Carney’s Community in Battersea receives a London Sport Award

Boxing legend Mick Carney’s legacy was further cemented after Battersea’s Carney’s Community won a London Sports Award on Monday night.

A good decade since Carney’s death in November 2011, the club that bears his name, in partnership with GameDay, won the Community Impact Award at the Guildhall for its groundbreaking work in transforming countless lives through the power of sport.

Youth worker George Turner founded Carney’s Community with ex-boxer Mark Reigate.

The 40-year-old, himself a father, recognized the need for a place where disadvantaged and marginalized young people could come – not only to learn boxing, but also to acquire life skills through his team of committed trainers.

And Carney’s Community certainly had to fight its way to win the prestigious award after being nominated alongside two well-known London organizations, Core Arts and Social Organization for Unity and Leisure (SOUL).

Turner said, “It’s really nice to be recognized with this award because it’s not just my efforts, it’s the team’s efforts and they have put so much work into my mind that they just assume everyone doing something like that when it’s really special.

“It’s nice to be able to go back to the gym now and show them that it is very much appreciated and that their work is recognized.

“As groups like us are raising the next generation to run London, I think it’s important to give them the opportunity to show their skills and help them grow into the best people they can be . ”

For the past five years, the annual London Sport Awards, in partnership with the City of London Corporation, has grown to become the city’s biggest grassroots and community celebration of physical activity and sport.

And this year’s flagship event recognized, celebrated and re-lit the stories of incredible individuals, groups and organizations for their outstanding work in the capital helping Londoners of all ages and backgrounds be physically active.

Greg Sturge, GameDay’s Director of Strategy EMEA, who sponsored the Community Impact Award, added, “After the pandemic and last year, the power of sport was crucial.

“Life and the hardships and opportunities and everything else that goes with the sport – to be celebrated is great.

“GameDay is about providing technology platforms that make it easier to organize and manage popular sports.

“Carney’s Community is the perfect example of an organization that supports its work and offers more and more people the opportunity to do sports.

“We want to make it easier for volunteers who spend so much time fundamentally changing people’s lives.”

The London Sport Awards, in partnership with the City of London Corporation, put a spotlight on the unsung community heroes who help Londoners of all backgrounds enjoy the benefits of physical activity and sports. Find out more about the awards and how London Sport aims to make London the most physically active city in the world at www.londonsport.org #MakeYourMark