Category Archives: Sport

Kingston and Elmbridge Junior Snorkelling Club

Last night, I went along to a reception at the House of Commons to congratulate Nick Stevens and Adam Curtis of Kingston and Elmbridge Junior Snorkellers Club (KEJSC) on their £10,000 award from the Aviva Community Fund.

The Club was awarded the money last year and the prize money will allow KEJSC to buy a much-needed safety boat for use in open water safety training, as well as purchasing other safety measures such as life jackets and rescue equipment.

The Club was founded in 1974, and is run entirely by volunteers. It now has around 50 members, meeting every Tuesday at the Xcel Leisure Centre in Walton, with annual trips to Dorset so that the more senior members can enjoy snorkelling in the sea.

Snorkelling is a fun activity that people of all ages and abilities can become involved with and the junior snorkellers gain confidence and qualifications by undertaking new experiences and adventures. 

You can read more about KEJSC here, and more about the funding they received from the Aviva Community Fund here.

Maori Oxshott Cricket Club Wins Funding for a New Astro Wicket

In November, I blogged about the Aviva Community Fund, which awards funding for community projects across the country. You can read the post here. So, I was pleased to learn that Maori Oxshott Cricket Club has been awarded £1,000 towards the installation of a new Astro wicket surface at their ground on Steel’s Lane, Oxshott. The club had already raised an impressive £7,000 themselves, and the extra boost from the Aviva Community Fund has enabled them to reach their target. The new Astro surface is more durable than the old grass one, which has suffered wear and tear over the years. The Astro wicket will save money in the long-term, and enable practice sessions and some matches to take place in bad weather conditions.

Maori Oxshott Cricket Club is open to cricketers of all ages and abilities, from age 4 to 80, and is located in the heart of the village. The new wicket is due to be installed ready for the beginning of the 2018 season. You can read more about the club here.

Keeping Local Pupils Fit

I am delighted to see that primary schools in our constituency will together receive over £454,000 of extra funding for PE and sports this year.

The money comes after the Department for Education’s decision to double the PE and Sports Premium from £160 million to £320 million, and is one aspect of a series of programmes led by the Department to improve healthy lifestyles among pupils and tackle childhood obesity.

You can find out more about the news, including a full list of individual allocations to schools receiving extra funds here.

Surrey Clubs for Young People

Last night, I attended the Surrey Clubs for Young People (SCYP) 70th anniversary celebrations at the Houses of Parliament.

The event was put on to celebrate the fantastic work that SCYP does, and to recognise the clubs that are core to the charity’s work. The reception was well-attended by key representatives from a number of clubs that SCYP supports, as well as important figures from across the county. I was honoured to host the occasion, and enjoyed greeting a wide range of people involved with SCYP – and especially appreciated the attendance from our local Elmbridge councils, including John and Mary Sheldon and Peter Szanto (pictured with me, below). My thanks to Joyce Quinnell, CEO of SCYP for organising a great event.

SCYP was established in 1947 and operates across Surrey and South London to ensure that young people can access high quality youth provisions which it does by supporting a large network of youth clubs and projects, from boxing clubs to water sports activities. You can read more about SCYP here.

Sunbury and Walton Sea Cadets

The Sunbury and Walton Sea Cadets, who I visited in November 2015 (blogged here), are holding a fundraising appeal to raise money for a new, modernised building at their site in Shepperton. The current building is old, damp and small. It has not been repaired since a flood in 2014. The Cadets have produced a video explaining why these funds are vital to their future, which you can watch here.

The funding will provide an area to help the young Sea Cadets build confidence, gain leadership and teamwork skills and receive practical training.

If you are interested in donating to this worthy cause, you can do so via this link. They are 78% of the way there, so any help in the final push would be hugely appreciated.

Cobham Rugby Club

Last Saturday, I went down to Cobham Rugby Club for their ‘Value the Volunteer’ lunch, before their home game against Chobam (I know – a bit of a tongue-twister for the pundits). I spoke about how valuable volunteers are for local sports clubs and charities more generally, and how local community sport is vital for youngsters in promoting healthy lifestyles, teamwork and community spirit. I handed out some Club awards to the stellar volunteers, who do so much for the club.

It was great event and an opportunity to celebrate and reward those who give up their time for the benefit of club and community. My thanks to Lionel Frewin for the kind invitation. I am pictured below with Nigel Heslop, Chairman of Surrey Rugby and Anthony Shenton, Manager of Cobham U21s.

West Molesey Sea Scouts

Last week, I visited the 1st Jaguar Sea Scouts Group in West Molesey. Liam Quinn, the Scout Leader, welcomed me and introduced me to the Scouts. I spoke to them about what an MP does, how Parliament works and what Government Ministers do. I then answered a range of questions from the very bright and enthusiastic youngsters, on everything from the EU to the death penalty!

I was really impressed with the commitment and dedication of Liam and his colleagues, and also with the level of practical skills, knowledge and ambition that the Cadets have at such a young age. I am looking forward to visiting the group again in the spring and going out on the water with them.

You can read more about the Molesey Sea Scouts here.

sea-scouts

Downside Nursery Sportsday

Last Friday, I visited Krystyna Griffiths and her fabulous team at Downside Nursery, for their annual sportsday (pictured below). Many parents also joined the occasion, creating a wonderful atmosphere in the glorious sunshine. The children were fantastic – incredibly well-behaved, and very enthusiastic about the races! I also got the chance to catch up with Nifi Nima, the nursery’s first apprentice, who has now completed her Level 2 in childcare development.

Rosalita Edwards’ Nursery Sports Day

Last Friday, I was delighted to join Rosalita Edwards’ Nursery for their Summer Sports Day, at Imber Court in Thames Ditton. The weather held up for some fiercesome competition in the various events – most notably the hotly-contested grandaprents’ races. But, the whole event was conducted in the wonderful spirit that Rosalita and her team bring to the nursery. I was fortunate to be spared from the races this year, but I had the honour and pleasure of awarding medals to all the children who participated. It was great fun, and a good time had by all.

Football Skills on Show at Claygate Primary School

On Friday, I popped by Claygate Primary School, where headmaster Darryl Taylor introduced me to the FA Skills initiative on display.
FA Coach Roxanne Bennett was showing an energetic group of boys and girls a number of drills to sharpen up their footy skills. It is part of a program to help strengthen grassroots football through schools, but also to help primary schools teach the technical side of the game better. The youngsters were getting a lot out of the coaching – so it’s clearly working – and the program covers all levels of skill and ability.
There are three full-time coaches working with primary schools across Surrey. It’s funded by the FA and Sport England, so there’s no extra cost for schools.