London Sport Awards 2021 Winner: The Community Impact Award - Carney's Community

BOXING legend Mick Carney’s legacy has been cemented even further after Battersea-based Carney’s Community bagged a London Sport Award.

Just over a decade since Carney passed away in November 2011, the club that bears his name won The Community Impact Award, in association with GameDay, at the Guildhall for its trailblazing work transforming countless lives through the power of sport.

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

The 40-year-old, himself a dad, recognised the need for a place where disadvantaged and excluded youth could come—not only to learn boxing, but also pick up life skills through his team of dedicated coaches.

And Carney’s Community certainly had to fight their way to win the distinguished award, following nomination alongside two notable London-based organisations, Core Arts and Social Organisation for Unity and Leisure (SOUL).

Turner said: “It’s really nice to be recognised with this award because it’s not just my efforts, it’s the efforts of the team and they’ve put in so much work that I think they just assume that everyone does that sort of thing, when it’s actually really special.

“It’s nice to be able to go back to the gym now and be able to show them that it’s been massively appreciated, and their work has been recognised.

“Because groups like ourselves are raising the next generation who are going to be running London, I think it’s essential to give opportunities to them to show the skills that they’ve got and help them to develop to be the best people they can be.”

Over the last five years, the annual London Sport Awards, in association with the City of London Corporation, has grown to become the biggest celebration of grassroots and community physical activity and sport in the city.

And this year’s showpiece event once again recognised, celebrated, and shone a light on the stories of the incredible individuals, groups, and organisations for their outstanding work across the capital, helping Londoners of all ages and backgrounds to be physically active.

Greg Sturge, Director of Strategy EMEA from GameDay, who sponsored The Community Impact Award, added: “Coming off the pandemic and the year we’ve had, the power of sport has been vital.

“Life and hardships and opportunities and everything else that comes with sport - for that to be celebrated is great.

“GameDay is all about delivering technology platforms that make the organisation and administration of grassroots sport easier.

“Carney’s Community is the perfect example of an organisation that we look to support their work and to open up opportunities for more and more people to engage in sport.

“We want to make it easier for volunteers, who are giving up so much of their time to basically change people’s lives.”

See the full list of London Sport Awards 2021 winners here.