Sports Collective Meeting at the Citizen Hub: A Collaborative Evening for St Neots’ Sporting Future

29 Aug Sports Collective Meeting at the Citizen Hub: A Collaborative Evening for St Neots’ Sporting Future

A packed house full of collaborative energy gathered at the Citizen Hub for the Sports Collective meeting, hosted by the St Neots Initiative. The evening was a testament to the collective drive to enhance and sustain sports in St Neots, bringing together representatives from various clubs, organisations, and the community.

Pre-Event: Setting the Stage

Are you passionate about St Neots and sports?

St Neots is home to a wide variety of sports clubs and individuals who are deeply committed to staying active. However, not all activities and passions are always visible. The St. Neots Sports Collective wanted to change that by inviting the community to share their views and ideas on current sports offerings and the future of sports facilities in the area.

Sports play a pivotal role in our community, helping to improve focus and engagement across different backgrounds. Staying active brings a wealth of health, social, and economic benefits to the entire town. As some of our existing facilities near the end of their lifespan and with many clubs facing funding challenges, it’s crucial to seize new opportunities presented by the town’s development.

With major sporting events like the Euros and the Olympics taking place this summer, it was the perfect time to bring the community together to discuss the future of sports in St Neots. A panel of local sports leaders was assembled to explore these topics and the role our community will play in shaping the future of sports in the town.

Panel Members:

• Paul Warmington, Chair of St Neots Rugby Club
• Michael Hornby, Vice Chair of St Neots Hockey Club
• Rebecca Britton, Urban and Civic, Developers of Wintringham Farm
• Dave Walsh, Living Sports, Active Partnership for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

Panel Facilitator:

• Tanya Sargeant, Co-chair of the St Neots Initiative Sports Collective

Key Discussions: Addressing Barriers

The evening began with an open discussion about the barriers facing sports in St Neots. Participants voiced concerns, which included:

• The unexpected challenge of managing sports clubs as businesses, often without adequate support.
• A severe lack of accountability regarding the state of sports facilities.
• High costs associated with maintaining and growing clubs.
• Limited engagement with official planning bodies, raising the question of how many clubs are truly integrated with local governance.
• Seasonal challenges, particularly with school facilities closing during holidays, limiting youth access to sports.
• A noticeable absence of sufficient sport facilities in St Neots, leaving many feeling overlooked.
• The “Year 9 cliff edge,” a term used to describe the drop-off in youth sports participation around this age.
• Missed opportunities for collaboration and sharing of resources and data among clubs.

These discussions, though highlighting significant challenges, paved the way for solution-oriented thinking.

Solution Thinking: Building a Stronger Sports Community

In true SNI fashion, the conversation quickly shifted towards actionable solutions, focusing on three key areas:

1. Infrastructure: Participants brainstormed short-term and long-term strategies for improving sports facilities in St Neots. A recurring idea was the creation of a multi-functional sports hub that could host a variety of sports, allowing clubs to scale, network, and provide a home for both youth and adult athletes. The group also discussed the potential for collective funding, combining resources to access larger grants and community investments.
2. Volunteering and Collective Resourcing: The importance of working together as a community was emphasised, with ideas about sharing resources, data, and even volunteers between clubs to maximise efficiency and support.
3. Youth Participation: Ensuring that every young person in St Neots feels a sense of belonging in sports was a major focus. The conversation touched on the critical role sports play in building confidence, discipline, and social skills among youth, and how clubs can better engage and retain young participants.

Youth Group Insights: The Role of Sports in Youth Development

The evening also included a dedicated session on how sports contribute to the development of young people in St Neots. The discussion highlighted the multifaceted benefits of youth participation in sports, emphasising not only physical health but also critical social and emotional skills.

Confidence and Social Skills: Sports provide a unique environment where young people can develop confidence in their social interactions. Whether engaging with peers or interacting with adults, sports teach young people how to communicate effectively, collaborate in teams, and build trust—skills that are invaluable both on and off the field. The discipline and respect learned through sports, particularly in team settings, help young people understand the importance of their actions and how they impact others.

Emotional Wellbeing: The emotional release that sports provide was also a key point of discussion. Sports offer a controlled environment for young people to channel their energy and emotions, helping to prevent stress-related issues and providing an outlet for frustration and aggression. This can be particularly beneficial in preventing burnout and outbursts in other areas of life, such as school or home.

Career Pathways and Future Opportunities: The discussion also highlighted that sports are not just about physical performance. Even if a young person doesn’t excel in the sport itself, the skills and connections they gain can open doors to other career paths, such as coaching, officiating, or sports management. This broadens the horizons for young people, offering them a range of opportunities to stay involved in the sports industry.

Belonging and Community: Perhaps most importantly, sports provide young people with a sense of belonging and a safe space where they can feel part of a community. This is especially crucial in St Neots, where some young people may not have access to other forms of social support. Sports clubs offer a welcoming environment where everyone can feel valued and supported.

Infrastructure Dreams: A Vision for St Neots

Infrastructure was a significant focus of the evening, with participants imagining what an ideal sports environment in St Neots could look like. The discussions revealed a shared vision for a multi-functional sports hub that would serve as the heartbeat of the town’s sporting life.

A Multi-Functional Sports Hub: The concept of a multi-functional sports hub emerged as a key solution to many of the infrastructure challenges currently facing St Neots. Such a hub would provide a central location for various sports, allowing clubs to grow, mature, and offer their services to a wider audience. This facility would not only cater to the needs of different sports but also foster a sense of community by enabling clubs to collaborate, share resources, and host joint events.

Funding and Community Involvement: Funding was another critical topic, with many clubs struggling to access the necessary resources to maintain and expand their facilities. The idea of collective funding was proposed as a way to overcome this challenge, with clubs pooling their efforts to access larger grants and attract community investment. The discussion also touched on the importance of engaging the local community in these efforts, recognising that residents would likely support initiatives that enhance the town’s sports infrastructure.

Benefits to the Community: The impact of such a facility on the community would be profound. It would not only provide a much-needed upgrade to the town’s sports infrastructure but also help retain and attract members to local clubs. Additionally, it would reduce the need for clubs to travel to other towns for adequate facilities, keeping the benefits—both social and economic—within St Neots.

A Shared Vision: The session concluded with a strong consensus that a multi-functional sports hub would be a transformative project for St Neots. It would address the current limitations of local sports facilities, create new opportunities for growth, and foster a more connected, active, and healthy community.

Special Thanks and Next Steps

The event was a collaborative success, thanks in large part to the contributions of our panel members: David Walsh (Living Sport), Rebecca Britton (Urban & Civic), Paul Warmington (St Neots Rugby Club), and Michael Hornby (St Neots Hockey Club). Special thanks to Tanya Sargeant for expertly facilitating the panel discussion.

Participants from a wide range of organisations, including Pocket Parkrun, Nice Tri Juniors, St Neots Golf Club, and others, shared their insights and contributed to the evening’s discussions.

The next gathering for sport will be in October, we look forward to seeing this conversation advance. If you aren’t already signed up as a citizen member please do so via https://www.stneotsinitiative.org.uk/