Activities in the Community
National League Trust funded Summer Camps
Earlier this year the Daggers Trust successfully made a bid to the National League Trust to fund a series of multisport activities for local children during the school holidays. The activities are aimed to “Change attitudes, change minds and change lives”. The Daggers Trust is extremely grateful to the National League Trust and all the other funders which support the Trust in its ventures. Without their support, the Trust simply couldn’t function.
The current series of camps follow on from the very successful camps operated at the end of the lockdown periods during the COVID, where the Trust and its partners, including the Metropolitan Police, May and Baker Sports Club and Box Up Crime operated eight weeks of multisport and football camps for children aged 8-16.
The majority of the children invited to the camps have been recognised by local schools, churches and clubs as being ‘in need’. That ‘need’ is not just financial, it can be social, mental or physical. Some youngsters, post lockdown, need to get out, run around, make new friends and develop new skills. The multisport nature of the activities provides opportunities not just for fun, but also development. Working closely with PSCO John Joseph BEM from the Metropolitan Police, we are working to change behaviour and awareness at an early age, helping youngsters take greater control of their futures and hopefully prevent them from becoming entangled in anti-social behaviour and crime at a later stage.
The current cohort is both inclusive and diverse with participants coming from a multitude of different backgrounds, levels of ability (or disability) and aged from 5-13 years old.
During the last week, the group was joined on Tuesday by five officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Territorial Support Group (TSG) in Chadwell Heath and 2 local officers from the Local Neighbourhood Team. Very few opportunities exist for police officers to actively engage with young people of this age, but things are changing pan London and across the country. The Daggers Trust was at the forefront of this development in recent years. The camps provide the coaches, parents, children and partners to learn, grow and develop. We welcome the support we have received from the Metropolitan Police at all levels in our ventures.
The camps are being held at May and Bakers Sports Club and will occupy the first three weeks in August, with a further week planned for the Autumn term.
The activities help the youngsters to develop their soft life skills, including communication, teamwork, decision making and much more. They are encouraged to make friends, set challenges and step outside of their comfort zones.
Daggers Trust, helping to change attitudes, change minds and change lives.
Further details can be obtained by emailing matthew.admin@daggerstrust.com
Daggers in the Community
For many years the Dagenham & Redbridge FC Community Trust has been working in the local community. The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is one of the most diverse communities in the country and is constantly growing.
The Trust endeavours to provide help and opportunities for local community members, especially children.
Sport and Exercise coupled with a healthy lifestyle encourages improvements in both physical and mental wellbeing.
As a registered charity, the Trust relies heavily upon external funding to provide activities free of charge to young people living in one of the country’s most deprivedareas.
Our main funders in recent years have included: The Premier League Charitable Fund, The EFL Trust, The National League Trust, The Mayor of London, The London Marathon Charitable Fund, LBBD, The Football Foundation (Grow the Game) and generous in kind payments received from organisations such as Goals Dagenham.
Over the last 3-4 years, the Trust has played a major role in establishing a Women and Girls' football section with teams having played in the Essex County Girls' and Women’s' Leagues.
Premier League Kicks sessions for 8-12 year olds are held every Thursday and Friday evening at Goals Dagenham.
Over the last 2-3 years, the Trust offered a variety of outreach activities in Marks Gate, Goresbrook, Pondfield Park, Goals Dagenham and May and Bakers' Sports Ground, plus others hosted at Victoria Road. Examples include 'Coats for Goals' (including Mini Kickers and AllStars Cricket), LBBD Fitness and Wellbeing sessions, along with Staff Training for local carers hosted at Victoria Road, Matchday Guards of Honour, Tours of the Stadium for local schools and clubs, School breakfast, lunch and after school clubs, visits to schools by players, a 'Show Racism the Red Card' workshop for three schools, an inter school Mini World Cup Tournament, an Inter School Olympics Festival, Multisport Activity Clubs during the school holidays.
Working alongside two local African churches in the Borough, the Trust has supplied a quantity of no longer required kit and equipment which has made its way to youngsters in two different areas of Zimbabwe.
In these difficult times, the Trust continues to work with the community, in the community and for the community.
