Peterborough firm donates £14,000 to help more than 1,000 city youngsters stay active

Peterborough based charity Sports Connection Foundation has been given the money by BGL’s Empower, Pledge, Donate campaign.

The BGL donation will go towards supporting the launch and successful operation of the charity’s newest programme Inspire through Inclusion. With more than 3.9 million children living in poverty in the UK, Inspire through Inclusion focuses on raising aspirations by running activities and mentoring sessions for children in underprivileged areas which includes positive play, therapeutic intervention, life skills coaching, as well as providing exit routes for young people.

The money from BGL will directly help to fund a youth worker/play specialist for a 12-month programme that aims to engage more than 1,000 young people in the Peterborough area. The donation will also help to cover costs for training, activities, travel, special visits, equipment, literature, communications support and will help to fund the Friday Night Project in Hampton, which alone engages 30-50 young people every week.

Sports Connection Foundation was set up by former professional footballer Junior McDougald, with the aim of using sport to inspire young people. The charity runs various sports-related programmes including; granting Sporting Wishes for children facing life-threatening illnesses, a ProKick Schools Challenge, designed to build self-esteem, confidence and resilience while also educating children about global citizenship, health and wellbeing. The charity also has an International Schools Programme in West Africa.

Junior said: “Our charity has just celebrated its 10th anniversary and I’m extremely proud of the work we have done during that time but there is so much more to do. We are totally committed to ensuring young people get the support they desperately need, giving opportunities and access to the exit routes which we know are even more important during tough times. Like so many charities this year, our work has been sadly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which is why the amazing BGL donation could not have come at a more crucial time.

“The first nationwide lockdown hit many of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people hard, resulting in a sharp increase in mental health issues, particularly in areas of extreme deprivation like where I grew up, so I could really identify with and understand the struggles that families and communities were facing. There is now an even greater dependency on charities like ours which is why I cannot put into words just how grateful we are to BGL. We simply would not be able to help and inspire young people, providing hope for their futures, without the help from incredible companies like the BGL Group. Our work has always been important but never, in my opinion, more so than today.”