Commonwealth Games Festivals Focus on Youth
April 1, 2022
London Youth Games (LYG), an annual multi-sport event to drive participation and community sport, is hosting a new series of Commonwealth Legacy festivals for young people. With just four months until the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the LYG festivals aim to inspire the next generation of children and young people to get active and "fall in love with sport."
Though they haven't fallen further, youth activity levels in England remain down compared to pre-pandemic data. From 2020 to 2021, 44.6% of children and young people aged 5-16 took part in sport and physical activity for an average of 60 minutes or more every day. This is lower than 2018 to 2019, which was the last academic year unaffected by the pandemic.
The festivals are being funded by Sport England’s £2 million investment into the School Games legacy project as a key part of its Commonwealth Games legacy. Youth Sport Trust, a UK charity committed to improving every young person’s education and development through sport and play, is co-leading the project through the existing England-wide School Games network that includes 450 School Games Organisers (SGOs) and 41 Active Partnerships, LYG.
LYG is a registered UK sports charity that promotes physical activity across all 32 London boroughs and 30 different sports. Over the last three years, it has reached 361,000 young Londoners, out of which, 43% were BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) and 59% were girls. The first of the three scheduled festivals took place March 22 at Redbridge Sports Centre where 800 children competed in netball, indoor athletics and football.
“We’re thrilled to welcome young people from diverse backgrounds to take part in Commonwealth Games legacy festivals and give more young people the chance to try and enjoy a range of sports. We believe sport is a right for all, so we’re delighted that Sport England has provided funding to turn inspiration into participation and to help reach more young people facing disadvantage,” said Andy Dalby-Welsh, LYG’s chief executive.
According to research conducted by Youth Sport Trust, large sporting events help motivate and inspire young people. 71% of young people who watched the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games agree feeling inspired to work hard and 28% agree it made them want to try a new sport.
Since launching in 1977, LYG has continually driven participation in school and community sport in London and is rooted in its history. With events stretching back decades, they have featured some of the most influential figures in British sport, including British royalty, senior political figures and over 1.5 million Londoners.
These festivals, which feature a wide array of sports from ultimate frisbee to golf, want children to be motivated by others competing, while also creating a feeling of being part of Commonwealth Games celebrations. Organizations delivering the sessions range from Dallaglio Rugby Works to Limehouse Boxing Academy which are encouraging young people to enjoy taster sessions at their local clubs.
SGOs and Active Partnerships will work together locally to bring to life the vision and mission of Birmingham 2022 through a series of engaging and accessible opportunities and events for school-aged children and youth. The project has a clear focus on using the profile of Birmingham 2022 to tackle inequalities and to give young people a positive experience of sport and physical activity.
Lola, a student from Barking and Dagenham shared her enjoyment of the Redbridge festival, stating that it was a “great opportunity to learn sports I hadn’t done before.” Additionally, Sumayyah Maayuf, a Newham PE Teacher said: “We find there are not as many opportunities for kids who are keen but not quite competitive enough to play sport outside of school. So, we’ve tried to get kids involved today who usually get those chance to go out and take part in sports and they’ve really enjoyed it.”