Golden boy Mo Farah will return to his old stomping grounds in Feltham to launch a £250,000 sports scheme for Hounslow’s youngsters next week.
The double Olympic and European gold medallist and world champion will introduce Motivate Hounslow at his former school, Feltham Community College, where he was first encouraged to become a runner and mentored by PE teacher Alan Watkinson.
Led by three young motivators, and in a bid to inspire the next generation of athletes, the free festival of sport will open its doors to young people aged 14 to 25 on Wednesday from 12.30pm.
Mo last visited the school in 2012 and has also made other visits elsewhere in the borough.
Youngsters are invited to join the track and field athlete, who grew up in Hounslow, in keeping the legacy of the 2012 London Games alive, by participating in a range of sports activities including athletic, boxing, basketball, trampolining and football.
The first 50 people to register will receive a free Motivate Hounslow T-shirt and be entered into a prize draw to win two free tickets to watch a Brentford FC match.
Mo said: “Growing up as a young boy in Hounslow, sport was really important to me and helped keep me on the straight and narrow, so this is something very close to my heart.
“Motivate Hounslow is important as it will bring sport into 100s of young people’s lives who wouldn’t normally be able to access it, so I’m very proud to see this come to fruition.”
The partnership between Brentford FC community sports trust, the Mo Farah Foundation and Sport Impact aims to encourage more young people in the borough into sport.
Further support has been provided by ISIS Waterside Regeneration, Carillion Parks Management, The Heathrow Community Fund, Syon Park, Brentford Football Club and Nike.
The first three years of the programme will be funded by the National Lottery’s Sport England community sport activation fund.
Mike Diaper, Sport England director of community sport, said: “It’s great to be working with innovative projects, like Motivate Hounslow, to offer people the chance to get into sport in a way that best suits them.
“The investment being made through the Community Sport Activation Fund is making a real difference at a very local level. I’m particularly pleased that more than half the funding is going into projects in deprived areas, helping more people develop a lifelong sporting habit.”
Three young motivators have been selected to deliver the programme in local areas and schools, as well as collaborate with local clubs and create new coaches to ensure the programme can go beyond the funding period.
Its aim is to reach 1,000 participants a year, with a majority of the sessions delivered in the most deprived areas of the borough.
Following the event, registered youngsters can sign up for free to get involved in a sport on a regular basis from September, which will take place at venues across the borough.
The launch will take place at Feltham Community College on Wednesday from 12.30pm to 4pm.
To register, visit www.brentfordfccst.com
