This month we were invited to Wimbledon Tennis Club to celebrate it’s 150th anniversary. Our staff and young people re-enacted a photo of the club’s founding members, who seemingly didn’t know how to smile!

Last year Carney’s community won funding from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, to support the boxing sessions we deliver. We were then pleasantly surprised to be invited to go to Monaco for the Laureus World Sports Awards, to celebrate the achievements of the greatest sportsmen, sportswomen and teams from around the world.

Last year we were nominated for a Wandsworth Active Award. In February, some of our team went to Wandsworth town hall for the awards ceremony. We were delighted to discover that we had won ‘Physical activity project of the year‘!

Retired Olympic swimmer Michael Jamieson spent the morning of his first day as an ambassador for Laureus talking to some of our coaches. Laureus’s Sport for Good initiative supports Carney’s Community.

We’re sad to be saying goodbye to three members of staff this year who are all moving onto pastures new. However, no matter where they go they will always be part of the Carney’s Community Family!

This year, with some trepidation, we took part in the ‘Christmas Big Give’. The ‘Big Give’ gives charities a chance to have any funds raised in giving week doubled by community champions. We had a target of £16,000, and we found ourselves with £8,000 to raise in just one week!

Every year Carney’s signs up for the London 10k run in order to raise money for Carney’s Community. Last year it was a tough competition amongst the staff as Giz and Junior from the coaching team competed with Arthur, our Lead Youth worker for the fastest Carney’s participant. (special mention to Sarah and Tracy who rose above petty competition and crossed the line together).

Johnny Harris, writer and star of the new film Jawbone, is a protogee of Mick Carney. Mick took Harris in as a troubled kid and taught him to box. Jawbone is dedicated to Mick.

A recent article on the Wandsworth Blog champions the many positive achievements of Carney’s Community and the Carney’s Coaches social enterprise.