Celebrating Our Fourth Annual Sports Day With An Interview From Our Sport Team

Sport & Health

Sep 28

This year marked the fourth annual Sports Day for Single Homeless Project!

Every year our Sport Project hosts a one-day event – with over 200 participants taking part in over 10 activities & events!

Staff and clients came together for a day filled with friendly competition. From high jump to bean bag race and hula-hoop to the 100 meter race, there is always something for everyone to enjoy.

To sum up the day we asked the Sport Team to share their highlights of the event, have a look at what they shared.

What was the highlight of the day?

My highlight was seeing so many people take part in the activities that were separate from the events. There was a period of time where despite the rain, the field was full of staff and clients having such a good time! It was one of my favourite parts of the day as we (the Sport Team) were able to take a step back and admire everyone enjoying the day.

-Jordan Bedford, Sport Coordinator

My highlight of the day was a client I work with, Sandra, receiving her award at the end of the day. She received our ‘Golden Athlete Award’ for outstanding effort and performance. She was so excited in the weeks building up to Sports Day and I was hoping the day would live up to her expectations. Sandra got so involved and was smiling throughout the day. She spoke to me about how much she loved the day and said she was proud of herself for the effort she had put in. I have since been to her hostel to run my usual weekly session and staff say Sports Day is all Sandra has been speaking about. It really was amazing to see her enjoy the day so much and the positive influence Sports Day had on Sandra.

-Josh Smithson, Sport Coordinator

Your favourite event and why?

My favourite event was the 4x100m relay, for a number of reasons. Firstly as it required 4 members of the team, it was great to see so many people willing to take part and it really emphasised how the events can bring people together within their service. It was amazing to see clients and staff bonding and cheering each other on. As it was the final track event, everyone was watching and the atmosphere erupted. It was also run in really good spirits, and competitiveness didn’t get the better of people, with the team in last running down the final straight getting the biggest cheer.

-Sam Sainsbury, Sport Manager

The bean bag race as it was a new addition to this years Sports Day and it was great to see so many people embrace it! It was a fast paced event so it was great seeing so many staff and clients get excited as it was going on.

-Jordan

My favourite event was the welly throw. It provides so much fun and enjoyment and allows so many participants to get involved. There’s always a huge crowd and a great atmosphere around the welly throw with everyone supporting each other while patiently waiting their turn. It provides such a positive and happy environment with so many smiling faces and is always enjoyable to go and get involved with. The welly throw has also become a traditional event which participants enjoy year after year and try to beat their previous best. I’m already looking forward to the welly throw at Sports Day 2023!

-Josh

Why is it so important that we offer Sports Day

Sports day acts as a celebration for all who have been involved in the sports project. It can also be an introduction to the Sports project for those who have not yet been involved, and act as a useful engagement tool for our weekly sessions. For many of our clients, it may be daunting to even consider leaving their borough or even their accommodation and partaking in an event with so many people, but creating a space where they can do this safely and with people they trust, i.e. peers and hostel staff, can provide a huge step on their road to recovery.

The day also allows the chance for staff to build rapport with the clients at their services, which will ultimately benefit them in the long run, as there will be more trust when the staff are working with clients on other aspects of their recovery.

-Sam

Sports Day is a chance to come together with others from across the charity for a day of fun and celebrations. One participant, Sebastian, spoke about how much training for the day had improved his physical and mental health; he went on to say how much he enjoyed the day and that he really wants to come back next year. It is so clear the positive influence sport and physical activity can have and Sports Day really epitomises this for so many of our participants.

-Josh

Sports Day is the pinnacle of the annual sport calendar and it provides the opportunity for SHP to come together as one for a day of celebration. It supports cross-service interaction which doesn’t happen regularly, and provides a space for our clients and staff to form connections. The friendly atmosphere at Sports Day encourages client engagement with our sports and activities which results in a positive feeling that can be taken on beyond Sports Day.

-Jordan