Community Switch Sports
The Hammersmith CIC that’s getting more kids into sport.
As a child, did you ever stand on the sidelines of a football match wishing you could join in but feeling unable to? Sport has numerous benefits, from mental and physical wellbeing to boosting skills such as perseverance and resilience, and yet less than half of all children get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day.
There are many reasons for this. Cost is a considerable barrier. According to Sport England, children from the least affluent families are far less likely to meet the recommended 60 minutes than those from more affluent families (45% compared to 57%). When you consider that kids’ sports clubs are often private organisations that charge £70+ an hour for a pitch, it’s hardly surprising that less affluent families are often priced out.
Confidence is another barrier. Many children don’t see themselves as ‘sporty’ and aren’t confident enough to put themselves forward to play.
Accessible sport
Community Switch Sports is giving more children in Hammersmith the chance to enjoy sports. Co-Directors Danny Hibbert and Lucy Wragg have created a space where everyone feels included and able to participate. One way they’ve done this is by inventing a whole new sport – switch.
Unlike most other sports, switch can be played by mixed-gender, mixed-ability and mixed-age teams of three, five or seven players. It brings together five different sports: football, basketball, handball, volleyball and netball. Danny explains, “The pitch is split into three sections. The middle section is only for football. The two end zones are where you score and are for all the hand sports. You’ve only got seven seconds with a ball in your hands, though, so you have to pass it; it’s not just about you. With switch, everyone gets involved. You don’t need a high level of skill to play. You see kids realise, ‘OK, this isn’t as hard as it looks. I can do this.’
“A lot of the kids that play switch don’t play other sports. Switch is their sport, for them. They feel really included as they can all do their bit. If they’re not great at kicking the ball, they might be good at throwing or catching it. Seeing kids playing a game that came from my mind is pretty amazing. I feel really fortunate to be doing what I do.”
The CIC runs free community switch sessions, and the sport is also played at several local schools. Switch isn’t just growing in popularity in the UK; Danny has taught the sport to PE teachers across Jamaica. He says, “I’ve been invited over to Jamaica twice. Both my parents were Jamaican, so to go to their country and take my sport there was just amazing.”
Affordable sport in Hammersmith
Along with switch, the CIC runs football clubs for children aged four to 13. A key aim is to make sport affordable, so families on Universal Credit pay just £3.50 a session per child. The CIC’s holiday clubs are £1 a day for members and give children the chance to try a range of sports, from athletics to rounders, and to go on day trips. Danny says, “Social mobility is very important for these children. Some of these kids are stuck on this estate day-in, day-out, never going anywhere, so we like to take them out to the beach and other places.”
He adds, “I’ve been that child who couldn’t afford to go to holiday clubs. I’ve been the dad who couldn’t afford to send his kids. So, that’s why I do this. For me, sport should be as affordable as it can possibly be. Otherwise, you’ve got kids standing on the sidelines, watching others playing sport where they live, but they can’t afford to join in.”
One of the reasons that Community Switch Sports can afford to keep costs down for children is because it’s able to use three of the pitches at Hammersmith Park (also known as BBC Park) for free. However, that almost wasn’t the case. Danny explains, “About eight years ago, a company turned up and said, ‘We’re putting 10 pitches in this park and we’re going to charge you to use them.’ The community said, ‘No. This is our park. We’ve been playing here for free all our lives. If you want to be part of that, you need to give us something in return.’ In the end, a woman called Virginia Ironside took them to court and we won! We got three pitches for free, for all the kids from around this area to use.”
There are currently no local children’s football leagues, so the CIC is partnering with other clubs to start their own league. Danny says, “You can only train children for so long before they want to compete. They need to compete. It gives them so many life skills.”
As well as giving local children the chance to play sport, Community Switch Sports offers work experience and employment opportunities. Danny explains, “Most of our staff were kids who came to our sessions; I’ve known some of them since they were five or six. Several of our coaches have since moved on to work in other jobs in sport.”
Hammersmith United Charities’ support
Community Switch Sports is celebrating its tenth anniversary this August. Over the years, the CIC has received several grants from Hammersmith United Charities. Danny says, “HUC has always been part of our journey. They helped to start us off. One of the great things about the grants is that we can use the money to pay our staff, which you can’t always do with grants.”
Get involved
If you love sport and believe more children should be able to access it, then Danny would love to hear from you. He says, “We’re always looking for new people to help out. We’ve got a lovely community, with lovely kids, so whether you’re 14 or 60, get in touch.”
Find out more at: www.switchsports.co.uk
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