Foundation of Light head to Durham Cricket to celebrate Together Through Sport campaign

A girls’ football team from the Foundation of Light headed to Durham Cricket’s Banks Homes Riverside Stadium for a day of sporting activity as part of the Together Through Sport campaign, a region-wide partnership using sport to break down barriers linked to child poverty.

The event brought together girls from across the North East to take part in a multi-sport festival hosted by Durham Cricket Foundation and delivered alongside Foundation of Light, Newcastle United Foundation, Newcastle Rugby Foundation and Eagles Community Foundation.

Throughout the day, participants had the opportunity to experience each sport through a range of taster sessions and games, showcasing the power of sport to bring people together and create opportunities for young people across the region.

Dr Charlotte Carpenter, Director of Skills, Inclusion & Public Service Reform at North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, said: “Today has been really fantastic. It’s been great to see such a large number of young people so enthusiastically take part.

“I really like the way that this has been designed around a number of taster sessions. We’ve seen young people participating in cricket, basketball, rugby and football. Some of these sports are likely new to a number of these children here and I can just see how much they are enjoying it.”

Andy Grant, Head of Sport and Wellbeing at the Foundation of Light, added: “It was fantastic to be part of an event that celebrated the strength of collaboration across the North East and the positive impact sport can have on young people.

“Our girls had a brilliant day trying new sports, developing new skills and building confidence in a supportive environment. Opportunities like these are so important, as sport can play a huge role in the personal development of young people.

“The Together Through Sport campaign has brought organisations across the region together with a shared goal of breaking down barriers to participation and ensuring more young people can access the benefits of sport. Durham Cricket Foundation delivered a fantastic event that really showcased the power of sport.”

The festival formed part of a wider matchday dedicated to tackling child poverty during Durham’s Vitality Blast double-header against Warwickshire Bears and Yorkshire, where the work of Durham Cricket Foundation and the Together Through Sport campaign was highlighted to supporters at Banks Homes Riverside.

Representatives from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, North East Housing Partnership and the five sporting foundations attended the event, reinforcing the shared commitment to ensuring more young people can access the opportunities that sport provides.

Dr Carpenter added: “Together Through Sport is an initiative designed to tackle the barriers that prevent children and young people participating in sport and physical activity, whether those barriers are due to cost, confidence or opportunities to get involved.

“Through the Child Poverty Action Plan we’re working with the sports foundations within the region and the North East Housing Partnership to create lots more opportunities for families, irrespective of their income levels, the barriers they might face, or their backgrounds, to participate free of charge in really fun sporting activities like this event.”

Together Through Sport was launched alongside North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and aims to ensure more young people can benefit from free activities, community programmes and safe spaces through sport, regardless of their background or circumstances.