Tottenham Hotspur’s midfielder Jamie O’Hara joined an enthusiastic group of 30 children and adults who use Norwood’s services at Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground on 20 May. They were there to launch Norwood’s exciting new sporting initiative SNAP - Spurs & Norwood Altogether Project. Norwood is a leading UK charity supporting children and families in need and people with learning disabilities, to improve the quality of their lives and achieve their goals.
Jamie O’Hara, recovering from knee surgery, received a warm welcome from the Norwood guests. Jamie said: "It was a pleasure for me to attend the launch of what looks like being another fantastic Tottenham Hotspur Foundation project. As players, we see on a regular basis the range of work the Club does off the pitch and the number of people we can help in our communities. Everyone at the event seemed to enjoy the activities on offer and the participants had some good questions to ask, which I was happy to answer."
Jamie was joined by four of the Club's young players - Andros Townsend, Ryan Mason, Steven Caulker and Troy Archibald-Henville – who gave up their time to take part in the sporting activities together with service users.
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Through SNAP, children and adults with learning disabilities who use Norwood’s services will have unprecedented access to high quality sports and activities including football, tennis, badminton and cricket. The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation will work closely with Norwood over the three years of the project, which is mainly funded by a major grant from the Football Foundation. A professional coach has been seconded to SNAP from Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and he and his team will ensure that the project is sustainable, leaving a legacy of trainers so that children and adults with disabilities, staff and volunteers will continue to run the programme at the end of the project.
David Harris, Norwood’s Director of Operational Services, said, “This is a great opportunity for children and adults with learning disabilities in all our locations to get involved in sporting activities that will suit their individual needs and abilities and is open to all - those that have enjoyed sports before and those that have never played any type of sport.
We are delighted to have the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation as our partner. They have great experience and expertise in working with people of all abilities.” Thanking the Football Foundation for their generous grant, David continued “The Football Foundation has made SNAP a reality and Norwood is enormously grateful to them. Our thanks also go to the Jack Petchey Foundation and to the Jewish Youth Fund, who provided additional funding for SNAP”.
Laurie (a service user) from Norwood said,
“It was fun and I met Jamie O’Hara. It was great at Spurs!
James Isaac from the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation commented “Tottenham Hotspur Foundation is delighted to be working with Norwood. Through this unique partnership the Foundation aims to enhance Norwood’s sports and recreation services for their service users through delivery, support, training and, most importantly, through the coming together of two very positive and highly skilled disability and inclusive service providers.”
Sarah Mawle, representing the Football Foundation*, presented a giant cheque to Norwood and said, “The SNAP project meets all the criteria of the Football Foundation, inclusiveness, equality, learning new skills and promoting a healthy lifestyle. SNAP is a perfect partnership with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and we are convinced that our major grant will fund an important and long lasting project.
Read the story on Tottenham Hotspur's website
For more information, contact
snap@norwood.org.uk
