With the easing of COVID restrictions across the country, it was important to me to get out to projects we have supported through the Together Fund as much as possible. We owe it to all the people involved in projects like Sporting Inspirations CIC's basketball project to visit them in person, discuss future ways of working and to see the impact these projects have on the community in real time.

At Stockwood Park Academy, every Thursday evening are two-hour long basketball sessions run by Sporting Inspirations CIC. The basketball sessions are coached by Omari and Adam, who gave me an overview of how the sessions run each week, challenges they face and what they hope for in the future. It was clear in how they spoke to me that this project means a lot to them, and the mentorship they showed to all of the participants throughout the session was phenomenal. The sessions are free to attend, open to boys and girls aged 13+ and run every Thursday evening. Both Omari and Adam told me that the sessions had started with small numbers of participants, but had grown to over 30 each week and the project's popularity is continuing to grow.

Throughout the two-hour session, all of the participants worked hard, but it was clear that they enjoyed every minute. The balance between being physically active and socially active was perfect and the smiles on everyone's faces proved that. Omari and Adam had a good balance of letting the participants enjoy themselves independently and giving tips and pointers to improve their game. The dedication that each participant showed to getting better at the game was incredible, all while achieving the enjoyment factor of playing the game and being surrounded by each other.

An element of this session that was really significant for me was the level of respect every participant had for Omari and Adam as coaches. This shows just how important it is for young people to have coaching role models, as well as a physical activity offer that is accessible and provides an environment for growth and development in every aspect.

The impact this project has had on the local community is vast. The growing popularity, the mentorship between the participants and coaches and the overall atmosphere that these young people have all created will no doubt send shockwaves through communities as it continues to grow.

Congratulations John, Hafi, Omari and Adam on a wonderful project - we can't wait to see how this project develops and we look forward to continuing to support you every step of the way!