A number of Business Management in Sport MSc students from Leicester Castle Business School have recently used the Leicester Riders basketball club collection as part of their Sports Heritage and Legacy Management module. Shrey Upadhyay was tasked with writing about ‘community projects’ using materials from the archive collection.
Shrey wrote about the experience of using archives for the first time: “Being an outdoor sports enthusiast, silent libraries never appealed to me. I always used to find an escape route from the library in the days of my school and under graduate study. When I learned that I had to access the archives and special collections of the DMU’s Kimberlin Library for the Leicester Riders project, I was very nervous once again. Thankfully, I was effectively eased into working at the Archives through introductory classes and regular motivation from the module leader, Dr. Heather Dichter. This was my first experience in working with the archives and was invaluable. Amazingly, with my every visit to the archives, my interest in archival materials improved. One prominent thing that I came to understand while working in the Archives was the realization that it is good to peek into the future but it is equally important to cherish and preserve the past. At the Archives and Special Collections, all the materials were systematically organized and support from the staff (especially David) was immensely helpful. I really appreciate the University’s investment in developing a climate controlled archives and an exciting digitally-advanced highly interactive library. ”
Leicester Riders’ Youth Project and/or community charity works
Leicester is highly deprived, according to Index of Deprivation 2010, ranking 25th most deprived of 326 local authority areas[1]. The Leicester Riders are committed towards improving the present state of Leicester and have been quite proactive when it comes to contributing towards community projects and charity initiatives. There have been numerous examples of them supporting a charity event, fundraising cause, and donations. As the part of their involvement, the professional basketball team giveaways free family tickets, signed basketball, basketball training equipment and sometimes coaching facilities to the appropriate request of help from schools, organizations, and the general public. The donated signed merchandise and family tickets are then often sold or auctioned in a charity raffle to raise funds by the charitable organizations.
The most noticeable charity foundations to be benefited from Leicester Riders in the past are Childreach International[2], The National Autistic Society[3], and Walk in a mile in my shoes[4]. In addition to these charity foundations, the professional basketball club in England also helped other private organizations seeking funds for charity. For example, the contributions of Riders in raffle helped Alliance Leicester to raise funds for When You Wish Upon a Star Charity[5]. On 2 October 2009, the Leicester Riders received a cry of help from Fullhurst Community College for the socially and economically deprived students, both boys and girls[6]. The basketball club promptly reverted back with gifts in order to enable and positively encourage the dedicated staff of the college to work towards students’ development through sports[7].
The monetary aid received through Riders’ donations is not only limited to the local welfare in and around Leicestershire, but it also expands its horizons to national and international stages. From helping a national charity, The Fire Fighters Charity[8] to supporting charities working for community development programs in Ghana[9] and Uganda[10], Leicester Riders have supported people throughout the globe. For instance, the professional basketball club donated Family ticket for a Riders home game to an auction at a charity event ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ on 30 August 2008. This donation helped the charity ‘Walk in a mile in my shoes?’ to raise £2300 which was utilized towards building and furnishing of a permanent home for AIDS orphans in desperately poor regions of Luwero, Uganda[11]. Another instance of Riders’ contribution towards welfare internationally was in 2008 when the club donated a signed basketball for an auction to St. Paul’s Catholic School to raise money for providing a village in Ghana with a well[12].
Leicester Riders helped Walk a Mile in my Shoes to raise funds for their community welfare project in Uganda[13].
In 2013, due to the economic recession, there was a noticeable rise in unemployment trends nationally for young people[14]. In order to counter this, the Leicester City Council started Step Up project aimed to provide paid employment for 158 young people (age 18-24) who have been unemployed for 6 months and have been claiming JSA (Job Seeker’s Allowance)[15]. The Leicester Riders Basketball Club agreed to appoint one youngster for each of the four Step Up positions as a mark of their contribution[16]. Youngsters of age 18-20 years were recruited for the positions of Marketing Assistant (Social Media), Marketing Assistant (Sponsorship), Assistant Coach, and Administrative Assistant on 25 hours per week job in order to improve their necessary skills, professional experience, and support them financially[17]. These new recruits were also provided time to time mentoring and training from the Leicester Riders staff members in order to develop them into a company-fit professional[18].
