Sports clubs team up to encourage more people to take part
ASHBY’S various sports clubs have teamed up to increase their profile and encourage participation among people of all ages.
Ashby Sport enjoys the support of 26 sports clubs and associations, ranging from cricket to croquet.
In addition to co-ordinated activity on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, planned events include Ashby Sport Festival, which is scheduled to take place on the Bath Grounds on July 3.
The event aims to provide an opportunity for each participating club to showcase their activity and celebrate the value of sport in the town. There will also be music, food and refreshments.
The enterprise is currently funded through donations and Ashby Town Council, but it is hoped that sponsorshipm can be secured.
Tom Yates, one of the organisers and chairman of Ashby Hastings Cricket Club, said: “Ashby Sport is a great initiative that brings together a whole range of sports from the area. It is focused on providing information for the benefit of the local community.
“By working in collaboration it will enhance the profile of local sport and hopefully get more of the community involved”
Ryan Morris, from Ashby Ivanhoe Football Club, said: “We are excited to be joining the new Ashby Sport initiative in collaboration with the town council.
“We are looking forward to engaging with local sports clubs and building a close-knit sporting community, whilst also contributing to raising awareness of all sporting clubs on offer and increasing participation in sports.”
An Ashby Town Council spokesman said: “The Ashby Sport alliance will have impact in a number of ways. Sharing good practice, ideas and expertise across the sporting community will inevitably raise standards and improve the experience for the whole town.
“Ashby Town Council is keen to increase cooperation between the many different clubs in the town and the Ashby Sport initiative will play an important part in this process.
“Ashby is without a central multisport facility similar to those enjoyed by neighbouring towns and villages. Using the power of collaboration, Ashby Sport creates an exciting opportunity to move towards a world-class facility the whole community can enjoy”
Town Councillor Andreas IoannouNikou is one of the people behind the project.
He said: “When I took on the responsibility of joining the Ashby Town Council my mission was to support our community and bring us together through the development of projects that stimulate social cohesion, inclusion and community bonding. I believe our project can help us work towards that.
“Ashby Sport aims to give the residents of Ashby and surrounding villages information about all the sports clubs available to them.
“The website will show users what clubs are available, events they can go to and live games they can go to watch.”