Sport in the Community

Hunslet Initiative aims to bring about positive change in the lives of children, teens and young adults. They build bridges in the community, invest in the well being of children, young people and their families and empower them to reach their potential. They received a grant of £3,430 from Flint Family Fund to deliver sport in the community.

Can you tell us a bit about Hunslet Initiative? 

Hunslet Initiative has been working with children, teens & families in Hunslet & Belle Isle for over 15 years. We’ve delivered a variety of clubs, groups, detached work, sports activities/teams, mentoring, young leader development and enjoyed an eclectic array of trips & events. We are proud to be small –  focusing on quality over quantity –  and are passionate about making a difference however we can.
 

What did your Flint Family Fund grant enable you to do? 

During Spring & Summer we hosted weekly informal sports sessions in the heart of the Hunslet community engaging local children and young in positive physical activity, broadening their horizons to a variety of sports and raising their aspirations and ability for ongoing sporting involvement. We were blessed with sunshine at almost every session and engaged over 50 children throughout the project – over 30 of which have attended most weeks.  

Our team facilitated a football match that was popular with a bulk of participants but alongside that have provided a range of games, activities and coaching to other participants. We have particularly enjoyed experimenting with less mainstream sports such as volleyball, frisbee, footgolf, badminton and tennis.
 

Can you tell us about the impact of what you do on the people you work with? 

It was brilliant to provide an environment for those already keen on sport to play in a safe, fair and positive way. It was also fantastic to work with some of the participants who were less “sporty” – due to age, ability, experience or personality. They enjoyed the activities and took part with big smiles and great enthusiasm.  

Alongside the physical and sporting improvements there were also social benefits. Sport brought together young people from across the community and reflected different ages, schools, ethnicities and cultures. Despite the amount of participants people generally took part in a respectful way with only occasional flashpoints which were quickly resolved.
 

What are some of the biggest challenges you face as an organisation? 

As a small(ish) organisation it can be a challenge to align the needs of the community, our hopes & dreams and the capacity we have. We are proud of the work we do and strive to do the best we can. The pandemic was really hard for us… Despite our track record of over 15 years working with this community we were hit hard by the pandemic and the journey to emerge and reestablish ourselves over the last 18 months has been a real slog. In truth it has been quite demoralising. The activities this spring and summer have been a great encouragement to us.
 

How is your organisation preparing for the future, and what kind of funding is needed? 

Over the years our projects and activities have evolved and been shaped by the needs of the community and we’ve embraced the opportunities that we encounter. Looking ahead we hope to do the same and continue to be an effective part of this community. Funding continues to be complicated and this has led to a decrease in paid work within the project. We’ve been blessed with the emergence of some fantastic local volunteers – we’d love for funding to nurture these community leaders to secure the vision of the project in to the future.