Information on Loughborough

Free sports coaching for youngsters in Rushey Mead and Belgrave

Posted on 31/07/2009

police,constabulary,leicestershire police Free sports coaching for youngsters in Rushey Mead and Belgrave

Police in Rushey Mead are helping local youngsters to enjoy a ‘Safer Summer’ by organising sports activities during the school holidays. 

The sessions start on Monday August 3 and will run every week day afternoon on Rushey Fields, behind Belgrave Police Station, until Friday August 14. 

Student sports coaches from Loughborough College will join neighbourhood officers in providing free basketball, football and tennis coaching between 2pm and 4pm for youngsters aged between 11 and 16. 

PC Katie Hodgkinson from the Rushey Mead neighbourhood team said: “Hopefully the sessions should be great fun and provide us with an opportunity to get to know local kids a bit better.

“We do get complaints about kids playing football in the street and reports of anti-social behaviour during the school holidays so we thought we would organise something positive for them to do.

“This will get them off the streets and also give them a chance to try a new sport. It’s open to any youngsters between the ages of 11 and 16 who live in the Rushey Mead or Belgrave area. However places are limited and it will be on a first come first served basis. 

“We are really grateful to the student sports coaches who are giving up their time and also the ‘Bestways’ supermarket on Loughborough Road which is providing bottles of water and snacks.” 

Registration for each session will be held at the pavilion on Rushey Fields at 2pm each day. 

The sessions have been funded by the Rushey Mead Community Cohesion Fund and the Rushey Mead Joint Action Group, which is made up of police, retailers and members of the community. 

The sessions form part of Leicestershire Constabulary’s Safer Summer campaign which aims to reduce anti-social behaviour over the summer period. As well as organising activities for young people to get involved with, police and other agencies are carrying out test purchases at off-licences to tackle underage drinking, increasing patrols in areas troubled by anti-social behaviour and carrying out drugs enforcement operations. 

For more information contact PC 4475 Katie Hodgkinson or PC 1328 Rob Pountney by calling Leicestershire Constabulary on 0116 222 2222. Alternatively details are also available on PC Rob Pountney’s Facebook page.