Our annual sporting event, Urban Gamez attracted more than 140 people last Friday, including the children and young people taking part in races.

Urban Gamez is in its 7th year and had a packed programme of sporting events to encourage children and young people in the Grahame Park community to a healthier lifestyle. Every Urban Gamez is special but this year’s event packed a real punch.

The sweltering heat attracted extra numbers of well-wishers and young participants down to The Concourse in Grahame Park, with The Worshipful the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor David Longstaff and The Barnet Group Board Chair, Terry Rogers, playing the part of sporting commentators Steve Cram and Brendan Rogers for the day.

Barnet Homes’ Chief Executive, Troy Henshall also attended the ‘Gamez’ and visited newly refurbished Grahame Park community centre, also located on The Concourse. Troy said: “I am very impressed not only with the success of the Urban Gamez which has a community spirit that grows every year, but with the newly refurbished community centre now open on The Concourse.”

Barnet Homes Board Chair Terry Rogers said: “Urban Gamez was brilliantly organised…and how handy was it that Urban Gamez took place straight after the Rio 2016 Olympics? Perfect timing to get young people out and about and thinking about being active.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, as did the Mayor.”

The key sponsors for Urban Gamez were Morgan Sindall, our Major Works contractors – which is much appreciated as we rely on support from our partners to make sure community events like this carry on in the future. Darwin Bernardo, founder of Nutmeg CommUNITY was our entertaining compere on the day.

There was a climbing wall, boxing lessons and community stalls, including one promoting the opening of the new Colindale library. Like that other major sporting event, the Olympics, the sprint races are the highlight of any track and field event.

At Urban Gamez it was the 60-metre dash race which might have some future Team GB sprint kings and queens in the making!  One young local lad, no 23, is in his 5th year of racing and, winning, at Urban Gamez.