A softball training evening for the Waterworks Safe Haven Youth Club was held in Birmingham at the end of September, run by the Birmingham Bobcats Softball Club in conjunction with Edgbaston Police and with assistance from BSUK.
Inner-city project
The Safe Haven Youth Club is run by PCSO Martin Clarke and caters for children of all ages on the Waterworks Estate in inner-city Birmingham. The club offers a retreat where children can get involved in a range of activities from horticulture to drama -- and now softball.
Twelve years ago the Waterworks Estate was considered a "no-go" area, where prostitution, drug dealing, burglaries, extortion, car thefts and anti-social behaviour were rife. However, due to the work of the Birmingham South West Group and West Midlands Police, the estate is now a nationally-recognised example of community cohesion.
The Bobcats were keen to become more involved in their local community and in the spring of 2011 they contacted the youth club to offer assistance. Their suggestion was snapped up and preparation to organise the training evening began.
Enthusiasm
And so, on the evening of September 29, the Bobcats were joined by 15 children ranging from four to 14 years of age. The kids burst on to the field full of excitement, energy and enthusiasm. Only a couple had heard of baseball before, never mind softball, but after a few minutes' introduction from Will Lintern, BSUK's West Midlands Regional Coach and Club Development Officer, they were fully prepared and eager to start play.
Despite the light drawing in, Will, along with Reinout Mildner and Kate Page-Smith from the Birmingham Bobcats, were able to lead the kids through two successful innings.
Success
Everyone involved had a great time and the Bobcats were pleased that they were able to contribute to their local community and hope to hold similar events next season.
Sergeant Michael Richards from Edgbaston Police declared the evening a huge success. "The kids loved it," he said, "and I can't thank you enough for putting on such a great event. We're definitely looking forward to doing it again next season."
Anyone interested in finding out what else the Birmingham Bobcats get up to both on and off the pitch should check out the club's website and blog.