Arts Trust Nominated for London Sport Awards 2025
The Community Impact Award shines a spotlight on grassroots physical activity and sport clubs or community organisations delivering great service and benefits to its users and/or the wider community.
Being active provides people with an incredible array of physical and mental health benefits and positive opportunities for individual, community and economic development.
The Community Impact Award captures and celebrates a wide cohort of grassroots physical activity and sport clubs and community organisations, whether that’s in a traditional sport setting or across London’s parks and streets.
The winner of the Community Impact Award will deliver a great service to its users, whether that’s online or offline, and will go the extra mile to make physical activity or sport a fun and enjoyable experience for all.
Shortlisted nominees:
Arts Trust Productions – The Silent Disco Skate Jam Programme is a grassroots initiative transforming physical activity in Thamesmead (SE28), one of London’s most deprived areas. Combining roller skating with a silent disco, it creates a safe, inclusive space for well-being and community connection. Delivered by Arts Trust Productions and Vibes on Vibes, it engaged 1,785 participants in six Skate Jams and 159 in taster workshops between September 2023 and October 2024. The programme enhances fitness, reduces social isolation, and provides free equipment to ensure accessibility. It fosters leadership through mentoring and has contributed to a 25% drop in youth-related crime during programme weekends. With 90% of participants rating it “excellent,” it has strengthened community bonds and provided a sustainable model for inclusive physical activity.
KEEN London – KEEN London is a charity using sports and games to support children with additional needs and disabilities, helping them develop personally, socially, and emotionally. Many children they support struggle to engage in mainstream clubs, facing barriers such as restricted mobility, sensory challenges, and communication difficulties. KEEN Club, a two-year programme, sets personalised goals for each child, with nearly 200 one-to-one supported sessions delivered in the past year, totalling over 4,000 hours of support. Their 2024 survey showed significant impact, with 100% of families reporting improvements, including increased social engagement (90%), improved communication (86%), and heightened confidence (93%). KEEN relies on 200+ volunteers, transforming them into SEND Champions through training. One success story is Jordan, a 13-year-old with Down Syndrome who once avoided physical activity but, after joining KEEN, gained confidence, made friends, and now actively participates in sport, even signing up for an after-school club.
Mottingham Big Local Refocused – Mottingham Big Local Refocused (MBLR) is a community-led initiative addressing local needs through events and activities. In partnership with Bromley Youth Service, MBLR ran the Summer of Sports programme in 2024, providing free activities for young people to ease cost-of-living pressures on families while promoting health and well-being. Designed with input from local youth, the programme included cycling, martial arts, canoeing, and multisports, attracting 380 children and 215 parents. Over 1,000 food boxes were also distributed, ensuring access to healthy meals. The initiative received praise for keeping children engaged, active, and off the streets, with plans to continue in 2025.
