Carry A Basketball Not A Blade Archives

April 29, 2025April 29, 2025

NASSA’s Next Generation networking + fundraising dinner on sale

Newham All Star Sports Academy is celebrating its 20th birthday with an event aimed at generating funds to support its east London operation

NASSA works with young people across east London

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tell me about NASSA’s Next Generation…

Newham All Star Sports Academy (NASSA) is set to host its first networking and fundraising dinner – NASSA’s Next Generation – at Brick Lane Music Hall in Royal Docks this summer.

what is NASSA?

For 20 years the charity has been an engine of social mobility for young people in east London.

Engaging them through basketball, it supports their education and training, instilling discipline and ambition in some of the most deprived areas in the capital.

Its Carry A Basketball Not A Blade campaign has reached more than 100,000 young people, teaching them about the dangers of knife crime and working in partnership with the Metropolitan Police to tackle gang culture.

In short, NASSA saves young people’s lives and enriches them.

NASSA CEO and founder, Natasha Hart – image Matt Grayson

>> Natasha Hart MBE, NASSA CEO and founder, started the charity in 2005 after taking her two sons to a Newham park to teach them basketball.

Soon she was surrounded by young people keen to try the sport, which inspired the charity’s creation.

Natasha said: “Once you become part of the NASSA family, that’s for life.

“What started in 2005 as a way for young people to get outside and keep fit has grown into a bigger mission, working with the community to tackle violence and gang culture through sport and education.

“It’s incredibly moving to hear about the difference we’ve made in people’s lives. Now we want to reach even further.

“It’s amazing that we’re able to host this networking and fundraising dinner in our 20th year to help us continue that work.

“We’re so grateful for the support we’ve had over the years and would love you to join us on June 18, 2025.”

why NASSA’s Next Generation?

To continue in its work and expand its operations, NASSA needs to raise funds and is always looking for new organisations and individuals to partner with.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, it has created an event aimed at bringing its supporters together with those who would like to get involved to network, to introduce the charity’s ongoing work to them and mark its achievements.

Networking and dinner will be followed by a show at Brick Lane Music Hall in Royal Docks

what will happen?

NASSA’s Next Generation is set to take place at Brick Lane Music Hall in Royal Docks on June 18, 2025, from 6pm-midnight.

The evening will start with a drinks reception with plenty of time for networking.

This will be followed by a three-course dinner and a music hall show, with further opportunity to socialise after the curtain falls.

who will be there?

The evening will be hosted by NASSA with support from the charity’s patron, Sir Stephen Timms MP, minister for social security and disability.

The event will also be attended by senior management from long-time NASSA supporters Excel London, Tate&Lyle Sugars, London City Airport and Novotel London Excel as well as the Royal Docks Team and local businesses.

Excel London CEO, Jeremy Rees - image by Jon Massey — Excel London CEO, Jeremy Rees – image by Jon Massey

>> Excel London has long been a supporter of NASSA and its work.

CEO Jeremy Rees has brought local organisations together in an advisory capacity to help guide the charity as it continues to grow and develop, tackling some of the toughest issues in society.

Jeremy said: “What Natasha and the team have done over the course of two decades is incredible and deserves our attention and backing.

“This is an organisation that started with just £20 in its bank account and has now reached more than 100,000 young people.

“The NASSA’s Next Generation networking and fundraising dinner is all about how we can work together as businesses, organisations and individuals to help it continue these vital efforts and reach the next 100,000.

“The event will be a real celebration of NASSA – but we can’t do this alone.

“Support us on June 18 and we can do even more.”

The charity works to fight knife crime and gang culture through its Carry A Basketball Not A Blade campaign

how can I get involved?

Tickets to the event are now on public sale, priced at £220pp with all proceeds going to NASSA.

A small number of full tables (12 seats) and half tables, priced at £200pp are available too.

In addition to the show, a raffle will be held on the evening for exclusive prizes from the likes of Kricket, iFLY London, Arc Community Sauna, Emilia’s Crafted Pasta and Skuna.

how do I book tickets?

Can email info@wharf-life.com or visit the charity’s website.

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January 10, 2025January 10, 2025

NASSA set to focus on fundraising as Newham charity turns 20

Newham All Star Sports Academy marks two decades as it continues to use sport to fight knife crime and support young people in east London

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“I’m still so passionate about it, 20 years after we started,” said Natasha Hart. “NASSA is one big family – once you set foot in there, you don’t want to come out.

“We have volunteers who started with us when their children were small – they’ve grown up and left, but their parents are still helping out.

“The young people who have been through our hands stay in touch, even two decades later.”

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the day Natasha took her two sons to Balaam Park in east London to teach them basketball, offering to make it a weekly treat.

They invited their friends, word got round and soon she was coaching groups of more than 30 kids.

The demand was there.

With £20 in the bank she registered Newham All Start Sports Academy (NASSA) as a charity and never looked back.

