North East Mayor Kim McGuinness joined Durham Cricket Foundation and four other major sports foundations at Sunderland’s Beacon of Light to launch Together Through Sport – a regional effort to give every child the chance to play, belong and thrive through sport.
The partnership brings together the North East Housing Partnership (NEHP), the North East Combined Authority (NECA), Durham Cricket Foundation, Foundation of Light, Newcastle United Foundation, Newcastle Eagles and Newcastle Rugby Foundation.
The campaign officially launched at the Beacon of Light where 150 year 6 pupils from local schools had a go at cricket, football, rugby, basketball and multi-sport sessions, delivered by each foundation and met professional players from each sport.
Graeme Weeks, Durham Cricket Foundation CEO said: “It’s fantastic that the five Foundations have come together with the North East Combined Authority (NECA) because we know we can achieve more when we work as one. We all aim for children to have equal opportunities to sport and it is our ambition to make it accessible to everyone. This campaign gives us a chance to reach more children, share resources and show what a powerful difference sport can make in our region.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “We’re famous for our love of sport in the North East so I want every single child to have the chance to get involved. Sport is so much more than just getting young people active, it’s about building confidence, giving them the opportunity to try something new and unlocking talents they never knew they had.
Through our sporting foundations and Region of Sport ambitions, we can create a North East where every child thrives.”
The year-long Together Through Sport campaign supports the Mayor’s ambition to make the North East the UK’s first ‘Region of Sport’ as it brings the region’s five sporting foundations together for the first time. Funds raised will provide free holiday course places and free in-school sports sessions for children who may otherwise miss out.
Louise Bassett, a member of North East Housing Partnership (NEHP) and Chief Executive at Gentoo, commented: “Within the NEHP, we want to invest in our communities in ways that go far beyond bricks and mortar. This is such a unique partnership and a campaign that will make a real difference to children in the region. No child should be left on the sidelines and by working together we can give more children the chance to play, grow and thrive through sport.”
The campaign aims to raise £50,000, shared equally across the participating Foundations. This will fund 200 free holiday course places or 200 hours of in-school coaching, opening the door to sport for hundreds of young people across the North East.
The campaign will also take centre stage at the SAFC vs NUFC Wear-Tyne Derby on Sunday 14 December, where both clubs will show their support through warm-up tees, LED displays and a joint pitch-side photo.
Supporters can donate £5 by texting TOGETHERFIVE to 70085. Updates will be shared throughout the month using #TogetherThroughSport.