Project Hub is a British Basketball Foundation’s Basketball development program funded by Sport England[19]. The Leicester Riders are the recognized provider of basketball-related community services of the Project Hub[20]. The project is designed to incorporate the sport of basketball targeted at young and older males and females[21]. Under this program, high-quality coaching is provided across Leicester and Leicestershire at 6 different locations in order to develop and improve skills and knowledge of the game[22]. Not only training, but these Hub Clubs also compete against each other in the local central venue league (CVL)[23].
The Leicester Riders Foundation organizes the British Basketball League’s community project, Hoops 4 Health in Leicester and surrounding areas. Under this project, the professional basketball players (men and women) of the Leicester Riders deliver Roadshows in the participating schools. The Roadshows are targeted at spreading awareness on healthy eating, dangers of smoking, fitness, and basketball among young people in primary schools[24]. These primary schools also get entry into Hoops 4 Health Basketball competition which takes place at the Leicester Arena, the home of Leicester Riders[25]. The winners of this tournament get a chance to play at the national Hoops 4 Health tournament. Around 2500 students from 40 schools received coaching and information on health aspects under Hoops 4 Health program in the year 2007-08[26].
In order to promote basketball in the schools of Leicestershire, the Leicester Riders also provide paid basketball coaching to the students in three types of sessions namely Basketball coaching in school, School Development day, and Basketball coaching after school[27]. All the coaches in Riders Basketball Programme are CRB checked and Level two qualified in Basketball Coaching[28].
[1] The Leicester Sports Partnership Trust Plan for Physical Education, Sport and Physical Activity 2014-2017, n.d., Bays 108-109, Leicester Riders Community, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[2] Sarah Melville to Holly Marshall, 27 February 2010, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[3] The National Autistic Society to The Leicester Riders Basketball Club, 7 May 2009, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[4] Faye Eveson to Russell, 5 September 2008, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[5] Secretarial Services Alliance & Leicester PLC to Leicester Riders, 26 November 2009, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[6] Ivan Kearney & Hilary Fielder to Leicester Riders, 2 October 2009, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[7] Ivan Kearney & Hilary Fielder to Holly Marshall, 9 October 2009, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[8] Matthew Cane to Leicester Riders, 20 March 2008, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[9] St. Paul’s Catholic School to Jelson’s Homes DMU Leicester Riders, 30 April 2008, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[10] Faye Eveson to Russell, 5 September 2008, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[11] Ibid.
[12]St. Paul’s Catholic School to Jelson’s Homes DMU Leicester Riders, 30 April 2008, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[13] Faye Eveson to Russell, 5 September 2008, Bays 108-109, Charity, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[14] Step-Up Steering Group Terms of Reference, 2 May 2013, Bays 108-109, Step Up Project, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[15] Ibid
[16] Supplemental Agreement Leicester City Council and Leicester Basketball Developments Limited, 16 August 2013, Bays 108-109, Step Up Project, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[17]Ibid
[18] Step-Up Applications Employee Support Plan, 30 September 2013, Bays 108-109, Step Up Project, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[19] BBL Foundation – Service Level Agreement Related to Project Hub (SD7), 11 August 2014, Bays 108-109, Project Hub Club, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[20] Ibid
[21] BBL Foundation – Service Level Agreement Related to Project Hub (SD7), 11 August 2014, Bays 108-109, Project Hub Club, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[22] Project Hub Club – Local Delivery Plan – RV0 (SD5), n.d., Bays 108-109, Project Hub Club, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[23] Ibid
[24] Hoops for Health School Evaluation, n.d., Bays 108-109, Box 4, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[25] End of the Year Report Basketball Development Officer, n.d., Bays 108-109, Leicester Riders Community, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Riders Community to Willcock.N, 12 August 2008, Bays 108-109, Leicester Riders Community, Riders Collection, De Montfort University Special Collections Archives & Rare Books, Kimberlin Library 00.21, De Montfort University, Mill Lane, Leicester, United Kingdom.
[28] Ibid