Project focus: Marlborough Sports Garden

Marlborough Sports Garden is a rare open space in London’s densely populated SE1 where around 93% of dwellings are flats with little, if any, outdoor space. The area also has high poverty rates. In Southwark 40% of children in Year 6 are obese. Our accessible sports facilities and coaching at MSG are free or heavily subsidised. Essential for enhancing health and wellbeing and tackling rising health inequalities.

In 2022/23 our work at Marlborough Sports Garden included:

Sports coaching for children and young people

FREE coached afterschool sports sessions for ages 4-11, designed in consultation with our young participants.

10 different sports on offer across three afternoons a week, including beach volleyball, roller skating to music, touch rugby and girls football.

2 terms of full afterschool sports coaching, plus year round football and girls’ football session.

459 registered participants took part in our afterschool and holiday multi-sports programmes.

50% of places on holiday multisport camps were free to children from low-income households.

Sports sessions for older children and adults

► Active Communities Network ran free weekend football sessions for ages 4-11 and 16+ and free school holiday football tournaments for teenagers.

► Free weekly walking football sessions for people aged 55+ living with cancer and other chronic health conditions.