£124k grant to help youth

BY NEWS REPORTER
shuz@slpmedia.co.uk

Young people living in deprived neighbourhoods in Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham are set to benefit from a £124,322 grant, aimed at enabling them to make a difference in their community through sport and social action.

London-based charity Active Communities Network (ACN) received the money from Sport England and the #iwill Fund, an initiative made possible thanks to joint funding from the Government and the Big Lottery Fund, using money raised by National Lottery players.

ACN, which uses sport as a pathway into education, training and employment, operates across the UK and internationally, but its roots lie in South London.

Oliur Rahman, London programme manager for Active Communities Network, said: “Southwark and Lambeth are where it all began for us, so the impact this grant will have is especially close to our hearts. Over the past 10 years, in Southwark alone, we have helped more than 33,000 young people, amounting to virtually 73,000 engagement hours.

“Increasingly we are finding these young people are eager to give something back. This funding will help us launch a new project in South London which harnesses their enthusiasm and puts social action at the forefront of what we’re currently doing.

“We can create a new generation of volunteers who are eager and willing to make a difference in communities where social deprivation is high.

“We are very grateful to Sport England, the #iwill Fund and National Lottery players for this opportunity.”

ACN is one of 32 organisations in which Sport England is investing more than £4million between now and 2021.

“Phil Smith, Director of Sport at Sport England, said: “Through social action young people can help others get active and benefit themselves in lots of ways; social action can do wonders for job and career prospects, mental health and making friends.  That’s why volunteering and social action is a key part of Sport England’s new strategy, Towards an Active Nation.

“We’re delighted to be helping Active Communities Network enable more young people to be the catalysts for change in their neighbourhood.”