Crowdfund Lambeth pledged £2,500 towards London Basketball Association’s (LBA) project to raise £21,280 to fund the delivery of basketball sessions at Lambeth’s renowned Regal and Jordan Court for marginalised young people aged 16-24.
In just six weeks, with 125 supporters, the crowdfunder project smashed their original target – by mid-April they had raised almost £48,000 – that’s more than £50,000 with Gift Aid – including a £10,000 pledge from BA Better World Community Funding.
Sessions for skills
The crowdfunder projects was originally designed to pay for free sessions to benefit young people in Lambeth, offering a safe, inclusive environment where disadvantaged individuals can get healthy exercise, develop individual and teamworking skills, and build confidence. The extra support will mean they can add another free tw0-hour weekly session – opening up 42 weeks of free access to high-quality coaching and facilities for a minimum of 100 new participants. Some of the funding will be dedicated to upgraded equipment to improve the experience for everyone.
Work and play!
The London Basketball Association is a charity serving communities through not only sports, but also employability programmes. Women – especially those from ethnic minority backgrounds — face barriers to participating in basketball and sports – so some of the new crowdfunded sessions will be women-only to help participants stay physically active and connect with diverse peers, develop key skills like communication, teamwork, and leadership, and receive guidance from experienced LBA coaches who will be positive role models.
There will also be workshops with the support of a professional basketball referee across the weekly sessions. The original fundraising target would have supported 15 women to qualify as referees, opening up opportunities for paid work for women from disadvantaged backgrounds. The extra funding will more than double that, with 20 extra training places for women to qualify as referees.
Every pound counts
The project is still open for donations from supporters :
Crowdfund Lambeth
You may be eligible for match funding of up to 50% of your crowdfund target (£5,000 max), from Lambeth Council. On your match-funding application form you will be asked to write a statement about how your project meets the criteria. Before completing your application please read the accompanying guidance notes fully and Terms & Conditions. The project must contribute to one or more of our new Borough Plan Lambeth 2030 Outcomes which are made up of three ambitions and The Lambeth Golden Thread of Equity and Justice.
For further information, you can visit our webpage Crowdfund Lambeth or you can email us at crowdfunding@lambeth.gov.uk
