Black Prince Trust and Powerleague hosted the Euro 2020 Trophy Tour on Friday June 4th. As a community hub, we were delighted to be able to host such a prestigious event. The event aimed to provide the local community and our community partners an opportunity to get a photo with the trophy and participate in Football activities alongside the UEFA mascot and football freestylers.
The trophy tour which encompassed all the host cities; made its way through London on June 4th and 5th, stopping off at several community hubs throughout the city. “We wanted the stops on the Trophy Tour to be places that really represent the amazing way in which sport is used to engage with and support local communities across London. The Black Prince Trust is a wonderful example of just how that happens, and it was a perfect location to bring the EURO 2020 Trophy and the excitement of the tournament. We are great admirers of the work BPT does, and it was an honour to be able to bring the Trophy and use it to support that work across the community and to hopefully play a role in encouraging the next generation of sporting stars and maybe even an England team of the future.” (Alexander Crede, City Experience Manager, Greater London Authority)
In a fun-filled afternoon, invitees took the opportunity to have individual and group photographs with the Euro 2020 Trophy, whilst also enjoying the chance to learn some new skills with the Football freestylers.
We had a wide range of our community partners attend the event and it would seem all had a fantastic afternoon. One of the partners taking part in the event was Sporting Recovery, a Non-for-profit organisation that work with adults who’ve encountered social isolation amongst other things. Lead coordinator Patrick Berry summed up what the experience meant to their participants. “Thank you for giving us (Sporting Recovery) the opportunity to see the Euro Cup. The guys enjoyed the experience. They do not usually feel this privileged, as it is something they only see on TV. It has made the Euro Cup a real (tangible) experience.
Our onsite Football partner Street Soccer London (SSL) provided a fantastic offer throughout the day, this included a Football workshop which included a quiz, and some small-sided games on the outside pitches. SSL use the power of football to help young people and adults make positive changes in their lives. London coordinator Jack Badu explains how why the event is so important for the young people in their programme. “It’s very rare that young people in our communities get the opportunity to watch an England game in person so having the opportunity to spend a day with the Euros trophy was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I hope it provokes them to understand the scope of opportunities available to them living in the heart of London. These young people are our future, and we owe it to them to provide moments like these. Moment and memories that as a peer group will shape their vision for the future of what the Black Prince Community hub and Street Soccer London can continue to support.” (London Co-Ordinator, Jack Badu)
