🏊 Water Safety with BSA & Victory Academy
For the past 12 weeks, we've worked with The Black Swimming Association and The Victory Academy to design and deliver a life saving water safety programme. With drowning ranking among the leading causes of accidental death, claiming the lives of approximately 400 people each year, it's crucial to equip young people with life-saving skills and knowledge.
Our programme supported and empowered a group of 17 young people from The Victory Academy who lacked swimming proficiency to become competent swimmers and advocates of water safety. In addition to their weekly pool sessions, the programme provided unique opportunities to explore aquatic-related careers. Through a range of enrichment activities, participants gained invaluable insights into different aspects of the aquatic industry.
The first activity was discovering the world of managing the River Thames at Port Of London Authority and learning about the heroic efforts of the RNLI at their Gravesend Lifeboat Station.
Later in the programme they headed to London to visit Sky Studios for a hands-on broadcast production experience and to produce their own water safety news reel.
At Pentland Brands with Gung Ho they were immersed into aquatics branding and public relations.
The final enrichment activity took place at Chatham Maritime Watersports Centre where attendees learnt the art of kayaking and put their team working skills to the test with a raft build, race activity and recorded a water safety rap.
Throughout the programme, we documented the transformative journey of these young individuals, capturing their growth and achievements. These experiences were compiled into a 10-minute film, which was screened for the first time at a celebration event.
We’re proud to say that this programme, delivered in collaboration with The Black Swimming Association and The Victory Academy, has equipped these young people with life-saving water safety skills, as well as providing exposure to broader aquatic careers.
🎾 The Championships, Wimbledon 2023
On Saturday, July 8th, we had an incredible time at The Championships, Wimbledon, with both new and old participants of our LTA Serves Tennis Programme.
Despite the relentless rain, our spirits remained high as we witnessed the skills of two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova on Court 2 and had the chance to explore the fantastic facilities of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.
Thanks to the Lawn Tennis Association for giving us this amazing opportunity. Here's some of the fun we got up to!
👏 Thank You Sunday
On Sunday, July 2nd, we hosted our inaugural Thank You Day celebration at Luton Millennium Green. Thank You Day provides an opportunity for individuals to express gratitude for the countless contributions that enrich our communities and foster connections among neighbours throughout the year.
The inspiration for our own Thank You Day originated from conversations at our Thursday Hangout and Friday’s Underneath the Arches singalong. Through these conversations, a collective vision emerged, resulting in a great afternoon that showcased an array of performing arts and music.
The afternoon commenced with an enchanting Documentary Dance Theatre performance titled "The Allotment Project" by Casson & Friends.
Following this mesmerising act, The Plonkers took centre stage, strumming their ukuleles and lending their voices to a medley of songs. The Vision Signing Choir then captivated the audience by signing popular chart-topping tracks, whilst teaching the audience British Sign Language. Finally, the celebration concluded with an improvisational acting session delivered by Medway Play Lab CIC.
Be sure to stay tuned for our plans to commemorate Thank You Day in 2024.
