Always on
This project successfully funded on 30th May 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Bristol Sonics Basketball Under 16s
Bristol, Bristol City, United Kingdom
Aim
A community basketball club in St. Paul's, Bristol raising funds to take the team to a tournament in Portugal.
Who are we?
Bristol Sonics is a homegrown, community basketball club rooted in St Pauls, Bristol. Our players are a diverse group of young people from the local area, and commit themselves to training and playing hard at the sport they love, supported by two experienced local coaches who volunteer to give their time to the holistic development of the boys. Through basketball, our young players are increasing in confidence, and building skills for their futures as leaders, collaborators and representatives for their local community.
Bristol Sonics is led by Dan Edozie, a former professional basketball player who now works as a coach and mentor, engaging and inspiring young people through sport. Dan's lived experience of early life disadvantage, and the way that basketball helped to shape his future is just one example of the power of the sport to break down barriers and improve life chances. He has established the Bristol Sonics ethos - embodied by our slogan We Are Community - focusing not only on the skills and enjoyment of basketball, but also on inspiring young people to grow into the best versions of themselves as males and as the leaders and role models of the future.
Find out more about Dan Edozie's story - BBC Sport
Why are we crowdfunding?
Our Under 16s team has been invited to take part in the Portugal Basketball Festival, held in Lisbon from 26th–29th June 2026. This vibrant international tournament brings together youth teams from across Europe for three days of friendly competition, cultural exchange, and inspiration.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our young players — many of whom have grown up right here in St. Pauls — to experience new horizons, build confidence, and proudly represent our community abroad.
We are determined to ensure that no player is left behind due to financial barriers, and our fundraising will enable participation for the whole squad of 14 players. Our community is running fundraising events and campaigns, and with the support of this Crowdfunder, we hope to meet the costs of this lifechanging opportunity for our 14 players and 2 volunteer coaches.
As a not-for-profit, community organisation that encourages and inspires young people to get active and fit, Bristol Sonics is applying for match funding to help boost any money raised by our supporters.
How we’ll spend the money raised
The funds we raise will be used for:
🏀 Tournament fees – including registration, prizes, and tournament support
🏠 Accommodation for 3 nights (half board)
🚐 Airport and local transfers to and from games
🍽️ Meals and essential travel costs
✈️ Support towards flights between Bristol and Lisbon
Portugal Basketball Festival 2026
Community impact
The impact of this project on our local community has enormous potential. Our young players will be representing an inner city area of Bristol rich in cultural diversity, but without the facilities and opportunities that more advantaged communities enjoy. In the Bristol Quality of Life Survey (2023/24), 65% of people in inner city Bristol said they’re not satisfied with activities for children & young people in their area, and 69% said they’re not satisfied with leisure facilities & services. The promotion of basketball as a community activity, led by a not-for-profit organisation can benefit not only our current players, but also future generations of young people; the more popular the sport becomes, the more benefits that are visible, the more likely the local community is to receive investment from local authorities and businesses.
We want to make our impact sustainable so that the effects of this opportunity for our Under 16s team are also felt by the wider club and community, both now and in the future. Our Under 16s players are inspired by this opportunity to train as coaches and mentors themselves, and pass on their experiences and the skills they develop to younger age groups.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made