My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
Yes
I am 18 years of age or above, by the application deadline.
Yes
My organisation is a registered UK entity and has a London-based address.
Yes
My organisation is a non-profit (e.g. school, university, or local authority) — not a for-profit, which can only join as a partner.
Yes
If there is a for-profit organisation as a partner in my initiative, they work on a cost-recovery basis only.
Yes
My solution is implemented at scale, or if not, I have a clear business plan, a minimum viable solution (prototype, pilot, or proof of concept), evidence of access to a lease for the space you are leveraging, and evidence of work or impact in London within your coalition.
Yes
I am aware that, if I am submitting more than one application to a Challenge run by Ashoka and Go! London, only one of them is able to progress through the stages.
Yes
Are you an employee (and their children and grandchildren) of Ashoka or any of its respective affiliates and participating advertising and promotion agencies?
No
I have read and accepted the Challenge Terms & Conditions.
Yes
First Name
rivke
Last Name
Salamon
Pronouns
She/Her
Email address
I would like to receive notifications and updates about Go London!, Ashoka, Ashoka Changemakers, and other Ashoka opportunities.
1
Are you an Ashoka Fellow?
No
Are you applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow?
No
If you are applying from an organization founded by an Ashoka Fellow, please specify the name and organisation of the fellow below.
Beis Brucha
Lead Organisation Name
beis brucha
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
1993
Initiative Title
Active Spaces: Movement & Play for Orthodox Jewish Young People
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://www.hackneylocaloffer.co.uk/kb5/hackney/localoffer/service.page?id=XGry8OAWgvg
Initiative Stage
Pilot-Stage (The first activities have happened, and you have proof of concept)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Health & Fitness
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
We transform underused community spaces in Stamford Hill into safe, culturally‑appropriate micro‑movement hubs that give Orthodox Jewish children and young people access to inclusive, affordable physical activity for the first time.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve and who will benefit the most from your solution? How close are you to the problem and/or community impacted?
Orthodox Jewish children and young people in Stamford Hill face some of the most significant barriers to physical activity in London. Many live in overcrowded homes with no safe indoor space to move or play. Public parks and mainstream sports settings are often inaccessible due to modesty requirements, mixed‑gender environments, safety concerns, or cultural misunderstandings. Families experiencing poverty cannot afford paid clubs, equipment, or travel, and there are very few culturally‑appropriate activity options available locally. Girls and young women are particularly excluded. Parents frequently express concern about their children’s inactivity, low confidence, and social isolation, yet they have nowhere safe, modest, and familiar to send them. Young people themselves tell us they want to be active but feel embarrassed, unsafe, or unwelcome in existing spaces. As a community‑embedded organisation supporting hundreds of families every year, we see these challenges daily. Mothers come to us for food support, wellbeing help, and crisis intervention — and repeatedly highlight the lack of safe, culturally‑aligned spaces for their children to be active. This gap directly affects physical health, emotional wellbeing, and long‑term resilience. Without intervention, Orthodox Jewish young people will continue to be excluded from the benefits of movement, play, and sport.
Your approach: How are you/ will you addressing the problem outlined above? How does your solution unlock or reimagine access to spaces for sport and physical activity? What role do landowners, local authorities, or other decision-making stakeholders play in your approach? We'd love to know about the origin of your idea, and what was your "aha" moment" that led you to take action?
Our initiative reimagines familiar community spaces — halls, classrooms, courtyards, and parts of our kitchen building — as micro‑movement hubs where Orthodox Jewish young people can safely and confidently participate in physical activity. By transforming spaces that families already trust, we remove the cultural, financial, and practical barriers that prevent them from accessing mainstream sport. We offer girls‑only movement sessions, boys’ active play groups, family movement clubs, and pop‑up outdoor play zones in enclosed courtyards. All activities are modesty‑appropriate, low‑cost or free, and delivered by trained facilitators who understand cultural norms, safeguarding, and the lived realities of the community. We also provide a small equipment library so families can borrow items they cannot afford to buy. Our “aha moment” came from mothers repeatedly telling us that their children had nowhere safe to move. We realised that the spaces already within our network — rooms used for meals, meetings, or classes — could be adapted into activity spaces with minimal cost but huge impact. We work closely with local schools, community centres, and landowners to unlock access to these spaces, building trust and demonstrating how culturally‑aligned provision can open doors for young people who are otherwise excluded.
Collaboration with young people and the community: In what ways does your initiative engage young people and community members closest to the problem? What role do they play in building the solution you deliver?
