It isn’t just the large sports teams with glistening visibilities and deep financial pockets that reach the billions that are helping to support communities both nationally and internationally, the charitable assistance filters down to even the smallest local sports teams too.
Understanding the context
Sports have an amazing, unique way of making a positive impact in society. It’s an area where those who, despite disagreeing on cultures or coming from various backgrounds, can connect on an emotional level through the mutual love of the game, be it Football, Tennis or Basketball.
The effectiveness of sport is that it brings communities together, often having a social and/or cultural impact such as bringing in capital, reduces anti-social behavior and indirectly, instills a sense of discipline in the younger generations.
Regular involvement in sport and the addition of community engagement in this capacity can lead to more sustainable communities with local pride and a sense of belonging. Sport isn’t about winning, it’s about building stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.
Education
Newcastle Eagles, a British Basketball team in Newcastle, and subsequently the most successful team in the league’s history, have strong links with local education. Their affiliation with award-winning Newcastle College has seen a higher presence of sport at the college. The unique partnership also gave opportunity to Cookery students, allowing them to cater for the very first Eagles game in their new stadium in 2019, a challenging yet rewarding experience and something that will stand out on any aspiring CV.
Eagles’ owner, Paul Blake said: “Having worked alongside Newcastle College and their fantastic staff and students for many years now I have no doubt that our catering is in the safest of hands. As the name of our new venue suggests we are determined to sit at the very heart of the local community, and it makes absolute sense to work with our friends and neighbours down the road.”
Most university-based research in this field has found proven positive links between an individual’s physical activity participation and their academic achievement. Scientifically, exercise can increase levels of a brain growth factor, and simultaneously increases blood flow to the brain.
The inclusion of sport in colleges goes beyond this too, with a new study finding that sports can have a huge impact on employment later down the line for many that pick it up when they’re younger. According to the study, young people who took part in regular sporting activities at school had a better career outlook and performed better in their jobs later in life.
Changing lives
The Foundation of Light is a charity from the North East that aims to improve the local lives through the power of football. Since 2001, the sporting charity, that is structurally and financially independent of Sunderland Football Club to which its name is inspired from, has won multiple awards for their ground-breaking sports, health community and education programmes. Each year they raise roughly £4 million every year to help those in need, making them one of the most pioneering sports charities in the world.
Sustainable environment
Sports groups are also indirectly helping local communities by taking part in large “clean-up” events, which sees a collective group of individuals that are enthusiastic about a particular sport, come together to remove litter from the streets or the oceans.
Reinforcing the theme of togetherness that comes from sport, the Surfers Against Sewage charity aims to inspire, unite and empowers communities across the country to take action to protect ocean, beaches, waves and wildlife.
It deals with a range of marine conversation issues form marine litter to climate change, although more recently the main focus is plastic pollution. These are instances where it goes just beyond the sport that started it all, it’s about people helping other people either directly or indirectly.
Sources
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2347988-12-ways-sports-make-a-positiveimpact#slide0
https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/partnering-local-government/scenarios/how-does-sport-bring-communities-together/
https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/pro-sports-teams-use-their-high-profile-to-give-back-to-communities
