News Sixth Form students launch new primary school sport partnership 17.06.2021

Last Friday saw the launch of Step up to Sport, a new primary school partnership initiative designed to give local pupils the chance to try different sports. Set up by Lower Sixth students Millie and Jess, and with the help of a team of Godolphin volunteers, we welcomed students from West London Free School for our inaugural session.

Co-founder Millie had this to say on the new initiative:

‘A positive association with sport and physical activity has a whole host of benefits for a person (especially if developed at a young age). It can shape not only a healthy lifestyle, but also instills an attitude of commitment and perseverance – both of which are desirable attributes.

For both of me and Jess, sport is the centre of our lives. It has provided us not only with a calming release, but also with the most incredible memories and friends. Sport to us is the most valuable thing we have been introduced to, and so we are both passionate about sharing this love. We both strongly believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the benefits and with the introduction of Step Up to Sport, we hope to inspire the next generation of athletes.

Step Up to Sport aims to equip young children with the skills they need to pursue high level sport in secondary school, and make the most of every opportunity they are given. Our principal aims are:

To give an insight into secondary school level sport
To inspire and encourage future athletes
To give students an opportunity to try out different sports
To help students build a passion for sport
To promote good mental and physical health

Alongside our amazing Step Up to Sport team of eighteen Godolphin students from Year 9 and Lower Sixth, we have been able to create a development centred program which is fun and engaging for local state school children. This initiative makes full use of the amazing facilities and equipment at Godolphin, providing our athletes with a fully engaging experience. On Friday, we hosted our first Step Up to Sport cohort. All 31 of the Year 5 pupils from West London Free School thoroughly enjoyed their experiences through our netball, cricket and football programmes, and the whole team is so excited to continue to provide them with the opportunity to get more involved in sport.

We also wanted to say a huge thank you to Ms Elfick, Mr Carroll, Mr Golland and all of our helpers for helping us to set up this amazing opportunity – we couldn’t have achieved this without your help!’