Partner Article

Coventry charity helps 100 local young people engage in Commonwealth Games through community activities

A Coventry charity has celebrated the achievements of over one hundred young people inspired by the Commonwealth Games at a special event in the city centre.

Representatives of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Coventry City Council and Sport England joined more than 80 participants of Positive Youth Foundation (PYF)’s Gen 22 programme at the Albany Theatre to reflect on the programme, hand out prizes and take part in activities.

The Gen22 programme, run by the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and funded by a number of partners including The National Lottery Community Fund, was launched to give young people who might otherwise not have the opportunity to be connected to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to get involved and showcase its benefits. Over 100 people aged between 16 and 24 have taken part in 30-hour creative social action assignments to help promote the excitement of the Commonwealth Games being on their doorstep, with a range of competitive action unfolding across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Activities included hosting community open days, a silent disco, and the creation of videos and songs to encourage others within their communities to engage with the Commonwealth Games and bring people together.

As part of the celebration event, a trio of Gen22 participants also shared their creative work which reflected on the games - with a spoken word performance from Nina and musical sets from D.Badura and BlueHoodie. Prizes, handed out as part of a raffle for participants, included clothing and restaurant vouchers and a surprise giveaway of four tickets to a Rugby League World Cup game courtesy of Coventry City Council.

Krishan Singh, Operations Director at Positive Youth Foundation, said: “It was a fantastic event, bringing so many people together to celebrate the work of young people on our Gen22 programme. “The outcomes of these projects have been really inspiring and offered communities in our city the chance to engage in a global sporting spectacle and boost pride in their region, which proved to be an excellent host.

“While the games have come and gone, we hope that the experiences that our participants have had will inspire them to seek more meaningful engagement with their communities, give them a platform to access more purposeful opportunities and build new networks in their locality, and ultimately boost their long-term employment prospects.”

Bethan Stimpson of Birmingham 2022 said: “It was brilliant to attend the PYF Gen22 Celebration event, recognising nearly a year of Gen22 social action.
“I particularly enjoyed hearing all the stories and experiences of our Gen22 young people, the barriers they have managed to overcome and what they have achieved in their community through Gen22.

“This is in no small part down to the dedication and commitment of all the staff at PYF who have been delivering the Gen22 programme or supporting the young people more widely.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .