Social Impact Report 2024 / 25

This is a short story about We Play Together SCIO, the social impact we aspire to have and what we achieved last year.

We Play Together SCIO exists to change lives through sport - giving young people, adults and basketball "a bounce".

Through our Blaze Basketball Club, Crags Centre and Schools Network we provide access to a range of basketball and other activities.

We provide access to basketball for

600

children per week

Last year we worked with over 4000 children across 6 High Schools and 22 Primary Schools.

We significantly grew female participation – leading us to set up a new squad to meet demand.

Watch

This short video explains the success we had with over 60 S1 and S2 girls taking up the sport at Broughton High School.

Our staff and Coaches are central to our efforts. They capture people's interest and turn it into passion. They are role models for people in how to positively engage with life and Sport.

We employed

17

Coaches

and operated 18 squads from U10 to Seniors.

15 new Apprentice Coaches joined our coach development programme and we graduated 7 to Assistant Coaches this season.

We have 2 national Coaches
– GB Men's U20's
– Dutch Snr Women;

People feel safe, have fun and make friends, developing a strong connection to club, local community and sport.

Playing basketball and being part of Blaze club helps build the skills and knowledge to manage issues related to mental health, poor lifestyle choices, isolation and anti-social behaviour.

This years member survey highlighted:

Over

90%

of respondents feel the club is welcoming and provides them with a strong sense of belonging.

74% of respondents see their coaches as helping with their personal as well as basketball development.

90% of parents see the club contributing to their childs wellbeing.

80% of respondents reported growth in confidence, teamwork and leadership skills.

Watch

This video shows some parents who recognise and appreciate the sense of community and belonging we provide.

We generate care, community, development & performance - on and off the court.

Our hope is that young people & adults use their positive sport & club experience with us to navigate and shape their lives.

Our Individual Development Programme has

80

participants from U12 to U18 - encouraging commitment to setting goals and improving.

22 junior players qualified on our Officials & Referee training. We provided 650 hours of paid Officials & Referee opportunity last year.

Watch

These 2 short video’s offer a members view of how Blaze has supported their personal development, educational and sporting attainment.

In summary our social impact focuses on:

Providing access to Basketball, Club and Centre.
Building Community and Inclusion.
Supporting Individual Development.
Influencing Educational, Vocational & Sporting Attainment.

We helped over

30

children struggling with attendance to reconnect with school through our School of Basketball programmes.

We ran 40 additional support needs (ASN) sessions.

Our U18 National League women won 'the treble' - Scottish Cup playoffs and league - and received a motion of congratulations from the City of Edinburgh!

15 of our members represented Scotland national teams - and 2 have gone on to play for GB.

At the same time we aim to positively influence Scottish basketball culture & strengthen the ecosystem.

We hosted over 375 players / 8 clubs from across Scotland at our fortnightly We Play Together league.

All our Coaches "coach through care" - an innovative approach that puts the individual at the centre of coaching.

For further information about We Play Together SCIO, Blaze Club or The Crags Centre please contact:

Richard Knight, CEO
richard@weplaytogether.scot

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