As one of our ongoing CSR initiatives, these events are not only beneficial to those we volunteer for, but we also have tons of fun while giving back to our people.
One of the standout events in this partnership was our participation in the PeacePlayers South Africa Basketball Tournament at Hoy Park in October 2019. The day was a booming success with 32 Ignitioners volunteering play important roles as coaches and assistants, showing their commitment to making a difference through active participation. What an incredible day of exceptional basketball, dance-offs, friendship and, most importantly, fun.
Twice a year, PeacePlayers host an event bringing together over 600 youths aged 9 – 35. These youngsters are coached by youth mentors throughout the year to get ready to compete on a day, and perhaps win the PeacePlayers SA Championships. PeacePlayers South Africa started in 2001 with a mission: to get kids from different backgrounds playing basketball together. Through this, they offer a safe space for everyone to learn life skills, develop leadership and build lasting friendships.
The numbers from PeacePlayers’ impact are impressive: over the last 20 years, PeacePlayers South Africa have helped over 10 000 youngsters and worked in communities like Umlazi, Lamontville, Wentworth, Durban City and Cottonlands – areas that many of our Ignitioners are from. They have also built 34 basketball courts and trained more than 400 youth mentors. Other statistics include:
- Building Friendships: 88% of participants made friends across different communities.
- Empowering Leaders: 91% of Leadership Development participants feel confident in their leadership skills with friends, peers and family.
- Local Talent Nurtured: 97% of coaches come from High School and Leadership Development Programmes.
- Sustainable Growth: 98% of permanent staff emerged from the Coaches Development Programme.
These stats highlight the amazing effects the PeacePlayers’ initiatives are having, and show how sports can break barriers and develop leadership within communities. This is why we truly enjoyed engaging with this remarkable organisation and encouraged our team to actively participate in this CSR initiative. It’s our way of getting the whole business involved and working together to bring positive change.
At Ignition, one of our core focuses is our people. We not only want to empower them in their careers but also help develop their social involvement and their lives outside of work. We know that this starts at a young age, so being able to help and encourage this is so fulfilling, knowing that our youth will have the ability to live a fruitful life in all sectors.
We had an amazing time with the players, learning more about them and their lives in between games and while sharing lunch together. The youngsters shared their experiences with PeacePlayers South Africa and how they love meeting new people, taking on the challenge of basketball and having the opportunity to help each other.
We would like to thank our Ignition volunteers who became coaches and area managers for the day. Without their time and effort, our contributions to this great event would not have been possible.
The journey with Laureus Sport for Good Foundation has filled us with immense pride, especially seeing the change we’ve made together. The joy, unity and impact we witnessed are why Ignition never hesitates in getting involved in community initiatives!
