Posted on 4 Apr 19
Core Sport – a Hackney-based charity that provides quality education, training, employment and social enterprise initiatives enabling people with mental health issues to overcome barriers and fulfil their potential – has won The Mental Health Award, sponsored by Active IQ, at the Sport and Recreation Alliance Community Sports Awards.
The Awards, hosted by the Alliance’s president His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex, recognised 15 sport and recreation clubs and organisations across five categories for their inspiring community projects. Each category winner received their award and a prize of £1,000 at the event on March 15, 2019.
Active IQ is increasingly involved in the leisure sector and local communities through its recently-launched Level 2 Mental Health Awareness qualification. The qualification equips people to spot the early signs of mental ill-health and, importantly, learn key skills to help people by offering practical support or signposting them to additional services.
Core Sport offers a wide range of sport-specific sessions and exercise classes, along with a weight management programme and regular health checks, accessible via a GP referral.
It offers 15 different sporting programmes six days a week and also runs one-off trips such as white water rafting, ice skating and bowling as a chance for social interaction. It is part of the Core Arts charity that was set up in 1992 as an arts recovery college for people with mental health issues. In 2015, Core Arts recognised that sport has the same ability as the arts to support people with mental health issues and set up a sports faculty to engage them at this level.
“To have even been shortlisted and attend the awards was fantastic in itself and we were really shocked and grateful to have won as we were up against two great finalists,” says Laura-Jane Connolly, Inclusive Sports Development Manager for Core Sport.
“This award really means a lot not just to us delivering the programme, but to our members too. Looking to the future, we hope to grow and develop our offering further. I hope this award will support us as we seek funding to futureproof the charity and we’d like to thank the Sport & Recreation Alliance and Active IQ for this recognition and opportunity.”
“I congratulate Core Sport on this fantastic achievement and am delighted to see its excellent work being recognised,” says Laura Sheasby, Head of Business Development at Active IQ. “Core Sport recognises that physical activity is a powerful tool for people with mental health issues. We know it can help them through a difficult time and I wish them continued success with their Award-winning programme.”