Woodlands Secondary School are hosting an inspirational workshop with Team GB Basketballer Pierre Henry-Fontaine. Can you help us make it happen?
The School
Woodlands Secondary School is situated on Marsh Farm in Luton and the students who attend the school come from across the town.
At Woodlands they believe that learning is a life-long journey and all aim to inspire and support the children and young people to achieve their full potential. The school's curriculum is tailored to the individual needs of the young person. Woodlands Secondary School's broad and balanced curriculum focuses on functional learning and incorporates life-skills to support and promote independence. Woodlands School provides a vibrant, fun and inclusive educational community where all members, students, their families and staff, are continuously learning together.
The school also believe that children and young people learn best when they are happy and emotional well-being has a high priority.
At the school Students work in small class groups (6-12) and are well supported by their class teachers and teaching assistants. The school is supported by NHS speech therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists; the school employ their own counsellors and sensory integration specialist, they also buy into art, music and play therapy to meet the needs of students, as identified in their EHC Plan.
The school has excellent facilities including a hydrotherapy pool, a dance and drama studio, a soft play room, a gym, a café and tuck shop (run by the students), a multi-sensory room, a rebound therapy room with a sunken trampoline, a horticulture area and an area for Forest School activities.
At Woodlands they keep the young person at the centre of everything they do, working closely with parents, professionals and other stakeholders to ensure that every opportunity is maximised. They are also committed to supporting students as they transition into Woodlands and when they are moving on from Woodlands. Preparation for adulthood underpins their curriculum planning decisions.
Who's coming?
I first picked up a basketball at 12 years old on the South Acton Estate in London and I was hooked. Growing through the ranks of the junior circuit and then onto playing in the big league – my passion for the game was always at a high and I was a talented player, however my sporting achievements were never seen on par in comparison with my academic efforts coupled with the fact that Basketball was a new sport to the UK – the resources were simply not there to push me to the highest level.
My love for the game held me hostage and I searched high and low on how to improve both on and off the court but with the internet in its infancy I was limited to picking up tips from senior players and staying up late watching NBA games every chance I could get.
Despite playing for England Men’s, playing at a professional level for the British Basketball League and attending a Junior College in the US – the ultimate dream of being drafted in the NBA eluded me.
As life moved on however, my love for the game never died as I continued to play semi pro and I focused on achieving my optimum condition as an athlete. As the next generation of talented young players came through the ranks – they looked to me for guidance and advice. My focus was then to expand my knowledge base so I could help to fill the gaps not just for those basketball players but all athletes. I trained and qualified as a Level 3 Personal trainer and expanded upon my personal understanding and research on conditioning the body for optimum performance.
My main goal for the future is to expand on my company 360 Elite – this company is my true passion and our vision is to make the world have a 360 Elite state of mind, which has a 360 holistic approach towards creating a well-balanced elite person. Tackling physical, mental and spiritual aspects of training. We work to provide essential knowledge to young people who have extraordinary gifts, so they are well prepared in life. We pride ourselves on meeting people at the point of their needs whether amateur or professional.
Our vision is to be a positive contributor within society and the wider world to impact generations to come. We are passionate about bringing families together, and giving young people access to professional training in a professional environment. We thrive in working with individuals who do not have a healthy work life balance, and through each of our strands, our core values of empowerment, support and education are at the forefront of every interaction that we have with our clients/students.
Who are we?
Sports For Champions UK (CIC) in partnership with Woodlands Secondary School and the local community are running a fundraiser to help support the mental and physical health of the pupils after the national lockdowns.
Great news! Sports For Champions UK (CIC) will soon visit your school! Youth are invited to join a sponsored fitness circuit led by a Professional athlete, who will educate, enable, and empower participants with a view to inspire them as champions of tomorrow.
While we’re not all athletically inclined we strongly encourage participation, because all youth have talent and require inspiration to pursue their dreams - whatever they may be! After 10 years of success, we can promise a highly memorable event!
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 peoples’ 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. You can support the initiative with assurance.
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 youth growing in all walks of life as healthy, [pro] active community-minded talents.
Alongside Team Sports For Champions, athletes invest in local communities to avail of support with training-related costs (e.g. physio/travel). Most world-class athletes train a rigorous 35hr 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 realise their potential. Many pro athletes are unsponsored, lose support, or cannot find it.
Sports For Champions offers schools the benefit of an added investment on resources/facilities, whilst helping athletes with the funds required to sustain their journey with a contribution towards training and competition fees, medical costs, equipment, and more.
Woodlands Secondary School will be receiving an inspirational visit from renowned Team GB Basketballer Pierre Henry-Fontaine on the 7th of February 2022 and we need your support!
The pupils will benefit from Physical activity, an inspirational talk including medal display and a Q&A session.
Why is this important?
Woodlands Secondary School need to recover and rebuild after the national lockdown and with the help of a visit from Pierre Henry-Fontaine the pupils and teachers will be given the tools to respond to issues like a pandemic, begin to focus on friendships and social engagement all while improving their physical and mental well being.
Woodlands Secondary School will benefit from the money raised to invest in key front-line services and equipment.
How can you help?
We're asking all parents to help make it a memorable event for the pupils with the help of Team GB Basketballer Pierre Henry-Fontaine and to raise funds for key resources for Woodlands Secondary 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.