The first tournament kicked off on Havering Borough on 24th April 2017. The weather was not looking too good on the day but this did not dampen the anticipation of the games at hand. There was rain and hail stones but the games went on. It was a tense game to find the winners and it was a closely fought final. The overall winners were from Havering Sixth Form. They will be playing in the grand finale.
The second tournament was held on Saturday 13th May at Crystal Palace Sports Stadium. It was a busy day with teams from Bromley, Southwark and Lewisham. Each team played their hardest to win the tournament and again it was a tense final. The overall winners were Lewisham College.
We also had a girls team from the Crystal Palace U12’s team. They played against a few of the other teams in the tournament. They played a good game and we know that we have potential England team players in the making.
Both of the tournaments were supported by family and friends who were cheering from the side lines. This is a great opportunity for all members of the community, families, friends and the police to work together in an informative and fun way. The message from the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust was heartfelt and gave everyone an opportunity to think about and make a difference to someone who needs help with stem cell donations. The ACLT team dispelled the myths surrounding the whole process and explained the simple way in which you can become a donor. For further information visit their website at www.aclt.org.
The Kickoff@3 objectives are already being achieved, by the way of youth diversion and positive relationships with the Police.
Overall it has been a great collaborative effort with community partners and new found friends. Friendships and lasting relationships have been formed, with a good foot print for others to follow next year.
The next tournament will be held on Saturday 20th May at the Burlington Dane Academy, W12. Everyone is welcome to attend and show support to all of the young people who have entered this great tournament.
