Six young people, three serving Metropolitan police officers, and a senior youth worker from ML Community Enterprise participated in a four-day Power of Polo camp with Cool Hooves Polo at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club last week. The program was designed by Power of Polo to provide a unique opportunity for youth and police to come together and learn to build support, trust and communications between the groups using the sport of polo.
“There has been a lack of trust historically between youth and police in our community and the Power of Polo camp is providing a level playing field where these two groups can learn together and rely on each other, challenging perceptions that both groups might have held previously,” shared Margaret Pierre, Co-CEO ML Community Enterprise. “It will be something they can take back with them to the community and continue to grow.”
Throughout the four-day camp, participants learned about how to care and work with horses, riding, strategy and tactics of polo as well as worked on personal development, communications and group interactive sessions. On the last day of the camp, participants took part in a mini-tournament that saw mixed teams from each group play against each other.
“Young people are key to building good relationships in the community and Power of Polo has provided us with a great opportunity through this camp to begin to change perceptions on both sides. By learning a skill that is completely new to everyone we all start on a level playing field and have to work together to make it work. This type of engagement is so important because we are here as individuals learning something new as opposed to police and young people, we are all one team.” said PC Ella Davenport, Community engagement officer from Southwark and Lambeth, Metropolitan Police.
With the generous support of major sponsor OSUK, a subsidiary of OUTSOURCING Incorporated, Japan (OSI) and donors Amelie Draper and Richard Farmiloe, Power of Polo is developing a series of spring camps that will prepare youth and adults from various different charities across the country. Working in conjunction with the Guards Polo Academy, participants from different camps will come together and participate in the Change Your Line Charity Cup, an exhibition tournament that will be played the morning before the semi-final of the prestigious OUT-SOURCING! Royal Windsor Cup at Guards Polo Club, Windsor on the 23 June 2023. The tournament will showcase the work and successes of the Power of Polo program, its partnering polo clubs and charities as well as the participants who have successfully completed this year’s camps.
