Latest News
O’s Players Make Christmas Special For Youngsters
Glenn Morris, Wayne Gray, Paul Terry, Adam Boyd, Stuart Nelson and Orient captain Stephen Purches took time out from their training schedules to present prizes and sign autographs for youngsters who attended the Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme (LOCSP) Christmas specials at Salisbury Hall, Roding Valley and Score, Leyton.
Over 150 youngsters attended the three different sessions ahead of the festive period, with the LOCSP coaches running the youngsters through a variety of sports including football, basketball, handball and tennis.
Glenn Morris and Wayne Gray attended the mixed football session at Salisbury Hall, Paul Terry and Adam Boyd attended the mixed football session at Roding Valley, whilst club captain Stephen Purches and Stuart Nelson attended the mixed multi-sports session at Score.
“It’s great to give something back to the community,” said forward Gray at the Salisbury Hall session. “The people appreciate you coming down, especially in the cold - the kids are all happy and hopefully we have made their day”.
Gray and Morris presented every participant with a personalised certificate, before being grilled by their audience with questions including; ‘Who is your biggest influence?’, ‘What age did you start playing professionally?’ and ‘How many yellow cards have you got this season?’
The Christmas special sessions from LOCSP are annual events with every participant receiving prizes, medals and two Leyton Orient FC match tickets as well as the opportunity to meet first team players.
LOCSP would like to thank Leyton Orient FC for all their help with the Christmas specials.
With the end of 2007 nearly upon us LOCSP gears up for 2008 with a whole host of activities and sports to look forward to.
For more information please call 020 8556 5973, visit www.locsp.org or email enquiries@locsp.org
The Eid Cup 2007
Football kicks off a Positive Future for the young Muslim community
As the Eid festival celebrations come to an end the inaugural Leyton Orient Eid cup, a new
national football tournament for the young Muslim community was held on the main pitch at Leyton Orient’s ground in E10 on 25th October.
Organised by Positive Futures Leyton Orient, part of a national social inclusion programme for young people, Albirr foundation and the Leytonstone mosque the tournament will see teams of U14’s and U18’s from the Muslim community in Waltham Forest, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Coventry, Lancashire and Yorkshire.
The event is aimed to engage with and promote positive messages about the young Muslim community. Sab Bham, Community Development Manager, Positive Futures Leyton Orient said: “Over the last few years, with events such as September 11, and the London Bombings on July 7, the Muslim community has been stereotyped negatively. This is an important event, as it is the first of its kind and It is hoped it will challenge perceptions of the Muslim community and celebrate the theme of unity through football.”
The tournament will give these young people an opportunity to play football on a professional team’s pitch. Added to the day will be service providers, such as the P.C.T, The Drug Action Team, and the police offering advice and information to all participants on a range of relevant topics.
Leyton Orient FC and Positive Futures Leyton Orient would like this to be the first of many initiatives aimed at engaging young Muslims and building community relations in Waltham forest, other neighbourhoods, boroughs and nationally. Other projects in development include a parenting programme which helps Muslim parents talk more comfortably about issues related to drugs with their children and is in partnership with Waltham Forest Drug Action Team and Muslim Drugs Education Forum.
LOCSP APPOINT NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Following the recent departure of Grant Cornwell as Chief Executive of LOCSP, we are pleased to announce that Neil Taylor has been appointed to succeed him. Neil who has been interim Chief Executive since April came through a round of interviews from a very strong field of candidates.
Neil has been with LOCSP since 1998 as the organisation’s Strategic Development Officer. In that time he has helped develop LOCSP and has contributed to it becoming a pioneering and dynamic community sports and education organisation. In particular this has included the establishment of London Community Sports Network and SCORE which typify LOCSP’s approach of grassroots engagement and community focused progression.
Danny Myers Chair of Trustees said:
‘We had a very strong range of candidates and were pleased with the high level response that we got.
‘Neil's contribution to LOCSP has already been exceptional in particular with SCORE which is testimony to his ability at extending LOCSP’s reach and delivery on major projects. The Trustees are confident that this skill and foresight will effectively be continued into the wider Programme and alongside the Board will continue to take LOCSP forward over the coming years.’
Neil Taylor said:
‘I am delighted and honoured to become Chief Executive and I am looking forward to building on the great work that LOCSP has developed and delivered.’
Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives Launch
Pictured above is Leyton Orient CSP's Sab Bham, at Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives launch. The event involved a 5-a-side football tournament between MP's, Dad's Against Drugs Team from Hull, and Positive Futures Staff, which included Sab and Sham from LOCSP.
Kickz Launch - Haggerston School, Hackney
For more details contact Sab Bham on 0208 556 5973.
