Tuesday 27th May.
Unfortunately, due to ongoing works at the centre there will be no May Half Term programme.
Bridgestone Arena
Tuesday 27th – Friday 30th May
However, our evening sessions on Monday & Wednesday 5 – 7pm and Friday 5 – 8pm will continue as usual.
Thank you for your understanding.
What a great month it has been with talk, sport, and dance for the entire Brent community.
All of this has been captured in another great video montage from JRF’s young Media Man, Marley.
Enjoy!
PHOTO CREDIT @eyeSam – https://www.eyesam.co.uk/
Saturday 5th April 2025
On a sunny Saturday afternoon eight young people were treated to a special day at Reading Football Club as part of JRF’s ‘Empower to Achieve’ Heritage project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Pupils from Lyon Park Primary School had been doing some research on one of the Women of Heritage & Sport the project is focused on – Celeste Stevens, Head of Academy Operations at Reading Football Club, who incidentally hails from the same estate in Stonebridge as former Reading player and founder of JRF – Jason Roberts, MBE.
Accompanied by JRF staff and the senior leadership team at Lyon Park school, the young people thoroughly enjoyed a behind the scenes tour led by Celeste where they visited all the club’s departments ahead of the local derby versus Wycombe Wanderers FC.
From meeting the media, the customer service team, and safeguarding team as well as the first team players, the highlight of the day for the lucky group was to have the opportunity to be flag bearers leading the teams out in a live televised game on Sky Sports.
A quick-fire Heritage Q&A with their host Celeste, followed a trip to the Club shop where the young people were given Reading shirts to wear as they immersed themselves in the atmosphere of the game as Reading ran out 1.0 winners. An enjoyable day all round!
For more information on the ‘Empower to Achieve’ project please contact info@jasonrobertsfoundation.org
The JRF Team are EGGcited to announce they will be opening their doors on Monday 7th April for children and young people of Brent to take part in the Easter Holiday Programme.
There are lots of great activities for everyone to enjoy – multi-sports, games, dance, and trips – for 5 – 16-year-olds.
Doors open from 12:00 – 4:00pm Monday to Thursday both weeks – parents & carers please come along and register your children when they attend.
On Monday 7th some of the team will be heading over to St Raphael’s Family Wellbeing Centre to support the launch of Brent’s Youth Strategy 2025 – 2028. From 12:00 – 4:00pm there will be basketball, football, video games, board games and refreshments. All young people are welcome.
The JRF Team look forward to welcoming you for an Easter Holiday of Fun!
Thursday 4th April 2025
Yesterday some of the Football Association (FA) staff team enjoyed an awayday of sport and social value at JRF’s community venue, Bridgestone Arena.
Over twenty staff members took part in a range of sports activities and played a mixture of games, as the April sunshine shone down on the neighbouring Wembley arch, one of the most iconic stadiums in the World.
As part of their social value offering the team got involved in refreshing the community centre hallways and changing rooms with a coat of paint as well as clearing up the surrounding area.
Otis Roberts, CEO of JRF said; “It’s the second time the FA has chosen the Jason Roberts Foundation as a venue for their active awayday, where they have also spent time freshening up the community centre. We are grateful for their support across the board, from providing tickets to sporting events for young people, coaching at some of our sessions, and hosting some of the Foundations Heritage events.”
After a flying start to the New Year, February has certainly not slowed down for the JRF Team!
From Walking Football with our over 50’s Caribbean Team, to the Healthy Hub – for JRF’s Community Health Co Production Programme to undertake base rate health assessments for local residents with support from Brent Council’s Brent Health Matters (BHM) Team.
JRF’s latest Empower to Achieve Woman of Heritage & Sport, Yamilé Aldama was busy encouraging young people in healthy competition in various sporting challenges. She paid a visit to students at Salvatorian College for a Memory Cafe which gave the young people an opportunity to ask questions about life growing up and her experience competing in the Olympics.
Two of JRF’s Youth Ambassadors had a Q&A with Yamilé in the onsite Cultural Media Centre over a game of chess.
