as well as exploring aspirations that they have for the future.
Volunteering Opportunities
We have a wide range of volunteering opportunities available and being a small charity, our team of volunteers are invaluable, providing
support and expertise to enable us to deliver our
programmes and allow the smooth running of the charity. Applicants must be UK residents and over 18 years old. Our current roles can be found at: www.scfchildrenscharity.org.uk/volunteer
Pro Kick Schools Challenge
The ProKick Schools Challenge is back!
We’re thrilled at the anticipation of being able to deliver one of the most exciting and FREE school initiatives across the country from the start of the new academic year.
So far, we’ve have engaged with an incredible 550,000 children across the UK but after a long and tough period of having to postpone events due to the COVID pandemic and closure of schools, we are thrilled once again to be able to offer schools the opportunity to take part.
If you are a teacher or member of a PTA, you can now reserve your dream dates for your assemblies and events by simply contacting info@scfchildrenscharity.org.uk or call us on: 01733 390337. If you are a parent whose school doesn’t currently participate, we would be delighted to provide you with more details about the benefits and the joint fundraising opportunity so that you can help to raise vital funds for both SCF and your school.
Thank you Wilcie
We would like to say a huge thank you to Willow and Macie Chillingworth from Wilcie for raising £411 for us.
The online clothing business created by the two schoolgirls, who are just 8 and 11 years old.
The sisters, from Cambridgeshire, created the online retailer during the first national lockdown, initially selling hoodies featuring their own designs, before expanding out and creating rainbow ‘hats of hope’, footballs ‘ball of hope’ and candles ‘flame of hope’.
When the girls launched Wilcie, they decided they wanted to give something back to the local community from the profits and chose to partner with us and donate 25% of their profits. You can visit their website at www.wilcie.com
2021 Charity Events
SCF 2021 Skydive
Our next skydive will take place on Sunday 5th September 2021 at Sibson Airfield, Peterborough.
If you are unable to attend or would like to look at a different location please contact us for alternative options.
The minimum age for participation is 16. Please visit: http://ukparachuting.co.uk/terms/ for height and weight limits. Registration is £50 and we ask you to pledge to raise £400 in sponsorship for SCF.
Cycle With Us
Be part of the first London to Torquay Cycle Challenge on 24-26 September 2021, one of our new cycle challenges. Register for your place while you can as they are going fast! The route will take you through some of the most picturesque English countryside’s and historic towns.
This challenge is perfect for cyclists of all abilities. Be part of one of the most amazing cycle challenges by getting your place on the next London to Paris Cycle,
16 - 18 June 2022.
Perfect for cyclists of all abilities, this challenge will take you along an iconic route through England and France.
Cambridge Half Marathon
Join us on Sunday 17th October 2021 for the 9th Cambridge Half Marathon. Run through the historic University City and take in some of the best sites from across the City of Cambridge including the Round Church, King’s College and the Fitzwilliam Museum. Registration is £20 and we ask that you pledge to raise a minimum sponsorship of £280. You will need to be 17 years old on or before the event date.
SCF Takes to the Skies
On Sunday 23rd May 2021, 7 amazingly brave supporters took to the sky to take part in our first charity skydive.
Only 1 out of the 7 had taken part in a skydive before, and they were all due to jump out of an aircraft at 15,000 feet and plunge down to earth at speeds of over 120 mph to support children and young people who are disadvantaged, vulnerable and poverty stricken or living with life-limiting illnesses.
“It was a fantastic experience, the free fall was slightly nerve racking but the view after that, more than made up for it. I’d do it again any day and I’d recommend it to anyone”. Beth Barwell, Saffery Champness. We would like to thank everyone who took part in the event, your support and bravery is very much appreciated.
Our next skydive will be taking place at Sibson Airfield, Peterborough on Sunday 5th September. If you would like to find out more visit: scfchildrenscharity.org.uk/events
Ways to Support Us
AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy exactly the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on amazon.co.uk. The difference is that when you shop at smile.amazon.co.uk, AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of the net purchase price (excluding VAT, returns and shipping fees) of eligible purchases to Sports Connections Foundation. How to sign up:
1. Visit smile.amazon.co.uk
2. Search for Sports Connections Foundation
3. Select us and start shopping.
We are now registered with easyfundraising, which means you can raise FREE donations for us every time you shop online.
Over 4,000 shops and sites will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself! donations really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so we’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. It’s completely FREE and only takes a moment visit:
www.scfchildrenscharity.org.uk/as-you-shop to find out more.
Recycle for us
We partner with Recycle for Good and we are able to raise money and help the environment by collecting stamps, foreign and old coins, printer cartridges, jewellery and watches, games, consoles and tablets, old camera equipment and mobile phones. Contact Karen for more details on these initiatives.
Payroll Giving
Payroll Giving or Give As You Earn enables you to make donations direct from your salary, giving you immediate tax relief – so if you opt to give £10 it will only cost you £8. It’s a convenient way to support us regularly and make a difference every month without lifting a finger.
To find out more please visit: www.scfchildrenscharity.org.uk/payroll-giving
How your Money can help!
£10 Could help towards the cost of our Orphanage and Nursery in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
£25 Could help with mentoring to develop a positive future for a disadvantaged child or young person.
£50 Could help to fund a Sporting Wish for a child facing a life-threatening illness.
Newsletter
You can also sign up for our newsletter on our website. If you would like any additional help with fundraising or have any questions about our events please contact us. We can provide you with all of the materials and advice needed. We look forward to sharing your fundraising activities in our future newsletters.
For more details please contact Karen at: karen@scfchildrenscharity.org.uk or contact us on: 01733 390337
Registered Charity Number 1133694 / Company Registration No. 07027448 (England and Wales)