Over the summer, when I have a little more time to myself, I spend it with my niece, Aimee.

Like most six-year-olds, she loves being active and playing sport, (and post offices), and currently is particularly taken with tennis, attending a ‘tennis camp’.  Tennis camp involves lots of chasing balls, running from them and occasionally hitting them.

I am not booking my seat at Wimbledon centre court yet, but she certainly has loads of fun and is getting much-needed exercise and play dates with friends.

This summer, children all over Newham areparticipating in sporting activities, some of which are impromptu knock-abouts with friends, while others will have been organised through clubs, leisure centres and in parks.

Newham has an impressive schedule of summer activities, found in the summer Newham guide on the Newham website.  They include the summer reading challenge in our local libraries.  There are plenty of interesting things for young people to do, with family fun days at local festivals and the music extravaganza ‘under the stars’.

For the athletes among us, Newham Council provides a sports coach education programme, which helps Newham residents gain a nationally-recognised coaching qualification, at a cheaper rate.

Sports clubs are an excellent example of the ‘Big Society,’ or the ‘Good Society.’  For us to have an active, thriving and healthy Borough we need dedicated volunteers.  It does not happen by chance, it needs commitment and organisation from Government, local and national, and from residents in the area.

Local sports clubs, their volunteers and Newham Council are combining to create a healthy and thriving society.  Sadly, the ConDems talk big society, but their cuts to councils and charities demonstrate they know nothing about creating one.