This summer, The Coalfields Regeneration Trust and The Well Project forged a partnership to create some new park pop up football sessions in Normanton. These sessions delivered through ‘the Trusts’ Game On England community sport programme looked to replicated the success of their existing delivery taking place across former mining communities in Yorkshire and the East Midlands but for the first time in Game On history the sessions were delivered for only a fixed 10 week period over the summer in a more informal park setting.

The free sessions were held at The Well Project, Haw Hill Park, Normanton as a way of providing more opportunities throughout the summer for young people in a high priority area to engage in sport and physical activity. This shortened delivery period allowed for the programme to expand their reach to a community they traditionally would not have had delivered in, with a floodlight facility required for delivery to take place all year round. In total over 200 young children and young people between 5 & 17 accessed the provision offered. They included a weekly evening turn up and play session and a weekly Sport and Snack session, which were delivered as part of The Well Projects ‘Brunch Club’, with the children and young people receiving free pack lunches, along with the opportunity take part in the fun free sport and activity sessions.

Thanks to the success of the summer sessions and the ongoing partnership with The Well Project, a community-centred charity based in Normanton, a new Walking Football group for over 50s has been created to provide support, exercise and social enrichment.

“The park pop up’s were a great way to introduce new areas to the work that Game On England is doing across Yorkshire and the East Midlands. So often due to the nature of the programme in the past we have only been able to deliver in communities with facilities appropriate for us to be able to deliver all year round. We don’t want this to be and a barrier to young people accessing our provision. Being able to offer holiday specific provision is a great way for us to engage more young people in positive activities that they may not have had access to otherwise. It’s a model we hope to replicate in Normanton and in some of our other communities next summer.” Alex Hobson, Development Officer, Game On England.

To find out more about Game On England programme, please click here