In 2008, her son, Anthony Okereafor, launched NASSA’s Carry A Basketball Not A Blade campaign in response to the fatal stabbings of two of his friends within weeks of each other.

Its work, tackling knife crime and gang culture, while breaking down barriers between youngsters and the Metropolitan Police, has seen more than 100,000 young people aged 10-18 attend its sessions.

In that time NASSA’s teams have also won league titles, its initiatives have been recognised with a multitude of awards and Natasha has received an MBE as its CEO.

But the demand for the charity’s blend of sports and education is unrelenting.

The pandemic and cost of living crisis have taken their toll and its work is sorely needed because it’s ultimately about more than a child learning the discipline of sport – it’s in the business of creating community.

NASSA is celebrating 20 years of work in Newham in 2025

addressing a need

“NASSA is always attracting young people,” said Natasha.

“Some want to meet new friends, some want to play sports, some want to be away from something and others want to progress and develop.

“We are always learning from them because it’s not only about the child.

“They’re a brother, a sister, a son or a daughter.

“Once the young person trusts us we find the whole family joins in.

“From a single session they get involved and the ball starts rolling – we’ll be asking how are they doing in school, what life is like – then after a few weeks you build that trust.”

Those relationships allow the charity to help address a wide range of issues facing those living locally.

It works to tackle domestic violence, addiction and unhealthy peer pressure and knife crime through a blend of mentoring, coaching, support and education.

“If we can find a solution to a problem then we will, or we can refer people on to specialists who can help,” said Natasha.

“We always want to be growing as a charity, to reach more people and embrace new ideas. For example, when we first started our workshops with the police, the relationship with young people was poor.

“Now each year we play a friendly game with serving officers and that builds trust – the young people can see they are human and that they play basketball, which is so important because they are the people you need to call when you’re in trouble.”

The charity addresses a wide range of issues through its programmes

NASSA: creating community

Over its first two decades NASSA has been successful in securing support from the likes of Excel, Tate And Lyle, UEL, Sport England, L&Q, London City Airport, the Mayor Of London, Newham Council, the Royal Docks Team and Basketball England.

“We’ve been very lucky with the supporters we have, the volunteers, the coaches and the sponsors who all enable us to deliver,” said Natasha.

“We have a rich history with what we’ve done in this community and a great track record in helping change and save the lives of people in this part of London.

“That we are able to do this is very satisfying for all those involved with the charity whether it’s our sponsors, our staff or me.”

To mark its 20th year, NASSA is planning a renewed focus on generating funds for its activities, with an ambition to roll out its mission to other parts of the capital.

A fundraising event is set to be held in June at Brick Lane Music Hall in Royal Docks as a celebration of the charity’s anniversary to help spread the word about the work its doing and offer businesses and individuals new ways to get involved in its activities.

“We want the event to help us reach new supporters and a new audience and for them to be able to come together with our existing sponsors,” said Natasha.

“It’s an opportunity for us to showcase what we have done over the past 20 years and what we are going to do in the future.

“We know we have expertise and I would love us to be able to roll that out to the surrounding boroughs.

“With knife crime the way it is in London, our work is needed more and more and I believe this is a model that could work across the city, helping to save more young people’s lives.”

Aspirational: NASSA uses the discipline of sport to effect change in young lives

key details: NASSA

NASSA, based in Royal Docks, is always looking for support from volunteers, businesses and organisations to help deliver its sport and education programmes.

Full details of NASSA’s fundraising event in June will be published in due course.

If you or your company think you could help in any way by providing resources or funding, you can contact the charity here

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January 11, 2024January 11, 2024

Royal Docks: How NASSA’s match with the Met is more than just a game of basketball

Newham All Star Sports Academy contest with police marks 15 years of CABNAB partnership

Anthony Okereafor founded Carry A Basketball Not A Blade

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At 5.30pm a game of basketball will begin at UEL Sports Dock on January 25, 2024.

But the players will be doing more than making passes, shooting hoops and competing.

It’s not the first time that a team from Newham All Start Sports Academy (NASSA) has taken on a squad of serving Met Police officers.

But this year is the latest in a series of events marking the 15 years of partnership between the two organisations.

Son of NASSA founder Natasha Hart – Anthony Okereafor – founded Carry A Basketball Not A Blade (CABNAB) in 2008 following the fatal stabbing of two of his friends within weeks of each other.

Its programme reaches thousands of young people each year, alerting them to the dangers of knife crime and carrying knives through basketball coaching and question and answer sessions.

The annual game is held to show the strength of organisations working together in the community, but also to remember those who have died as a result of knife crime locally during the year – with a hoop shot for every life lost.

“We come together to play a game of basketball, but the most important part of it is remembering those lives,” said Anthony.

“The event allows people in the community to see Met officers as human beings.

“It helps to break down the barriers for young people – to show them police officers enjoy sport just as they do.

“Trying to build a safer community isn’t just about removing the knives.

