It was a case of Bueno at the double for participants on the Yo! Active programme as Wolves’ defensive duo Hugo and Santiago were joined by Wolves Women’s Ellie Wilson at a session to try their hand at several different sports.
The Molineux trio visited the multi-sports session at WV Active-Aldersley as part of the Yo! Active initiative, the partnership between Wolves Foundation and the City of Wolverhampton Council delivering free physical activities for the city’s children and young people.
Badminton, tennis and boccia were on the sporting agenda as the young people were able to pit their wits against the Wolves first teamers who, in turn, were able to discover more about this exciting project which launched in January.
“We are always really appreciative of the first team male and female players giving up their time to visit Foundation projects, as it makes such a difference both to raise awareness and also to give a boost to our participants,” says Luke Shearing, community and cohesion manager with the Foundation who is heading up Yo! Active.
“This was a particularly fun visit as Hugo, Santi and Ellie were able to tackle several different sports and both engage with, and compete against, the young people.
“Yo! Active is a really important project involving the Foundation and our partners at the Council as it removes barriers to children and young people by giving them free access to a range of physical activity.
“We have had a really positive response so far with over 1,500 signed up, but there are still opportunities for more young people to get involved and take advantage of sessions covering many different activities.”
As part of Yo! Active, the Foundation will deliver up to 40 hours of free activities every week over the next two years at the council’s WV Active leisure centres, community centres and other locations.
Yo! Active also includes more hours of free swimming, gym sessions and court bookings, and is available to residents of Wolverhampton under the age of 18, or up to 25 for care leavers or young adults with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for adults and wellbeing, added: “Yo! Active is proving incredibly popular with children and young people across Wolverhampton.
“It’s wonderful to see so many people taking part and great that Wolves stars like Hugo, Santi and Ellie are showing their support too.
“If you haven’t already, I’d encourage youngsters, parents and guardians to check out what is on offer and enjoy free access to high quality physical activities through Yo! Active all year round.”
For details of the new Yo! Active programme, and how to book places, please visit www.yowolves.co.uk/yo-active.
Eligible children and young people need to register for a free Yo! Active membership. This can be done through the WV Active website, over the phone or in person at one of the city’s three WV Active leisure centres. Once registered, the account must be activated in person by providing proof of eligibility.
Meanwhile, the Yo! Wolves holiday programme will return for this Easter, offering hundreds of free and low-cost activities throughout the two-week school holiday, including the Yo! Active programme. Find out more about what’s on where at www.yowolves.co.uk.
