Communities across the West Midlands are being encouraged to ‘rise up’ in aid of a charity which delivers sports-themed personal development programmes to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Sport 4 Life UK, based in Digbeth, Birmingham, is staging the R15E UP Challenge to mark 15 years of supporting young people across the region into qualifications or employment.
Individuals and groups are invited to take part in a sporting fundraising event as part of a collective bid to complete 150,000 minutes of activity between October 15 and November 14 this year - and in the process raise £15,000.
The funds will be used to help those of the region’s youngsters who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) to develop skills and find a positive route into work or further education. Sport 4 Life UK was founded by CEO Tom Clarke-Forrest at the age of 21. Having graduated from university and back home with his parents, Tom came up with the idea to start the charity while considering what to do with his life.
Fifteen years later and Sport 4 Life UK now supports more than 1,000 people aged between 11 and 29 each year, with 22 full-time employees and a turnover of £1 million. Since launching, the organisation has invested £7 million into hard-to-reach communities and notched up 10 regional and national awards.
Of the R15E UP Challenge, Tom said: “When I think back to that initial idea hatched in my bedroom all those years ago, the journey we’ve been on during the past 15 years has been absolutely incredible. It’s all down to believing in yourself and being surrounded by great people who are passionate about success and supporting others.
“This anniversary feels like a big moment for Sport 4 Life UK and we wanted to do something special to commemorate while acknowledging our mission and values around giving young people a better future, which is more important than ever, given everything that has happened in recent years. Additionally, much of our funding is derived from grants, so the R15E UP Challenge marks the beginning of a move into community-based fundraising.”
There are a number of different challenges people can take on as part of R15E UP, including running, cycling and swimming. Participants can get involved as individuals or as part of a group, registering via a special website, which allows people to log their activity time and collect funds.