Young people and parents are central to shaping this initiative. Our design process began with conversations with mothers who told us their children wanted to be active but lacked safe, modest, and welcoming spaces. We held small focus groups with girls aged 10–16 who shared what types of movement felt comfortable, what environments felt safe, and what would encourage them to participate. Their feedback directly shaped our session formats, facilitator training, and equipment choices. We also work with boys’ youth leaders who help us design active play sessions that feel fun, culturally appropriate, and confidence‑building. Parents help identify suitable spaces, volunteer at sessions, and support younger children to attend. Community partners — including schools and women’s groups — advise on cultural sensitivities and help us refine our approach. Young people play an active role in co‑creating the programme. Girls have helped choose music styles, session structures, and the layout of the movement rooms. Boys have suggested games and challenges that build confidence without feeling competitive or intimidating. This ongoing collaboration ensures the initiative remains rooted in lived experience, culturally aligned, and genuinely responsive to the needs of the community.
Potential for/Evidence of Impact: How do you imagine your initiative will make a difference in unlocking spaces for and access to physical activity and sport so far? If you have already implemented it, what difference have you made so far? What is the impact your initiative has had , and or what impact do you envision having in the future?
Even at pilot stage, we have seen strong early impact. Young people who previously had no access to physical activity are now participating weekly in safe, modest, and welcoming environments. Parents report improved mood, confidence, and social connection in their children. Girls who were previously inactive are now engaging in regular movement sessions, and boys who struggled with anxiety or low self‑esteem are benefiting from structured, positive play. Our model unlocks spaces that were previously unused or unsuitable for physical activity, creating new opportunities for movement in a community with limited access to parks or mainstream sports facilities. Over time, we expect to see increased physical activity levels, improved emotional wellbeing, stronger peer relationships, and reduced isolation. We anticipate reaching 150–200 young people in the first year, with capacity to grow significantly as more spaces are unlocked. The long‑term impact is a shift in norms: movement becomes accessible, culturally aligned, and part of everyday life. By embedding activity in trusted community settings, we create a sustainable pathway for young people who have historically been excluded from sport.
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Our initiative is innovative because it transforms non‑sport spaces into culturally‑appropriate activity hubs for a group that mainstream sport rarely reaches. Instead of expecting Orthodox Jewish young people to adapt to existing sports environments — which often feel unsafe or culturally misaligned — we adapt the environment to meet their needs. We use imaginative, low‑cost adaptations to convert everyday community spaces into movement zones. This includes modesty‑appropriate layouts, privacy screens, flexible equipment, and gender‑specific scheduling. We also integrate wellbeing principles into movement sessions, linking physical activity with confidence, resilience, and social connection. Our approach challenges structural barriers by working directly with landowners, schools, and community leaders to unlock spaces that were previously inaccessible. It shifts norms within the community by making physical activity feel safe, familiar, and culturally respectful. This model is original because it blends cultural sensitivity, hyper‑local access, and creative space‑use in a way that has not been done before in Stamford Hill.
Viability and Scalability: How are you setting your initiative up for success, and what is your plan to ensure operational sustainability of your solution and its impact? What are your ideas for scaling your initiative to the next level?
We are setting the initiative up for success by building on existing community trust, using low‑cost adaptable spaces, and training facilitators from within the community. This ensures cultural alignment, sustainability, and strong engagement from families. Operationally, the model is cost‑effective: once spaces are adapted and facilitators trained, ongoing delivery costs remain low. We have strong partnerships with schools, community centres, and women’s groups who are committed to supporting access to spaces and referrals. Our plan for scaling includes: • Expanding to additional community rooms and school halls • Training more facilitators to meet demand • Developing a replicable toolkit for culturally‑aligned movement spaces • Partnering with more landowners to unlock underused spaces • Building a volunteer base to support delivery With additional funding, we can scale across Hackney and Haringey, reaching hundreds more young people. The model is designed to grow organically, with each new space unlocking further opportunities for movement and play.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
Roles and Responsibilities • Project Lead: Oversees delivery, partnerships, safeguarding, and monitoring. • Facilitators: Deliver movement sessions, ensure cultural alignment, and support young people’s confidence. • Community Volunteers: Assist with set‑up, supervision, and equipment management. • Partner Schools / Centres: Provide space access, referrals, and cultural oversight. • Parents and Young People: Co‑design sessions, provide feedback, and help shape programme development.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
Upcoming Milestones • Months 1–2: Secure spaces, purchase equipment, train facilitators. • Months 3–4: Launch weekly girls’ and boys’ sessions; begin equipment library. • Months 5–6: Introduce family movement clubs and outdoor pop‑ups. • Months 7–12: Expand to additional spaces, increase session frequency, evaluate impact, and refine model.
Capacity-Building Participation and Support Funding: If you were to make it as a finalist, you will be required to participate in an 8-week capacity building programme. If funding/ cost is a barrier to your participation, we may be able to offer up to 10,000 GBP of grant money available to support you. Please break down below, if it is the case, what costs you would incur and you would need covered. (Please note that there are restrictions on how the grant money may be used; please refer to the T&Cs for further details.
Capacity‑Building Support Funding If selected as a finalist, we would request support for: • Staff time to participate in the 8‑week programme • Childcare costs for staff attending sessions • Travel costs • Backfill for project delivery during training weeks Estimated need: £3,000–£75,000
