The Summer of Space continued with scores of youngsters taking part in a basketball tournament in Stoke backed by Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Ellis.
The popular tournament was attended by over 40 young people at the Excel Academy and was co-ordinated by Together We Make a Difference (TWMAD) to encourage young people to have fun through sports.
Space was originally an activities scheme led by police in Staffordshire during the 80’s and 90’s aimed at engaging with young people. The new version of Space, coordinated by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, has now been refreshed and updated.
Mr Ellis has pledged up to £140,000 to fund activities with an aim to increase skills, improve health and general wellbeing by creating opportunities for young people to engage positively. Activities in Stoke include football, dancing, music and DJing.
The Space programme which will finish on Friday 4 September is aimed at 11-17 year olds and will offer a wide range of events and activities across Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding areas.
Mr Ellis said: “The basketball session was a great turnout and it was amazing to see a great bunch of young people involved and enjoying it.
“As one of the coaches said, it’s not just about sport it’s about respect and respecting the community and that’s what the Space scheme is about.”
Trevor Molloy, founder of TWMAD, said: “Investing time in the youth of tomorrow through sports and learning is very important. We try and focus on the fun aspect of sport and also understanding the game of basketball.
“We have grown rapidly and the kids love attending. The basketball sessions are a great success and we want to evolve and continue to make it open to all.”
More information, including a calendar of events is available at www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/space.
To watch the video of the activity visit https://youtu.be/vdfSlVj5DW4.
