Press Release: Youngsters dig deep for The Challenge

Youngsters from across the region dug deep to brush up on their volunteering credentials and revamp a city leisure centre.
Organisers of The Challenge teamed up with the Living Environment Trust to select the Coventry Sports Foundation-managed Centre AT7 in Bell Green Road as the location for the latest instalment of the project.
Almost 100 volunteers paid visits to the centre for almost a month – culminating with a big final event which saw around 60 young volunteers arrive at the site to help refurbish the centre.
The Challenge brings 15 and 16-year-olds from diverse backgrounds together to take on physical, social and civic challenges that prepare them to design and deliver a project that will make a difference in their community.
Along the way they learn key skills such as teamwork, leadership and communication, and are encouraged to develop trust in others, responsibility for themselves, understanding and empathy.
The group made a range of improvements to the outdoor activity and garden areas including planting hedgerows and other plants that will benefit wildlife. Fences were also given a new lick of paint, ladybird and butterfly boxes were put in place and a stepping-stone footpath was installed – made using log rings recycled from tree work at another Coventry Sports Foundation site - the Alan Higgs Centre, Allard Way.
Raffaella Tentindo is the manager of the Living Environment Trust which is a charity based in Coventry that aims to promote environmental enhancement and sustainability issues within local communities.
She said: “We were delighted to have worked with The Challenge and are extremely pleased with the work which has been carried out.
“This project fitted in perfectly with our charity’s ethos and we are sure these improvements will not only be beneficial to the local community, but also to the environment and wildlife in the area.
“It was great to see so many enthusiastic young people giving up their time to support this project and hopefully they learnt some things which will benefit them in later life.”
The project was supported by local businesses with Hawkesbridge Fencing, based in Hawkes Mill Lane, supplying and helping to install a pergola as well as additional support from Falkland Close-based Tudor Environmental and Baginton-based nurseries Russell’s Nursery and Smith’s Nursery.
Earlier in the year around 180 youngsters visited the Xcel Leisure Centre in Canley as well as the Alan Higgs Centre to learn a range of skills, such as photography, drama, design and media, before taking part in activities to benefit the local community.
Other projects the youngsters have been involved in include creating flyers with Coventry City Council for the re-launch of the Memorial Park and visiting local care homes.
Josie Whitworth, senior programme associate for The Challenge Network, said: “We have really enjoyed working alongside the Living Environment Trust to deliver these projects at Centre AT7, the Alan Higgs Centre and the Xcel Leisure Centre.
“It's great to work with organisations such as the Living Environment Trust who share our vision and passion for making communities stronger.
“The young people thoroughly enjoyed getting their hands dirty and seeing the difference they could make.
“We hope to have left both a short term and long term legacy created by young people for the local community.”
Around 540 youngsters from Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire will have taken part in The Challenge by its completion as well as 3,000 nationally.

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