New sports project for young people in Ipswich
June 29, 2021
young boys playing football

A new weekly sports project has been launched for young people in Ipswich.

The project is run in partnership between a range of organisations and offers young people the opportunity to turn up and take part in free organised sports sessions.

The sessions are delivered by Catch22 Suffolk Positive Futures and run every Thursday between 5pm-6pm on the hardcourt area at Maple Park.

Session activities usually consist of football and basketball. Support for the project has been provided from the Suffolk Community Foundation and both Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council.

Paul Knight from Catch 22 Suffolk Positive Futures commented

“The first few weeks of the project have gone really well with good numbers of young people turning up and getting involved. The Maple Park area is a location we have visited many times previously over school holidays and we’re pleased to now be here on a weekly basis offering worthwhile sporting opportunities to local young people. As always, we are grateful of the support from local partners and also the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner who supports the wider project across the county”

Cllr Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council, said:

“We are delighted to be working alongside Catch22 Suffolk Positive Futures and partners to establish another doorstep sport session in Ipswich. By establishing free sporting opportunities like these in the heart of local communities it helps to bypass many of the traditional barriers that young people face in accessing sport and, in doing so, provides positive benefits both for the individual and the wider community. During the coronavirus pandemic young people’s levels of activity have significantly fallen so this new opportunity is really positive.”

Councillor Bryony Rudkin, Ipswich Borough Council’s Sport and Leisure Portfolio Holder, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting this initiative and working with Catch22 Suffolk Positive Futures and other partners to help young people in the Maple Park area get active. It has never been more important for children and young people to engage in positive and healthy activities like this, so it is great to see how popular it has been so far and how much they are enjoying it.”

Further free sporting activities are planned for the area over the school summer holidays.

For further information please contact [email protected]

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