Taylor Wimpey in Barking helps inspire pupils
Schoolchildren enjoy a day of sport thanks to sponsorship from Taylor Wimpey, the housebuilder creating the Academy Central development of new houses and flats in Barking.
About 400 pupils from the Sydney Russell School in Dagenham and the Barking Abbey school in Barking took part in a variety of sporting activities during the hugely successful SportInspired Community Games held at Mayesbrook Park, Barking, on Thursday 16th September.
The Community Games, hosted in association with Taylor Wimpey and Academy Central partners L&Q and run by dozens of ‘young leaders’, aimed to give youngsters the chance to participate in sports they may never have experienced, as well as building team spirit and promoting clubs in the local community.
Taylor Wimpey and L&Q are breathing new life into the area through their transformation of the former University of East London campus into Academy Central, a community of stylish apartments and family houses for sale in Barking.
Michael O’Leary, Regional Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey, says: “Taylor Wimpey is committed to supporting local communities and, together with our partners L&Q, we are working hard to build strong relationships with Barking and Dagenham alongside creating much-needed, high-quality homes in Barking through our exciting new Academy Central development.”
“We are privileged to have been involved with this inspirational event, and it was fantastic to see so many young people getting out and enjoying such a wide variety of activities.
Teams of Year 7 pupils faced each other in gymnastics, beach volleyball, hockey, karate, canoeing and boccia events – along with old favourites including football, netball and touch rugby.
The winning team from each school received a trophy at the end of the fun-filled day, with every youngster awarded a medal for taking part, and one of the teams from the Sydney Russell School were presented with a special prize for team spirit, voted for by the organisers.
Elaine Burgess, Partnership Development Manager of the Barking and Dagenham School Sports Partnership, says: “It was a fantastic opportunity for our young leaders to practise their leadership skills in such a big event and, as it was so early in the term, it was also a really good opportunity for the Year 7s, who’ve just come up from primary school, to get to know each other.
“Not only was it a good team-building exercise, it was also a very active day. The children were able to try a really good range of sports and activities, from BMX biking and kickboxing, to netball, football and hockey – and there were lots of smiling faces all round.”
Thanks to a generous donation from Taylor Wimpey and L&Q, social enterprise group SportInspired hosted the Community Games to encourage youngsters and adults to enjoy organised sporting activities in their local area.
The event was run by about 60 young leaders, plus community-based volunteers and members of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council, including council leader Liam Smith, who coached the touch rugby event.
Participating groups included Dagenham Rugby Club, New Cambell Netball Club, London Black Belt Academy, Kaizen Ryu Karate Do, Plashet Hockey Club, Barking and Dagenham BMX Club, Barking Ladies and Euro Dagenham football clubs, Barking and Dagenham Canoe Club, and London Beach Volleyball Club.
Many youngsters took the opportunity to join one of the local clubs after enjoying trying out their sports.
Homes at Academy Central are designed to be up to 25% more energy efficient than properties built just three years ago, while the majority of homes feature ‘green roofs’ which help improve air quality, provide natural insulation and promote biodiversity.
More information about the new homes at Academy Central is available by visiting the Sales Centre, located off Longbridge Road, Barking, and open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5.30pm.
