Group leader Q&A: Tom Nyama from TK Born and Raised
By Sported | 11th August 2022
Group leaders are the heart of the Sported network, delivering sport and physical activity for young people across the UK.
We caught up with Tom, the founder of group TK Born and Raised. Delivering football sessions to young people around London and the South East, Tom has been working with Sported and Sported volunteers on various elements of the journey since December 2020.
Tell us more about your group, why it was set up, and the activities you run
TK Born and Raised was founded because I was deprived not to play football when I was younger. I was good, but my parents were farmers back in Africa so I was told not to play. I was able to pursue my football career when I came to the UK and progressed to play in Sweden, and I was able to play professionally at the age of 27. It gave me hope, and a light at the end of the tunnel.
I created TK Born and Raised to bring that hope to young kids, and it doesn’t mean you have to be professional, but whatever you desire to be in life, you can actually achieve it.
We use football and education as a vehicle and run sessions for those aged 5 upwards. We preach the values of family and unity – we are all like a family and have to look after each other.
What led you to get support from Sported?
I formed TK Born and Raised 3 years ago, and I had set it up as a limited company. I’d asked for help and was directed to Sported who were able to help me set up as a Community Interest Company (CIC), and that’s when things started to go really well.
Once our governance was in place, we had support from a Sported volunteer to look at our policies and procedures, and our marketing. The volunteer was a professional in IT and helped us create a sponsorship package and a website.
How has your support helped you and your group?
The support has given us that image that is clear. Our vision was clear, but how that was presented to the public wasn’t clear. Sported gave us that clear information – this is who we are, what we do and how we do it.
What is your greatest achievement as a group leader so far?
The happiness of the kids on their faces every time we finish, and the satisfaction to look at our coaches to look at each other and say ‘we did a good thing today’.
Even though we’re not making a lot of money, we feel like we’ve achieved something and we’ve put a smile on someone’s face. Also that parents can leave their kids with us for hours. That’s mind blowing for me.
Find out more about TK Born and Raised on their website.