An engaged group of sporty volunteers helping their community with support and essentials.
Badu Sports provide PE specialists to run sessions for schoolchildren, aiming to develop both their physical health and their mental and social growth. By structuring their service into formats that cover a variety of use cases, they have supported the differing needs of over a hundred schools across Hackney and Tower Hamlets.
Alongside this, their mentoring and community projects aim to help young people through all the critical stages of their lives, creating a virtuous cycle of engagement and development which goes beyond physical activity.
During the covid-19 pandemic, Badu have retasked their resilient and committed volunteers to help with the key challenges the community are facing: staying active and accessing essentials.
To help the families with whom they usually interact stay active, Badu Sports are running weekly challenges and online exercise sessions, as well as staying in touch through regular check-in calls.
But as the community’s even more basic needs are impacted, Badu Sports have stepped up to source and deliver essentials to vulnerable families and individuals in their area.
Under the banner of their One Community initiative, and powered by a group of 36 volunteers between the ages of 16 and 21, Badu Sports have created a food bank and have been delivering basic necessities to over 500 individuals.
91% of the individuals supported are from the BAME population, and many referred from schools in the most disadvantaged wards in Hackney and Tower Hamlets.
“One Community’s aim is to provide physical and mental support to enhance well-being during this period” Natasha Simpson, Community Lead
As well as food, the deliveries include toys and activity ideas for children.
In addition, Badu Sports are running a mental health support line which provides an opportunity to talk, and coping strategies and advice to get through this difficult time.
