Untold stories from UK’s sporting history, hidden memorabilia and forgotten collections will be celebrated on Friday 30th September when sports clubs, museums, community groups and individuals showcase an amazing variety of sporting memories, objects, photographs, audio and film in support of National Sporting Heritage Day.
Celebrating its eighth year, the National day founded by CIC Sporting Heritage, aims to raise awareness of the relevance and value of sporting heritage and encourage the public to access the collections and share their sporting stories.
Highlights this year include the launch of the ‘Doug and the Don’ exhibition at the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket at the headquarters of Glamorgan Cricket in Cardiff. This special exhibition includes never before released audio, sketches and other items shared between the worlds’ finest ever batter, and sporting icon Don Bradman and Welsh club cricketer Douglas Davies who forged an unlikely and long-lasting friendship with the Australian icon spanning five decades.
This year Sporting Heritage have also teamed up with Yorkshire charity, Action For Sport for The BIG Kit Donation. 100s of items of unwanted sports kit donated will be used to create a large installation of the NSHD letters at Horsforth School in Leeds on 30th September, and go on to support children living in poverty play sport and create their own sporting stories and heritage.
This year the national event has a particular focus on celebrating heritage from diverse communities. A sample of events and activities in celebration of the day include:
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Lea Rowing Club in Hackney is one of the UK's most diverse rowing clubs and is hosting the 'I Belong' project exhibition on 30th September to showcase show that rowers come in all shapes, sizes, ages, genders, ethnicities, sexualities, goals and backgrounds. An installation of photographs of members taken by photographer Chris Baker along with their written and audio stories, their challenges and inspirations will be shared at the exhibition.
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Northampton Saints are shining a light on the story of the first mixed race Saint player, Frank Anderson. Following a discover of a photograph of Frank in the archives, the Club have been researching Frank's story and will be hosting an online talk to share his fascinating story.
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Working with Jamaican event rider, Lydia Heywood, The Avon Centre in Bristol are offering 'Cool Ridings' horse experience days to riders from under-represented backgrounds.
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Pungra Fit in Northolt is holding an event to get more people active in the sport, particularly women from South Asian communities and to share its heritage.
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A statue for Jack Leslie, the black footballer denied an England cap because of his race in 1925 will be unveiled at a special event outside Home Park in Plymouth on 7th October
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Saxon Riding for the Disabled Group in Bradford on Avon are launching their 'Tea with a Pony' workshops, along with Dementia Action Alliance for #NSHD2022 to encourage older people living with dementia to become active and take part in riding activities.
Dr Justine Reilly, Founding Director of Sporting Heritage says: “All sport has a past to celebrate and heritage to share. Through collections, archive material and events we can access hidden histories and stories which are not traditionally shared, and those sporting collections which haven’t been celebrated previously.”
Justine adds: “Sport unites us all – we’ve seen it over the summer with the Women’s Euro campaign and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. It’s vital that we celebrate, learn and be inspired by our sporting history which must include people from diverse communities and non-traditional sports. It’s brilliant to see so many community groups, sport organisations, schools and museums getting involved this year to share those hidden or untold stories.”
The public is invited to get involved on the day by searching the hashtag #NSHD2022 across social media to view or share collections and objects from their sporting communities that tell their sporting story.
Sporting Heritage’s Community Grant programme awarded 7 projects funds to support events on the day, however 100s of events will take place across the four nations and online. Further details are available at www.sportingheritage.org.uk/NSHD
