Our amazing team of 9 runners all completed the Bupa Great Run on Sunday with a combined total time of 18:16:32 – which averages out at around 2 hours– and a fastest of 1:30:39 (which is very fast!)

Everyone worked really hard over the last few months to get to the finish line and a huge thanks go to all the team and to all our supporters. Thank you and well done to EVERYONE for all your hard work and commitment.

So far the team has raised over £2500 for Kingsbridge.

Remember it’s not too late to sponsor a team member and a reward is (almost) as good as an incentive.

Simply click on https://www.justgiving.com/teams/kingsbridge and choose one of the team.

Over the last 3 years Kingsbridge Community Sports has received the support of many people, and now the list includes football legend Cyrille Regis, MBE. The former England, Aston Villa, West Brom, Wolves and Coventry footballer, who recently published his first book ‘My Story’ is seen by many as the first ‘black icon’ in football. Cyrille was recently shown the Holders Lane site by Roger Lynch and Mohammed Shafique, two of the Kingsbridge’s Directors. This was what he said:

“I am impressed with the fantastic work that Kingsbridge has been doing in engaging with local communities and in developing plans to transform the Holders Lane site into a dynamic sporting venue for the benefit of local people. This kind of project is very close to my heart as it will provide much improved facilities for grass-roots sports clubs and will increase participation in sport in the South Birmingham area. I wish Kingsbridge every success in their endeavours.”

Kingsbridge is awaiting confirmation from Birmingham City Council that the Leasehold of the site will be transferred into community ownership. Once confirmation is received, Kingsbridge will be able to start the main capital fund raising, and the transformation of the site will begin.

Hundreds of sports playing fields across the country will be protected and improved thanks to a £10 million National Lottery fund launched today by Sport England and the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP.

Read in full on the WESPORT website.

The highest qualified member of the team is Dave Healy (centre) who has FA Level 3 & Level 1 Goalkeeping. There are now four FA Level 2 Coaches: Will Weaver, Christian Muneyi-Cargill (far left), Tom Holt and Roger Lynch (far right); and five FA Level 1 Coaches: Mike Parkes (left of centre), Clark Roberts, Dan Galante, George Kingsley (right of centre) and Nik Deeming. All of the Coaching team have been involved at some point in Real Riverside’s adult training programme and Mike, Dave and Roger are currently involved in other community coaching events.

Kingsbridge believes in encouraging participation in sports like football at grass-roots level and intends to establish additional programmes of sports coaching once it has the appropriate facilities and venue to do so.

From HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s Christmas Speech 2010 (emphasis ours):

… It is as important as ever to build communities and create harmony, and one of the most powerful ways of doing this is through sport and games.

During this past year of abundant sporting events, I have seen for myself just how important sport is in bringing people together from all backgrounds, from all walks of life and from all age groups.

In the parks of towns and cities, and on village greens up and down the country, countless thousands of people every week give up their time to participate in sport and exercise of all sorts, or simply encourage others to do so.

These kinds of activity are common throughout the world and play a part in providing a different perspective on life.

Apart from developing physical fitness, sport and games can also teach vital social skills.

None can be enjoyed without abiding by the rules, and no team can hope to succeed without co-operation between the players. This sort of positive team spirit can benefit communities, companies and enterprises of all kinds.

Read the full article here.

I’ve just uncovered an article from October 2008 on this very subject, and I think the words are just as relevant now as they were then.

Birmingham Mail – What’s On – Days Out – A Walk In The Park: The Playing Fields at Holders Lane, Moseley.

Kingsbridge plans to make the most of this view, and the proposed new building, which would replace the crumbling ruin that currently stands on the site, incorporates a 1st floor gallery, with social spaces, that looks out over the site, and the landscape beyond – the perfect place to relax and unwind after a game!

A new project to restore one of the city’s most dilapidated and under used sports facilities would appear to be a perfect solution to Councillor Martin Mullaney’s recent statement that some of Birmingham’s open spaces are “war zones.”

The Kingsbridge Project is aiming to rejuvenate the run down facilities of Holders Lane Sports Centre and Playing Fields to establish a vibrant and exciting new community sporting venue in South Birmingham. Kingsbridge will provide sport and leisure activities for a wide variety of local user groups in addition to providing training, work experience and employment opportunities. Local residents are excited at the prospect of transforming the site from an area of crime and graffiti to a social and sporting venue.

In a recent Birmingham Mail article, Councillor Mullaney said that he was shocked at the state of many of the city’s open spaces and has ordered park rangers to adopt minimum standards as regards graffiti and vandalism. One of the directors of the Kingsbridge project is locally based Community Worker Roger Lynch. Roger has led several community volunteer teams in the Balsall Heath area in painting out graffiti in local open spaces such as Nelson Mandela Park and has written to Councillor Mullaney to express his support. While removing graffiti is a strong short term benefit, in a recent interview with BBC West Midlands Roger highlighted that the long term goal is to put ownership back into the hands of local communities.