Bristol Storm player is the face of Coca-Cola and StreetGames
An inspirational basketball player from Easton, Bristol has been chosen as one of six young people from a nationwide shortlist as the faces of a new campaign to celebrate Coca-Cola Great Britain's partnership with StreetGames, the charity that provides access to doorstep sport for young people in disadvantaged communities around the UK.
Kelvin Williams, 21 years old, a player and coach at the City Academy, was chosen for the campaign because of his outstanding commitment to his local StreetGames project and the contribution he has made to StreetGames in his neighbourhood. Kelvin was first spotted by StreetGames coaches in 2007 and following several sessions soon became part of the Bristol Storm basketball club where he is a first team regular. He is now qualified as a Level 2 England Basketball coach, regularly overseeing the U16 Bristol Storm team and volunteering across a number of community programmes.
From today he appears centre stage on a giant billboard donated by Coca-Cola GB, more usually reserved for images of their roster of elite athletes, which is on display on Hotwell Road, Bristol.
The new campaign, commissioned by Coca-Cola Great Britain and photographed by leading portrait photographer Zak Waters, aims to shine a spotlight on the achievements of youngsters taking part in StreetGames projects around the UK, with the aim of inspiring others to get involved.
StreetGames delivers sporting opportunities directly to the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country, giving young people a chance to play, compete and be coached on their own doorstep. Beyond the enjoyment and health benefits of taking part in sport, it offers participants the chance to gain qualifications and valuable life skills in a context in which they can feel at ease, benefiting both the individuals and the communities they live in. The StreetGames partnership is just one example of how Coca-Cola Great Britain is continuing to invest in community programmes which help people live more active lives.
Kelvin's billboard is one of a series of six which will also be shown in five other UK cities: Birmingham, Manchester, London, Newcastle and Cardiff and will coincide with a series of StreetGames sports festivals running around the UK this summer.
Kelvin said:
"Being part of StreetGames over the last four years has had a massive impact on my life and has given me the drive and motivation to not only develop as a basketball player and coach but also as a person. I'm really enjoying playing for the Storm this season and it's really great to be able to use my coaching to give something back to a project that has given me so much."
Liz Lowe, Citizenship Manager, Coca-Cola Great Britain, said:
"StreetGames does some exceptional work in bringing sport and dance more readily into teenagers' lives by placing it at the heart of their communities. By making it open to all, they're giving young people the chance to enjoy a whole raft of benefits that an active lifestyle brings, like friendship, better health and increased confidence.
"We're helping StreetGames reach out to communities and one of the things we wanted to do was to celebrate the achievements of some of the young people like Kelvin who have been involved. They really deserve to be the heroes of our campaign. We've chosen six but there are thousands of young people all with their own stories to tell of how getting involved in sport can change lives."
Jane Ashworth OBE, CEO of StreetGames, added:
"StreetGames is improving the sporting landscape for young people living in disadvantaged communities. We want to ensure that everyone is able to benefit from the benefits of regular sports participation regardless of their social circumstances.
"At StreetGames we're delighted that our partnership with Coca-Cola Great Britain is allowing us to highlight the remarkable young people who shine, week in week out, at our projects. Our work with Coca-Cola Great Britain is improving the quality of doorstep sport through training and education. This gives coaches, volunteers and mentors the skills to grow and sustain sports participation in deprived communities."
More photos giving a flavour of local StreetGames projects will be available as part of an online gallery of the entire campaign at www.coca-cola.co.uk/health/streetgames and www.streetgames.org.
