The mentoring charity ReachOut has become the second organisation to receive a monthly £250 award from ConnectSport’s ‘Stronger Communities through Sport’ initiative with the Mayor of London.

Each month organisations across London are being asked to upload a short video which demonstrates how and why they are using sport and/or physical activity to bring people together and encourage social integration.

Almost 100 organisations have submitted videos so far, or are in the process of submitting. You can view them here, and get more details on how to submit an entry from your organisation.

ReachOut is the largest mentoring charity in the UK, working with young people aged nine to 16 in disadvantaged areas to raise aspirations and help them grow in character and attainment. It aims to improve self-confidence and develop numeracy, literacy and communication skills whilst reinforcing core values of fairness, self-control, good judgement and staying power.

It does this by combining a series of activities, with a sports programme being used as an incentive for completing other education-based activities, including goal-setting and academic work. Find out more about ReachOut on its page on the free-to-join ConnectSport directory.

ReachOut is the second organisation to claim the monthly award. London Otters Rowing Club picked up the first award for May 2019.

Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor of London for Social Integration, described how the partnership with ConnectSport links into the Mayor’s ‘Sport Unites’ campaign.

She told ConnectSport: “We are interested at looking at using sport to tackle social isolation, to improve mental health, to create a healthier and more engaged city, but also to create some of those links and connections between people from very different backgrounds.

“We think that sport is a really good way of bringing people together, just by virtue of their love of sport – either as participants or as fans. It’s a great way for us to achieve some of the outcomes that we have set ourselves for tackling some of those big issues, like improving mental health, like helping to reduce levels of knife crime, like giving young people a sense of structure and a sense of purpose, and enabling them to learn skills which will help them become adults, and participate as adults in a city that is multi-cultural, diverse and vibrant.”

To submit your video, visit connectsport.co.uk/stronger-communities-through-sport