Tandridge Trust Leisure & Culture, who manage the leisure centres in Caterham and Oxted, is delighted to announce the launch of ‘Urban8’ this November, bringing urban-based sports activities to young adult males 14 – 18 years old. 

Sport England has teamed up with Sporta, (the National Association of Leisure and Culture Trusts) to allocate £430,889 of National Lottery money to 17 local projects, of which Tandridge is one. 

The common theme is to support Community Trusts so they can do things differently and find proactive and resourceful ways to engage groups that haven’t, until now, been interested in sport or exercise. 

Charles Johnston, Sport England’s Director of Property, said:  “This investment in the projects for Sporta’s ‘Make Your Move’ programme will give people the opportunity to take part in a way that most suits them, and get more people, more active, more often.”

Hayley Bull, Development Manager for Tandridge Trust, Leisure and Culture, said:   “ We are delighted to have received the ‘Make your Move’ funding via Sporta to bring lifestyle sporting activities to Tandridge. We consulted with the young males of Tandridge, in conjunction with Caterham’s Street Youth Centre, to see what activities they would want to see delivered in the district - lifestyle sporting activities were what they wanted to be part of.”

The Urban8 project comes in three phases for 14-18 year old young men:

• Launching on Tuesday 10 November is Urban8 dance. Working with delivering partners Ravercise ® who will be teaching an introduction to urban-based dance, using the style of ‘skanking’ and other urban dance trends.  Each session will involve warm ups, urban dance tutoring and the session ends with the tunes ‘dropping’ and everyone ‘freestyling’.  The programme runs for 11 weeks (excluding 22 and 29 December), with the last session on the Tuesday 9 February being a full-blown endorphin-fueled performance with a live DJ. The first session is free and only £1.50 a week subsequently.  Sessions take place between 4.15pm – 5.45pm at Soper Hall, Harestone Valley Road, Caterham CR3 6HY. 

• Dodgeball will be launched in January 2016 at de Stafford Sports Centre. The aim of the game is to eliminate your opponents! With two teams of six competing for three minutes, this all action, fast-paced non-contact sport will get your adrenalin flowing. 

• In March 2016 a male only dance company will be launched for those wanted to try a range of dance styles from street dance, including house, popping, waacking, to capoeira.  This 20 week project is aimed at giving individuals a varied taste of high energy break dance skills, learning from the best!

Furthermore, Theatre Exchange (Tandridge Trust’s theatre company) has been commissioned as part of the Urban8 funding to create a piece of Theatre, to take to all local secondary schools, about the choices of being active or inactive and the effects on our health. This will be a light hearted piece of theatre aimed at encouraging young people to get involved with sporting offerings and make it a part of their lifestyle. 

For further information on Urban8 or to register an interest in attending a project please contact Hayley Bull, Development Manager at Tandridge Trust on 01883 724599 option 4 or email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the website www.tandridgetrust.co.uk