All-Party Parliamentary Group On Basketball Sets Up Hoop Outside Houses of Parliament

By Sam Neter on May 1, 2014

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Basketball set up a basketball hoop on Speaker’s Green outside the Houses of Parliament to raise awareness of the sport and their inquiry into its ability to make a positive impact on the social challenges faced within inner cities and deprived communities on Wednesday.

GB stars Drew Sullivan, Dan Clark, Jo Leedham and Azania Stewart were on hand to lend their support, as various MP’s came through and had a go, including Labour Party leader Ed Miliband.

“It was great to see MPs from across the political spectrum come out and experience first-hand the fast paced action of basketball in these special surroundings and show their support for Team GB’s basketball squads in the lead up to the EuroBasket qualifiers this summer,” Sharon Hodgson MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Basketball said.

“Today’s showcase event has reaffirmed the continued relationship between Parliament and the basketball family, and our shared goal of realising the potential the sport has to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people, something we will highlight again in our upcoming report into basketball’s social impact in urban areas.”

Kevin Routledge, Vice Chairman of the BBL Foundation, helped to organise the event with the assistance of the British Basketball League and was eager to ensure it had a real impact.

He explained, “This was an important event in raising the profile of basketball in the most powerful location in the UK.

“It gave MPs, Peers and their staff an opportunity to find out a little more about the sport of basketball, and the accessibility of the sport and its popularity.

“We had representatives there from all parts of the British game, able-bodied and from wheelchair basketball, players, administrators, the governing bodies and the media.

“We had a lot of interest from MPs and Peers and it was an informative and fun afternoon.

“We want to get more of our lawmakers and decision makers to better understand the sport,” continued Routledge.

“It’s almost a unique position in our inner cities, particularly with the results of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Basketball Inquiry on the ability of basketball to make a difference to the social challenges of the inner cities and deprived communities.

“This is something due to be published in the next few weeks.”

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