The community-inspired organisation has a mission to use basketball to change lives and help young people achieve their potential.
Director Loran Lewis and Head Coach Norman Francis have seen participation numbers balloon since its inception and now boasts an U19s team in the College Basketball League, U18s, U16s, U14s and U12s teams in the Jnr NBL, a girls’ team, as well as other junior and senior development and local league teams run at various locations across the city.
Hosted at the Mandela Community Centre, the basketball festival was packed with basketball activities, promoting diversity, inclusion and youth empowerment.
In the early afternoon junior participants enjoyed drills, open scrimmages and games, meanwhile local businesses and organisations highlighted their products and services, engaging with attendees on a host of topics.
West Yorkshire Police was represented by Police Community Support Officer Louise Rothery, who was there to continue the constabulary’s work of building trust and showing young people the police are approachable and can provide reassurance in their lives – not only when things are going wrong.
Additionally, Lewis Edwards from Forward Leeds – the city's drug and alcohol support service – was there to give advice and information on substances and alcohol so young people can make informed choices.
Presentations and speeches were given by key delegates: The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung and Professor of Equality and Diversity in Sport, Leisure and Education at Leeds Beckett University Kevin Hylton PhD, who is now Chair of the Board of Trustees for the charity.
“Five years of LDM, thousands of young people through the door, Loran and the team have created a hub of inclusive and supportive basketball. We’ve got a new board to support [the organisation] to the next level,” said Emeritus Professor Hylton, who is the first Black Professor in Carnegie history.
“Remember, sport doesn't magically work to bring people together to achieve these positive things. We need to establish the conditions for that to happen, and that's what LDM are doing right now, especially with the new board, we're trying to establish the human and financial resources to do these things. LDM is a change maker and we should try to nurture it together.”
As an England Athletics coach, Councillor Marshall Katung knows the importance of sport can have on the lives of young people, as well as the significance of celebrating Black History in a city as ethnically diverse as Leeds.
“Sport is a hugely important aspect of growing up," said Councillor Marshall Katung, who became the city's 130th Lord Mayor and the first person of African descent to hold the position. "It keeps [young people] focused, [builds their] resilience and determination and their health and wellbeing. For us as a city, active lifestyles are something we are promoting and seeing LDM carry this flag for us is just simply priceless.
“As an African-born woman, my culture is so important to me. That’s what makes me who I am. Diversity is a fact, and the more inclusive we are, the stronger we are together. Black History Month this year is all about reclaiming the narratives, people telling their own stories through the lens of what they know and not other people telling our stories for us."
The day was capped off with a thrilling exhibition fixture between the charity’s junior players and coaching staff.
.
.