February Half Term gave the JRF team the opportunity to get local young people outside to take part in sports, fitness activities, and games at their HQ at Bridgestone Arena, and at Alperton Community School as part of the Collaboration Project with Us Charity, funded by John Lyons Charity.
Coach Wilbert put a group of girls through their paces playing tag rugby as part of the EmpowerHer Girls’ Rugby Project funded by England Rugby and the Mayor of London.
Resident referee Jawahir ‘JJ’ Roble returned to JRF HQ to officiate a youth football match and afterwards the players heard from the inspiring young woman as part of the ongoing Empower to Achieve Heritage programme.
All of these activities have been captured in this short video from our young Media Man, Marley https://vimeo.com/1065465847?share=copy
We hope you enjoy.
What a start to the new year!
Activities and events have focussed on sport, health, heritage, and happiness with music and dancing! There has certainly been something for everyone.
From inspiring players and developing grassroots coaches with Peter Augustine from The FA’s Coach Development Team to the Caribbean Walking Football Team winning their first game this year.
Pupils at John Lyon’s School were treated with a visit from our latest ‘Empower to Achieve’ Women of Sport & Heritage, Yamilé Aldama for a Q&A and an impromptu long jump competition.
We launched our new Healthy Hub for adults and the first participants warmed up with some training exercises before receiving health checks and nutrition advice.
The month finished off on a high with our elderly neighbours and those living with Dementia enjoying a social get-together with a ‘name that tune’ quiz before taking to the dance floor to relive dance moves from their youth.
Our youth Media man Marley has captured it all here on this short video: https://vimeo.com/1054466071
24th January 2024
Last Friday saw the return of the Memory café element of the popular ‘Empower to Achieve’ Heritage programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible by money raised by National Lottery players.
The new addition to the existing quartet of Heritage women central to the project is Yamilé Aldama, a Cuban-born triple jumper, four-time Olympian and gold medallist at the 2012 World Indoor Championships.
Yamilé was back in Brent visiting Lyon Park School, having previously lived in the borough some time ago.
Following research, the students who make up the school’s Sports Council, fielded interesting questions to their Olympian guest including asking about her childhood in Cuba, and why she chose to represent three different Nations in the World Championships.
Following the Memory Café the students enjoyed some outdoor activities and were treated to a firsthand masterclass in the triple jump.
After an hour of warm-ups and training, the school hosted an Olympic style competition and three competitors took to the podium to receive their gold, silver, and bronze medals.
The students received signed photographs of Yamilé but were disappointed not to have their school shirts signed!
Nevertheless, everyone agreed it was a fantastic day where sports heritage and education met.
The JRF Team are delighted to share this Video montage from our Youth Media Man – Marley, of the exciting activities, events, and celebrations we enjoyed with our local community, partners, staff, and volunteers throughout December.
What a month, and what a year it has been!
We’re looking ahead to what’s in store over the next twelve months as we head into our eighteenth year since launching in 2007.
There’s lots to look forward to and we hope you will all be a part of it.
In the meantime, from the JRF Family to yours, we wish you a very happy, healthy, and hopeful New Year.
With all good wishes and many thanks for your continued support.
We couldn’t do it without you.
The JRF Team
Follow us #JasonRobertsFdn
Sunday 22nd December 2024
Ahead of the festive break a group of fifteen local youths who frequent the Foundation’s activities and programmes at Bridgestone Arena took part in a community clean up, giving back to their community centre and neighbourhood.
This social action initiative supported by Hyde Charitable Trust as part of the ‘JRF in the Community’ three-year project, is one of many such climate schemes organised by JRF and local partners including Hyde Housing and Brent Council over the last few years, inspiring local young people and adults to take action and be responsible for the area in which they live.
Over the years JRF have been active in green and environmental activities including community clean ups, education, enhancing green spaces and creating a ‘Green squad’ Youth Board that take part in environmental taskforce conversations.
Training was conducted by Ilaria of “Start Easy” a specialist in environmental training and green programmes.
The youths who gave up their time to get involved in the initiative were rewarded with a well-earned meal at a local grill restaurant.
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