RJ4ALL Gym Launch! - Press Release
RJ4ALL LAUNCH SOUTHWARK COMMUNITY GYM WITH £10,000 SUPPORT FROM LOCAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING FUND
The centre will offer free sports lessons to young people in the community, aiming to reduce inequalities of opportunity, including a focus on girls’ access to sport
On Tuesday 24th May, Restorative Justice 4 All (RJ4ALL) launched a community sports programme at Rotherhithe Community Centre, with the aim of making sports more accessible to those with fewer opportunities in the local area.
The Community Centre, which offers a food-bank, a community fridge, free sport classes, a community library, educational workshops and a free to use community gym, was opened with a ribbon-cutting event on 24th May 2022. The event was attended by the growing team at RJ4ALL, key partners including Art-Invest and Decathlon UK, and some users of the centre.
Thanks to the support of Decathlon UK and Art-Invest Real Estate (Art-Invest)’s joint health and wellbeing fund, as well as London Sport and Southwark Council, RJ4ALL will also now be able to run regular one week youth clubs for young people interested in exploring and trying out new sporting activities.
Art-Invest and Decathlon UK’s joint Health & Wellbeing Community Fund was established in 2021 to support local residents in pursuing active and healthy lifestyles. Funding has been granted to RJ4ALL, amongst a number of other partners, in order to sponsor physical activity in Canada Water.
Dr. Theo Gavrielides, RJ4All Founder and Director, commented: “Community cohesion and health equality are the results of long-term, local, partnerships and not products of top down instructions and structures. Simple changes in peoples’ lives such as being able to access a free community gym can help towards these objectives. That is why we have created RJ4All Sports, and we are delighted to be formally opening our RJ4All Community gym with the generous and multi-year support of the local Health and Wellbeing Fund. We look forward to continue working with Decathlon, Art-Invest and Southwark Council towards our mutual objectives for a more equal SE16 and the development of the first restorative postcode in the country”.
Delphine Mazillier, Head of CSR at Decathlon, added: “We were absolutely delighted to be able to team up with Art-Invest to support RJ4ALL’s work in the community. Decathlon’s passion is making the fun and benefits of sport more accessible for the many, so we can’t wait to see the positive impact that the community sports youth clubs will have on young people in our local community.”
Will Oakes, Development Manager at Art-Invest also commented: “As part of our commitment to supporting the local community here in Canada Water, we are thrilled to be supporting RJ4All in the establishment of a much-needed community gym. This is the first year of our Health & Wellbeing Fund, in partnership with Decathlon UK, and we look forward to continuing to work with and support local community organisations in Canada Water for many years to come, to bring forward a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.”
Decathlon has 49 stores in the UK and sells a variety of sports equipment, clothing, and accessories perfect for those who want to get active, try out new sports or forms of exercise or simply lead a healthy lifestyle.
Art-Invest are owners of the Surrey Quays Road 4.5-acre Canada Water Dockside site. The plans to deliver a new sustainable and vibrant town centre, develop 1.5 million sq ft GEA of workspace, alongside community spaces, and new places to eat and drink across the ground floor.
For more information, visit www.decathlon.co.uk and www.canadawaterdockside.co.uk
Restorative Justice for All International Institute (RJ4All)
The RJ4All Rotherhithe Community Centre, 30 Plough Way London SE16 2LJ, UK
admin@rj4all.org | +44(0)7708758600 or 07795678904
