Shaw Cross children set for ‘brighter future’ with Legacy Sport partnership

The Shaw Cross Tenants and Residents Association (TRA), based within the community centre on Smallwood Road, has been working closely in recent months with the Kirklees Neighbourhood team, Safer Kirklees and West Yorkshire Police in an attempt to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area.

And with “steps being taken in the right direction,” the group has received funding from Kirklees Council to run activities for two weeks during the summer holidays thanks to activities provider Legacy Sport.

Dave Hilton, 47, who is overseeing the initiative, has been a member of the TRA since last November. He said: “I am so passionate about this. After reaching out to the community it was felt that children on the estate, and surrounding area, didn’t have a lot to do during the summer holidays.

“We have been so lucky to be able to secure funding from Kirklees to have Legacy Sport come and do various sporting activities with the children.”

The two-week free sessions, which are running this week until Friday, August 11, and then from Monday, August 14 to Thursday, August 17, 10am until 2pm, are aimed at eight to 12-year-olds and include professional sports coaching, while a free lunch is also provided.

Dave added: “We were very, very lucky to get Legacy Sport. As long as the funding is there, Legacy Sport will be here every year.

“The long-term plan is the more funding we get the more activities we can get for the children in the area. We are trying to cater for the whole community and we are taking steps in the right direction.

“I just want the kids to have a brighter future. We’re trying to give kids memories.”

Dave, who has lived in Shaw Cross for the past 12 years, believes that the local community spirit is coming back to residents. He said:

“I love the place. Shaw Cross has had a bad rep lately and I want people to be aware that we are moving forward and the community spirit that we’ve got is definitely coming back to Shaw Cross.

“We are moving forwards. We’ve gone from an estate which was really run down and rife with drugs, violence, this that and the other, to working with Kirklees council and Safer Kirklees and it’s beginning to change now.

“We did lose the community spirit around here but it’s definitely coming back.”

For any parents interested in signing their children up to the scheme, please visit the Shaw Cross Community Centre.