“It’s about making sure the right relationships and structures are in place to try to reduce the number of people who fall through the gaps.

“The game is common ground, it changes the dynamic.

“One of the things NASSA and CABNAB participants say is that when they meet officers in these settings they talk and have conversations and that’s something to build on.”

NASSA engages with young people through sport to help tackle knife crime – image Ilyas Ayub

That’s also something the Met is looking forward to with Chief Superintendent, Simon Crick, set to take part in his first game against NASSA since taking over as borough commander for Newham and Waltham Forest.

“It’s the engagement with young people and the diversion away from anti-social behaviour that’s so important,” said Simon, who began his career as a police constable in Newham.

“This part of London has seen more than its fair share of homicides and violent incidents over recent years and I’m really supportive of what NASSA and CABNAB are trying to do.

“Having been down to Sports Dock and seen all of the things the charity has achieved, it’s really good for us to be a part of it and to try and do something positive with young people. It’s really empowering.

“As for the game itself, we’ll get annihilated, without a doubt – I’m sure.

“I’m really looking forward to the game – anything that we can do to show a willingness to engage with young people, work with them and have a bit of fun, is really positive.

“Building relationships is what it’s all about – there’s too much animosity, so we need to do more of that.

“Alongside me, some of my senior leadership team will be playing and they understand the need to engage with young people.

“There will also be some neighbourhood officers in there, whose purpose and role in life is to do that – to support young people and divert them away from crime and anti-social behaviour.

“I think it will be really empowering for our officers – it always helps build that trust, whenever something is fun for those taking part, and it will help make their jobs easier.

“The uniform can be seen as a barrier sometimes and, if people can see you’re human through playing sport, that’s really important.”

The charity plays its games at UEL’s Sports Dock – image Ilyas Ayub

For NASSA and the young people that participate in its programmes, the game is a chance to explore those relationships and find some parallels.

Anthony said: “When people put on a uniform, there’s a certain reputation they have to uphold.

“When we play basketball, we put on a uniform and we preach that to our young people – it’s the same with school uniforms.

“When wearing them, you have to represent certain things, to look at the bigger picture of what that means, how you carry yourself and the importance of that.

“There is a natural tension with the Met, but police officers are also the first responders – they are the people you call when you’re in trouble and they also go through traumas related to the work they do.

vWhen the officers are playing, you don’t see that tension with the young people and that’s a seed that can be planted to grow into something better.

“Who knows, one of our young people might end up saying they want to join the police themselves.

“I’ve never worked for the police, but I can imagine officers are always on high alert for themselves and those around them as they work to keep people safe.

“This game is an opportunity for them to let their hair down – a bit of a break in a safe place and a chance to communicate with young people.”

With a reduction in youth services locally, that’s a welcome prospect for Simon and his colleagues.

He said: “There’s a lack of youth engagement opportunities following austerity – we saw huge cuts to many of those services locally and what NASSA does is phenomenal – bringing young people together locally.

“It gives them the ability to work as a team, to enjoy themselves, to get fit and have fun.

“It gives them somewhere to go and a sense of purpose.

“Having young kids myself, I know how important sport can be when they’re growing and everything is changing in their lives.

NASSA is set to take on the Met in a symbolic game on January 25, 2024 – image Ilyas Ayub

“That continuous focus around sport can be crucial.

“NASSA also provides a sense of family – speaking to Natasha, you really understand it’s a close knit organisation and people coming into it will really feel that.

“That’s important because I think lots of young people feel very alienated in the modern world. What NASSA does is very powerful.

“Knife crime is an issue that goes far beyond the police.

“We deal with situations where people are on the street carrying knives or when they’ve been the victim of a homicide or serious assault.

“There are things we do – very well planned and coordinated partnership activities – to try and reduce offending.

“But tackling this issue starts a lot earlier than that. It often begins in the home with good parenting and at school with education.

“There are so many factors that play into it.

“Where we’ve seen success across the country and across the world, has been when a public health approach is taken.

“That’s where numerous partners including charities, police forces and other organisations, come together to look at all the different factors that feed into knife crime, such as deprivation

“This game is a good example of how we’re trying to reach out and encourage young people to be part of that.

“We’re a long way from solving the problem, but we’ve recognised as a service that only a partnership approach will address it.

“If you speak to young people and ask them why they carry knives, a lot of them would say they are for self defence or to make sure that they are safe.

“If I had a magic wand it would be used to make people not feel unsafe or at risk so they wouldn’t feel the need to carry a knife.

“That’s the ultimate aim – it’s difficult to achieve that because of all the factors that affect it.

“For a young person to say they need to carry a knife to feel safe speaks volumes and that’s that we need to address first.”

While the game on January 25, 2024, is not open to the general public, organisations or individuals who would like to support NASSA can get in touch with the charity and may be able to attend.

Support from businesses, either financial or through volunteering is welcomed so NASSA and CABNAB can continue their vital work.

Find out more about NASSA and CABNAB here

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com