What, where, when?
Grenfell Memorial U12, U14, U16 and U18 basketball tournament
Sport hall of Kensington Leisure Centre (at the footstep of Grenfell Tower)
Sunday, June 16, 2024
10:00 - 17:00
Who are we and what we do?
LONDON KNIGHTS is Basketball England registered basketball club, est 1997, with a developed junior basketball program, from 4 to 19 years of age.
We are an all inclusive, non selective community basketball club. Regardless of the age and previous basketball experience, every child will be able to learn to play basketball with us. We have 4 years old beginners but 16 years old as well.
London Knights BC' home court is in Kensington Leisure Centre but we run sessions in Kensington Aldridge Academy, Westminster Academy, Little Venice Sports Centre, King Solomon Academy, Church Street Sports Centre and St John Bosco (Battersea). We used to run junior sessions in Haverstock School (Camden) and Chelsea Academy but, due to the school Covid policy we are still on pause.
GRASSROOT BASKETBALL
This program is subsidised by the Sports Department of RBKC to acknowledge the importance of our work with these underrepresented categories. Our Club is proud to present our U6, U8 and U10 basketball sessions.
EHCP BASKETBALL
In partnership with the Sports Department of RBKC we deliver tailored, weekly sessions for SEN statement-ed children, every Monday 5-6pm in Kensington LC. This is not wheelchair basketball but tackles all other categories of disabilities that often go unnoticed and that are not obvious.
BOYS COMPETITIVE BASKETBALL
This is where the most boys are gathered. U10 mixed, U12 mixed, U14 and U16 teams are competing in the central venue CBL league. This is where our need is the greatest - to enable additional weekly sessions for our competitive teams.
GIRLS COMPETITIVE BASKETBALL
Our Club priority since the 2021/22 season is to develop girls competitive basketball and we are proud to have two girls teams competing in London CBL league. Any girl joining our program will be highly treasured!
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Continuation of the program delivered last year in partnership with Sport England, in attempt to bring back to active sport women from the low socio-economic background. We run tailored women’s basketball sessions, every Thursday 6.30-8.00pm in Jubilee LC.
SENIOR (50+) BASKETBALL
Another program delivered in partnership with RBKC to engage our senior residents. We organise senior basketball scrimmage, every Wednesday 8.00-10.00pm in Kensington LC.
BASKETBALL CAMPS
We run half-term basketball camps, as well as well as term break ones and summer basketball camps.
AFTERSCHOOL CLUBS
We run basketball after school clubs in Chelsea Academy and still deliver basketball provision in number of local schools including Kensington Aldridge Academy, Holland Park School, Haverstock School, Westminster Academy, Southbank International School....
Why are we crowdfunding?
LONDON KNIGHTS organises the Grenfell Memorial Basketball Tournament to commemorate tragic event that has devastated North Kensington community. By being a local Club to Kensington Leisure Centre and KAA, all our members have been affected with this tragedy. To preserve the memory of 72 lives lost in the inferno, the Tournament will line up 72 young players in the morning and further 72 in the afternoon. This tragedy shall not be forgotten. It should never happen again!
How we’ll spend the money raised
LONDON KNIGHTS BC, with help of our partners (FC Arsenal, London Lions BC, London Basketball Association and NBA London office) will cover some expenses (refereeing, coaching, refreshments, DJ, trophies, awards etc.) of the Grenfell Junior Basketball Tournament. Support from GLL and RBKC Council in securing the Venue is highly appreciated. With joint effort, we believe we can offer the community overshadowed with this North Kensington tragedy - a celebration of Youth!
This year we plan to print additional 144 t-shirts for all participants of GMBT.
Community impact
LONDON KNIGHTS BC is a club with vast experience in organising tournaments (we organised an international tournament with 8 clubs), games (national and local league, international friendlies). We can assure you that the tournament organisation can satisfy all safety and other related criteria. Basketball Club LONDON KNIGHTS organized the first Grenfell Junior Basketball Tournament in 2019 with the idea to commemorate the tragic event and engage young people in sport. We had around 100 participants. Our idea is to make it traditional and have more participants and spectators each time. Unfortunately, due to the COVID crises, we were unable to organise it in the past two years. This year we are looking forward to organising it again and engaging as many local youngsters as possible.
Tournament will bring together children from the local basketball Clubs, their parents, relatives, neighbors (who live at the footstep of Grenfell Tower) and any other RBKC resident interested in sport. This tragic event has shaped the lives of so many of our junior members who live in the vicinity of Kensington LC and Grenfell Tower. Vast majority of children are from the local primary schools (Thomas Jones, Oxford Gardens, Bevington Primary, Colville Primary, Fox Primary, St Mary's Abbots, St Barnabas School etc...) and secondary schools (St Charles, Kensington Aldridge Academy, Holland Park School, Chelsea Academy, Thomas Moore School etc...). The same background applies to Westside and Huskies; both clubs running weekly basketball sessions in Kensington LC.
We are certain that the Tournament will be welcomed by the local community as always.
How we play our part
Grenfell Junior Basketball Tournament is promoted through Grenfell Basketball Tournament page on our web-site, wide social media, local shops notice boards or advertisement screens, local organisations posts such as: Latymer Community Church, Curve, Grenfell United etc. We liaison with The parks Team to post Tournament posters at the Park information boards throughout the Borough.
Fundraise for us. We display all benefactors of the Tournament logos, alongside London Knights BC, RBKC and GLL.