A taekwondo club in Birkby has been providing free taster sessions thanks to funding from Yorkshire Sport Foundation.
Premier Taekwondo has hosted weekly opportunities for people to come and have a go at the sport since September, with further sessions planned between now and May.
The sessions are aimed at children and their families, with a focus on those who don’t already take part in physical activity. Data from Sport England has shown that activity levels in England are still below pre-pandemic levels, a statistic that is more apparent in less affluent and more ethnically diverse communities.
Sessions have so far attracted around 145 people, with more than 100 becoming full members of the club. The £3,500 funding, that is part of the ‘Together Fund’, is also supporting additional training for coaches, instructors and volunteers, and enabled First Aid and anaphylaxis training to be delivered to 18 leaders.
Lisa Jagger, Premier Taekwondo Development Officer, commented: “The staff, volunteers and members at Premier Taekwondo welcome the ongoing support from Yorkshire Sport Foundation which has enabled us to fight back from the impact of the pandemic and reinstate the club as a catalyst for physical activity.
“As a family focused club, it is important to us that we can inspire more children and young people to simply ‘have a go’ and potentially start them on a lifelong journey in Taekwondo.”
Andrew Lane, Development Officer at Yorkshire Sport Foundation, added: “Premier Taekwondo are at the heart of the community and have strong relationships with schools and other organisations in the area.
“This makes them well placed to support more people to have the opportunity to be physically active, and it’s great to see how the sessions have been received.”
People wanting to take part can contact the club on 07713 837508 or visit https://premiertaekwondo.org/ to request a free trial session. All ages are welcome, and the club even have sessions for the whole family to take part together.