Monday Motivation - St Mary's & St James Football

Monday Motivation - #ActiveLockleaze Project Spotlight On - St Mary's & St James Football

As part of our partnership project #ActiveLockleaze we like to feature regular posts for our Monday Motivation or Spotlight On section.

This is just one of the ways we promote physical activities and sports opportunities in Lockleaze. By sharing providers and participants & personal stories we aim to inspire and motivate and encourage all residents to lead more active lives.

This week we focus on Football with St Marys & St James

On Wednesday after school, when the sun is beaming down on Gainsborough Square, Rob and I (Vicar and Youth Worker @ St Mary and St James church) head out with a football and see who is up for a kick about! We are both huge football fans so what better way to connect and build community through playing footie. The square gets a fair amount of bad press, so being able to claim it as a safe space and bring some positivity to the area is something we try to do. On a dry, sunny afternoon, we can have over 20 children (boys and girls!) join in and the parents gather around for conversation and some even join in! Schools are intense and can be a difficult environment for a lot of children and young people to engage in - particularly for those who struggle with reading, writing or sitting and listening all day.

Football, and any sport really, offers a different outlet and is a great opportunity to give children and young people encouragement - not just when we see them do something quality with the ball at their feet, but when they display positive sportsmanship, play fairly or are resilient in different situations, which has a positive effect on a young person’s self esteem and their mental health. There are also the benefits of being active, exercising and of course, it is ALWAYS important to make sure sport and physical activity is FUN to be a part of!

Contact Matt for more info, to check whether we will be out during the week or if you want to get involved on matts.stmary.stjames@gmail.com.