On Friday, 4th October 2024, the University of Cambridge Sports Centre, once again became a hub of excitement as the inaugural PowerHouseGames in collaboration with the Cambridge University Rackets Club (CUSRC) kicked off.
Local schools St Johns and Castle School, alongside club members, and corporate volunteers from Aveva brought an incredible energy to the Sports Centre and we can safely say it was a huge success for all involved!
This was also the first time Aveva had sponsored a PowerHouseGames! After being introduced to the concept by John Willis during a team-building event last year, they were both intrigued and inspired by the Power2Inspire mission. Aveva fully immersed themselves in the PowerHouseGames experience, sending an enthusiastic team of 21 volunteers to act as team captains. The volunteers, alongside 9 CUSRC university volunteers, led the students from St John’s and Castle School through 5 inclusive sports games, bringing the spirit of inclusion and community to life.
Stephen Peak attended the first PowerHouseGames and is now a Power2Inspire Trustee! He shared his insight on the impact of this PowerHouseGames on participants:
“PowerHouse Games at its very best—a great corporate sponsor in Aveva whose team was fully engaged and smiling from start to finish. 15 students from Castle special needs school arrived shy and slightly withdrawn but left buzzing! John Willis’s motto of ‘no one left on the bench’ was on full display.”
We saw 10 teams, each consisting of 6 participants, rotate around five stations of adapted games. Among the highlights were short tennis and pickleball, which proved to be a hit with everyone— in particular, pickleball drew rave reviews!
But perhaps the most memorable moment of the day came at the end, with a massive game of sitting netball. Laughter filled the Sports Centre as two huge teams battled it out – with even more excitement when using two, three, or even four balls entered the court at once!
Caoimhe Keogan, Chief People Officer at Aveva, expressed,
“It was the best time my team and I have had in ages, and I’m hopeful this will be the first of many PowerHouseGames with Aveva.”
One employee from Aveva shared how the event positively impacted her mental health, sharing,
“It made me feel better about myself”
which truly shows how the benefits of PowerHouseGames reach EVERYONE involved.
Anant Gupta, President of CUSRC, was equally enthusiastic and said:
“Thanks so much for having us! Everyone at CUSRC found it really rewarding, and we hope to be back again!”
A massive thank you goes out to Alesha McCollan and Nicola Wright, whose tireless efforts helped make the day a resounding success. We are incredibly positive about what lies ahead. Here’s to many more PowerHouseGames with CUSRC and Aveva!
Inspired? Then Get Involved!
Would your university sports team, or school love to be involved in a PowerHouseGames? Could your company support our mission by volunteering at one of our PowerHouseGames? If so, then we would love to hear from you. We are also always looking out for people willing to fundraise for Power2Inspire through their own inspiring means. Or, you could volunteer individually at one of our events, or you could give to the ongoing work of Power2Inspire. There are SO MANY WAYS we can all help to ensure “no on else is left on the bench!” Click the button here to find out more.
