The Young Hackney Youth and School Sport Unit was established following the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to meet young people’s aspirations in relation to sport and physical activity and to identify and address barriers to participation. The unit is now in its 10th year.

The Sports Unit delivers opportunities across a wide variety of community venues and settings and has recently taken on the management of Young Hackney Eastway – a dedicated sports hub for children and young people in Hackney Wick.

The Sports Unit sits alongside other services and teams in Young Hackney’s Children and Young People’s Services, steering the practice and standards of the service are Youth Work methodologies.

Youth work seeks to promote young people’s personal and social development and enable them to have a voice, influence and place in their communities and society as a whole. It builds resilience and character and gives young people the confidence and life skills they need to live, learn, work and achieve. This approach is at the heart of all of our work. Youth work offers young people safe spaces to explore their identity, experience decision-making, increase their confidence, develop interpersonal skills and think through the consequences of their actions. This leads to better informed choices, changes in activity and improved outcomes for young people.

The purpose of the Young Hackney School & Youth Sports Unit will be to:

• Provide opportunities for under-represented groups to participate in sports & physical activity
• Provide a substantial SEND offer to young people and their families
• Supporting schools with their sports & physical activity offer
• Create formal and informal learning opportunities for young people to support their development
• Provide employment pathway opportunities through work experience, apprenticeships, volunteering and accreditation

If you would like to find out how the Young Hackney Sports Unit can get involved with your school, email YHSportsUnit@hackney.gov.uk.