Community Sports Programme wins Best Youth Project
Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme, based at The Score Centre on Oliver Road, Leyton, last week picked up two prizes for its Learning Skills Council North ESF funded youth training project OSCA – Orient Sports Coach Award, at a prestigious awards evening held at the Science Museum, South Kensington. The Community Programme won the Best Youth Project Award for delivering the OSCA project over the last two years and one of its students, Lucy Kousoulou (16) a former Connaught School pupil from Leytonstone walked off with the Beneficiary of the Year Award in the 14 – 19 age group.
OSCA is a vocational training project that seeks to provide a range of sports based training and education programmes for young people who have an interest in working in the sports and leisure industry. Students complete a number of accredited courses delivered by the Community Programme’s team of tutors and coaches including National Open College Network units in An Introduction to the Sports Industry and Coaching, First Aid, Using Web and Email, Sports Leaders UK Award in Sports Leadership and an NCFE Certificate in Exercise Studies.
The project provides students with work experience opportunities with the Community Programme at the Score Centre and exit routes into other education and training courses. Much of the scheme is delivered at a purpose built IT suite in the West Stand at Leyton Orient FC and in the sports facilities at the adjacent Score Centre providing an insight into the professional sports industry. Students have the opportunity to interview community and football club staff and attend visits to other sports facilities including Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur FC to compare facilities.
Delighted LOCSP Education Manager Philip Rudling said after the event, “We were really pleased that the London North Learning Skills Council recognised the quality of work being delivered at the Score Centre and the award is a credit to the coaches, tutors and, of course, the young people the Community Programme has worked with over the last two years.”
Lucy, who attended the evening with her mother, spoke about how she had enjoyed meeting a range of young people on the courses and developing her coaching skills. She said, “I have learnt a lot over the time on the project and this has helped me become a better coach with my football club Globe Rangers where I coach the U8’s.”
Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme sign up to Kickz
Three Leyton Orient first team players joined over 100 young people, coaches from Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme and Arsenal’s Community Programme, and special guests from Hackney Homes, London Borough of Hackney, Kiers and other Hackney partners to celebrate Leyton Orient’s inclusion nationally in the Kickz project.
Using the power of football and the appeal of professional football clubs, the purpose of Kickz is to target some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country in order to create safer stronger more respectful communities through the development of young peoples potential. The concept, launched earlier this year by Prime Minister Tony Blair, was born out of discussions between the Metropolitan Police and the football industry.
.Locally Leyton Orient CSP deliver in Hackney in and around the Gascoyne estate in partnership with Arsenal’s Community Programme, Hackney Homes, Hackney Police and a number of other local partners.
Sabir Bham Community Development Manager for Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme commented on the news: “We are delighted to be part of Kickz nationally and hope that the strong and vibrant partnership we have developed locally will ensure that we continue to developing this excellent initiative “
Jackie Loftus of Hackney Homes and Chair of the local project said:
“We have lots of talented young people in Hackney and this programme gives them the chance to learn from the best. Not many young people get to play football under the guidance of coaches from top league clubs, so we are very excited about this scheme being run in Hackney.”
“The support shown from our local sponsors in Hackney is fantastic and we are confident that this support will ensure we can continue the programme for many years to come.”
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Tessa Jowell said:
“By harnessing the power of football I hope Kickz will break down barriers between the police and young people using professional football clubs to deliver coaching, playing and officiating opportunities, whilst at the same time creating routes for the participants to get back into education, training or employment.
“I am delighted the Government is playing its role in helping to fund this innovative programme.”
Assistant Commissioner Tim Godwin, from the Metropolitan Police Service said:
“We are delighted to be part of the Kickz project which brings together the wealth of experience of all the bodies involved to introduce sustainable projects where the community have identified the need for youth inclusion initiatives.
“Projects similar to these have seen a drop in anti social behaviour and low level crime, the aim of this project is to provide a long term solution to those issues that can affect people’s daily lives.”
Tony Blair visits SCORE
Prime Minister, Tony Blair and Minister for Health, Caroline Flint, visited The SCORE Centre to launch Health Challenge England, an inititive aimed at reducing obesity.
The Prime Minister met LOCSP Director Grant Cornwell MBE, and was shown around the centre by Education Manager, Phil Rudling. During the course of his visit he watched a range of Olympic sports sessions run by LOCSP, including Basketball, Tennis, Handball and Volleyball, as well as speaking to the coaches and children from Lammas and Newport Schools.
The Prime Minister expressed interest in the work of LOCSP and he was keen to see how London's successful Olympic bid was already effecting our programme.
LOCSP House of Commons Open Evening
LOCSP held a presentation evening at The Houses of Commons on November 6th, with the aim of promoting our work and thanking our partners.
