Cannock activities continue to be a knockout success with youngsters as part of Space 2016.
Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis visited the football, dodgeball, bootcamp and archery session in Cannock Park during the fourth week of the summer holiday Space programme.
He saw dozens of young people having a go at archery, taking part in football matches and coaching and playing ‘It’s a Knock Out’. A video of the visit can be seen at https://youtu.be/PQlQhBznm3M
Bal Sing, from Achieving Goalz and Dreams, said: “We’re here in all the parks putting on different activities from football, dodgeball to some safe archery and we have inflatables as well. We try and get all the different areas involved, so kids are coming and joining in, playing different games and competitions from Cannock or Pye Green Stadium and Hednesford over to Rugeley.
“It’s going really well and we are really grateful that Matthew Ellis has supported us. It’s very well attended and we’re hoping we can keep getting the support and keep growing it bigger and bigger.”
Mr Ellis said: “I’m delighted to be at another Space event in Cannock. What a tremendous event this is! I’ve been talking to a couple of youngsters who by their own admission, were a little bit naughty, but they have got involved in sport with Bal and his organisation and they’ve grown in confidence and they are absolutely on the right track. This is what Space is all about. It’s been a superb day, congratulations to everyone here.”
Space was originally an activities scheme led by police in Staffordshire aimed at engaging young people before it stopped in the 1990s. Space 2016, co-ordinated by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, is aimed at increasing skills, improving health and wellbeing, and creating opportunities for young people aged 11 and 17 to take part in positive activities to make communities safer.
Ellis Preece, a 12 year-old attending the Cannock activity, said: “I’ve enjoyed it here because I’ve made loads of new friends, it’s a good summer camp and I’ve enjoyed it because there’s been loads of people and loads of games to play.”
Over the summer holidays 3,100 individual indoor and outdoor activities – many of them free of charge – are on offer including archery, tobogganing, ice-skating, swimming, boxing, arts and crafts, wildlife, ten-pin bowling, den building, drama, DJ mixing, dodgeball, fishing, football, gymnastics, kayaking, military challenge, movies, skating, music, photography, street dance, tennis, wheelchair basketball and trampolining.
People are urged to visit the Space website at www.staffordshirespace.uk to find out more and book their places for activities which run until Friday 2 September.
Mr Ellis added: “Space 2016 is up and running and we’ve had some great feedback so far. I’m getting out and about and witnessing Space in action and it’s wonderful to see the enthusiasm from the young people and organisations involved.
“Last year Space saw more than 13,300 attendances by young people and it was great to see such positive activities taking place. The money I have pledged will help to increase young people’s personal skills and improve their health and general wellbeing by creating opportunities for them to get involved in during the school summer holiday. I also hope in the future we can start to get more adults involved in helping out with Space and volunteering.”
