The Cheddar First School Fundraiser

Aim

At Sports For Champions UK, we don’t just create dreams – we build champions. Embark on this transformative journey with us today.

Cheddar First School are excited to be hosting an inspirational workshop with Tatum Keen. Tatum needs your help to raise funds for vital training, medical and competition costs. This money will also help your school and other athletes across the country, find out more below!

The Cheddar First School valued and nurture individuality and inspire a life-long love of learning through their creative curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities. The school has a choir, school council, pupil and staff well-being groups. There are also opportunities to learn musical instruments or take part in team sports so there really is something for everyone! Through their emphasis on oracy skills, children are encouraged to question, challenge and communicate their opinions positively, whilst taking risks with their learning and building their resilience. As active learners, they reach their full potential and achieve success in both academic development and emotional intelligence.

Who's Coming?

How I started:

I started sports with ballet, and my dad wanted me to try a range of sports like Rugby, but when I moved houses to Bath we saw a poster for a Bath University Judo club. I went and I loved it from the first session! I stayed at this club for three years until I was nine years old, but there was not enough girls for me to train with and I wanted to get a little bit more competitive so I moved to Bradley Stoke Judo Club in Bristol where I have been training for over ten years! It was at this club where I won the A Band National Championships, which is a competition for U13 participants, but it was also my first large scale win! This gave me a lot of confidence, and allowed me to be more sure of my skills as a Judoka.

My Greatest Achievement:

My greatest achievement is placing fifth in the Youth Olympics in Baku. That was a big one because there is a lot of pressure in that competition, and I was also selected as Team GB’s flag bearer for the competition, this also meant that I had to give a speech in front of everyone which was a good learning experience! I was proud to have represented my country on the world stage, and I performed the best out of the GB team too.

My Greatest Challenge:

My greatest challenge has been balancing my studies and continuing to compete at a high level, this has been an ongoing challenge for the last three years of being a full time student and competing athlete, in addition to everything else I am also doing a placement this year meaning I’ll also have to work in a full time placement too!

My Hobbies:

Outside of Judo, I love to be with my friends, socialising and I generally make a lot of time to spend with friends and family and like to cherish the moments I get to spend with them. I also enjoy Skiing when I get the chance, but I don’t get to go as often as I’d like to anymore!

My Future Aspirations:

In the future I aim to finish university with a first, but hopefully my busy schedule doesn’t get too much in the way of this! I also want to join the GB Judo National Centre, where I will begin to be a funded athlete meaning I can progress from where I am now. I am also looking forward to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where I hope to medal. The Commonwealth Games will hopefully set me on a trajectory to be competing in the 2028 LA Olympics too!

Who are Sports For Champions?

Great news! Sports For Champions UK (CIC) will soon visit your school! Your young people have been invited to join a sponsored fitness circuit led by a Professional athlete, who will educate, enable, and empower participants with a view to inspiring them to be the champions of tomorrow.

While we're not all athletically inclined, we strongly encourage participation; all young people have talent and require inspiration to pursue their dreams - whatever they may be!

After 12 years of success, we have perfected our inspirational events, and they are guaranteed to deliver for your school and pupils!

Sports For Champions events are held in support of schools, which keep 60% of the funds raised to spend on resources that will enrich young people's education/experience. Professional athletes in need of support are the only other beneficiaries from the remaining 40%. Sports For Champions is an audited organization that is voluntarily registered with the Fundraising Regulator, meaning you can support the initiative with assurance.

What will happen on the day?

During the assembly, Sports For Champions athletes show medals and tell their story, hard work, lessons, and insights shared to capture the imagination of all and inspire healthier active lifestyles. Athletes discuss challenges on the road to success, with resilience, nutrition, diet, and dedication forming key topics. Fitness is essential for every young person’s general wellbeing in physical and mental health. It is also proven to be a strong booster of learning potential or brain power. By inspiring children as champions of tomorrow, Sports For Champions envision young people developing in all walks of life as healthy, active, community-minded participants in society.

Alongside Team Sports For Champions, athletes engage in invaluable work within local communities to support their training-related costs (e.g. physio/travel). Most world-class athletes train a rigorous 35-hour week and struggle to find reliable work that fits their schedule. This is how the funds we raise enable athletes and your school/club to realize their potential. Many pro athletes are unsponsored, lose support, or cannot find it.

Sports For Champions offers schools the benefit of additional funds to go towards resources/facilities, whilst helping athletes with the funds required to sustain their journey with an contribution towards training and competition fees, medical costs, equipment, and more.

Cheddar First School will be receiving an inspirational visit from Tatum Keen on the 27th of June 2025 and we need your support!

The pupils will benefit from physical activity through our fitness circuit, an inspirational talk including medal display, and a Q&A session.

Where does the money go?

When parents and guardians offer their support to a Sports for Champions UK (CIC) fundraising event, they are nurturing not only their children's immediate environments but also the bright futures of many rising athletes. Here is a breakdown of how your contributions make a significant difference:

For each fundraising event, Sports For Champions looks to raise enough money to cover the costs that it takes to provide such an excellent service nationally. Once that goal is reached, surplus funds are allocated in a way that benefits both the school and our passionate athletes – 60% for the school’s continued growth and 40% contributing to the athlete fund.

At the core of the Sports For Champions UK (CIC) initiative is the Athlete Fund. Primarily, the fund aids schools in less economically privileged areas that might struggle with costs, ensuring that the administrative fee isn’t a barrier to vital opportunities. Additionally, it assists our dedicated athletes in moments of pressing need, whether it’s recovering from injuries, procuring advanced equipment, or embarking on warm-weather training camps. Our fundamental belief remains unwavering: no school should be compromised for its economic stance, and every promising athlete deserves a fair shot at excellence. Our commitment ensures no child or school is left behind due to circumstances beyond their control.

Challenges Athletes Face: Our partnering pro athletes and Team GB Olympians have a world of responsibilities on their shoulders. They juggle between a rigorous training schedule that demands over 35 hours a week and their personal commitments. This often leaves them with limited time and resources to focus on their careers, leading to financial constraints. Expenses for equipment, training, coaching, travel, and more pile up, making it a challenge for these athletes to perform at their best and represent Great Britain.

Why is this important?

Cheddar First School is promoting health and wellbeing throughout the school, and with the help of a visit from Tatum Keen, this will be enhanced across all year groups and staff. They are also focusing on encouraging diversity and raising the aspirations of the pupils through sport.

Cheddar First School will benefit from the money raised as they will be able to provide new equipment, fund opportunities for the children, and more.

How can you help?

We're asking all parents to help make it a memorable event for the pupils with the help of Tatum Keen, to raise funds for key resources for Cheddar First School.

If you are a local business or a friend of the school and would like to contribute to help us get to our target, then please do make a donation and share our project as far as you can.

This project successfully funded on 27th June 2025