Young people have been improving their skills on the badminton courts with free coaching sessions held at Finsbury Leisure Centre in EC1.
The sessions, aimed at eight-16 year-olds are part of Heatwave, Islington Council’s programme of summer activities for children and young people.
Instructors from the EC1 Community Sports Programme helped players perfect their serve, forehand and backhand and offered advice as they supervised games.
Cllr Paula Belford, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Children and Young People, joined in one of the sessions. She said:
"Heatwave includes lots of free and low cost sporting activities across the borough for all age groups. There should be something that appeals whether young people want to improve their skills in a sport, or learn something completely new.
"The session I went to was really well-run and well-attended and most of the young people had come along earlier in the week too. It was good to see their enthusiasm for sport and being active."
The badminton sessions are funded by EC1 New Deal for Communities and Access to Sports.
11-year-old Ziyad Said-Wardell said:
"Everyone here is really friendly and I’ve got to know people really well. We’ve practised different strokes and I’ve got much better at badminton. It’s fun playing games against each other at the end of the sessions and I’ve been playing table tennis in the afternoons too."
Chidima Atukpawu, 11, said:
"I didn’t know how to play before this, but now I know the difference between badminton and tennis. It’s been fun meeting new people and making friends. I’ve also been on an African drumming course this summer and on a dance course."
ENDS.
Page Last Updated: 19 August 2009