The club has vast experience in organising tournaments (we organised international tournaments with 8 clubs), games (national and local league, international friendlies). It is always organised having our diverse community in mind and to satisfy safety requirements. Basketball Club LONDON KNIGHTS organized the first Grenfell Junior Basketball Tournament in 2019 with the idea to commemorate the tragic event and engage local young people in sport. We had around 100 participants. Back then our idea was to make it an annual event, with more participants and spectators each time. Unfortunately, due to the COVID crises, we were unable to run it in the past two years. This year we are looking forward to organising it again and engaging as many local youngsters as possible, not only playing but volunteering, as spectators...
Grenfell Basketball Tournament aims to bring together children from the local basketball Clubs, their parents, relatives, neighbours (who live at the footstep of Grenfell Tower) and any other RBKC resident interested in sport. This tragic event has shaped the lives of so many of our junior members who live in the vicinity of Kensington LC and Grenfell Tower. Vast majority of children are from the local primary schools (Thomas Jones, Oxford Gardens, Bevington Primary, Colville Primary, Fox Primary, St Mary's Abbots, St Barnabas School etc...) and secondary schools (St Charles School, Kensington Aldridge Academy, Holland Park School, Chelsea Academy, Thomas Moore School etc...).
Tournaments like this are an ideal way to promote sport, healthy living and values of diversity and tolerance. Also, it helps children transition to organised sport after a long period when those activities were restricted. Kensington Leisure Centre is a great facility for hosting tournaments as there are two full-size Basketball courts under one roof as well as two scoreboards. For the last tournament, we used the whole hall. Court costs were funded by the RBKC Council.
We are certain that the Tournament will benefit the local community for a number of years to come.
LONDON KNIGHTS BC extends our gratitude for a fundraising campaign and generous donation the PLACE OF HAPPINESS has contributed towards running GMBT this year. Equally, their support, tangible and non-tangible, the time invested in preparation of this event is truly beyond simple acknowledgement.
Year after year we praise our long term partners (ASDA and NBA London office) that always answer our calls to help the Grenfell Memorial Basketball Tournament. Support from the GLL and RBKC Council in providing the Venue is always essential and highly appreciated.
With this joint effort, we believe we can offer a celebration of Youth to the community overshadowed with this event.