ADDRESSING SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH SPORT

In its 39th year, the Jack Cheetham and Letsema Awards recognise and celebrate development projects that impact and transform the lives of young people from at-risk communities through sport. The Jack Cheetham Award commemorates able-bodied athletes and the Letsema Award, differently-abled athletes.

Fight with Insight, winner of the Jack Cheetham Award, is an open access boxing gym that creates a safe place for the children of inner-city Johannesburg. With a focus on the boy child, the programme aims to develop responsible men and to end the cycle of violence. The Fight with Insight approach provides a life skills programme to all children who attend the gym, as well as mentorship to access opportunities in education and employment.

Jumping Kids, winner of the Letsema Award, provides amputees and children with limb mobility deficiencies with the tools to be successful contributing members of society through access to prosthetic and mobility devices, education and training, and sporting opportunities and coaching. Having the physical confidence to navigate the barriers in their communities, develops capable youngsters better able to access schooling, bursaries and the opportunities that become available with education.

First runner-up of the Jack Cheetham Award was Amandla Safe-Hub, a worldclass facility that provides a physically and emotionally safe space for young people to access services, opportunities and support from strong role models through a soccer-based after-school programme. Second runnerup was CoolPlay, an initiative that uses netball and rugby alongside the CoolPlay ethos to provide participants with social emotional learning, enabling them to navigate the challenges they face.

First runner-up of the Letsema Award was Mandeville Para Swimming, which focuses on special needs and disadvantaged schools, encouraging learners to adopt swimming as a sport and has produced a number of medallists across national competitions. The second runner-up was the South African Disabled Golf Association and its First Swing Programme, which uses golf as a means of rehabilitation for severely disabled juniors and introduces golf as a potential sport and career option.

Says Zelia Soares, Chairman of the Adjudication Panel, “Murray & Roberts spent R19 million on corporate social responsibility initiatives in the last financial year and for the panel, giving is not just about making a donation but very much about making a difference.”

The awards continue to shift to a more holistic approach by using sport to address broader social issues, uplifting children and by extension, their communities. “Sporting champions are often born from these projects, but sometimes it is also an opportunity to give a vulnerable child a sense of belonging and purpose and sharing a glimpse of what is possible,” concludes Zelia.