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
JOSHUA
Last Name
WEHNER
Pronouns
He/Him
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.
EverBetter Sport LDN
Lead Organisation Name
EVERBETTER SPORT LDN
Year that you started/ registered your organisation
2022
Initiative Title
Lloyd Park Let’s Ball Legacy Initiative
My initiative is designed for and delivered in London
1
Website URL(s) or Social Media Handles
https://www.instagram.com/everbetter_sport_ldn/
Initiative Stage
Growth (You’ve moved past the very first activities; working towards the next level of expansion.)
Sectors/Themes: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Children & Youth
Initiative Summary: Describe your initiative in one sentence
To provide updated and functioncal basketball fit for both recreational and competitive play, practice and enjoyment, for so those who want to engage with the sport are not marginalised due to distance & or cost of indoor facilities to establish pride in the space and to continue our work, more importantly the impact of the Olympic legacy, for young people, adults & organisation's to enjoy for many years to come
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?
Waltham Forest is one of London’s most diverse and youthful boroughs, with 24.5% of residents aged 0–19 and around 47% from minority ethnic backgrounds. Inequalities between postcodes persist, with significant youth wellbeing and safety concerns. Local JSNA summaries also highlight high proportions of children in low‑income families. The Lloyd Park court currently lacks proper surfacing and markings, limiting safe, structured use. Demand for inclusive youth play/basketball is high across nearby residentaial areas & estates (Priory Court, The Drive, Higham Hill). Flames’ surveys participants shows 90%+ report improved confidence and health; nearly all feel safer and would recommend the sessions. The Violence Reduction Unit’s evidence base confirms that sport‑based interventions, delivered hyper‑locally in safe spaces, build belonging and help reduce risks. This project meets a clear, evidenced need for a high‑quality, free, walkable basketball hub in the heart of Walthamstow. This is also been recognized by enterties such as the NBA, Mayor of London the Government & more as documented in the recent “State Of Play” report.
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?
My approach combines a capital upgrade with cultural activation and long‑term stewardship. I will regenerate the Lloyd Park basketball court with a new surface, acrylic coating, markings, hoops and identity artwork. Alongside this, I will run a culture‑led activation programme: girls’ and women’s showcases, inclusive open‑play windows, family‑friendly sessions & events, and youth‑designed 1v1/3x3/5v5 formats. Flames Basketball, the initiative I run under EverBetter Sport LDN, will deliver weekly programming, safeguarding and helper‑coach pathways that empower young people to steward the court. A key part of unlocking this space is our partnership with the landowner. LB Waltham Forest Parks supports permissions and process alignment, while I remove operational burden by handling procurement, contractor management and activation. Friends of Lloyd Park are supportive community connectors (not responsible for governance or finance), helping reach families and residents as capacity allows. My “aha” moment came during a community pop‑up several years ago, when I saw teens, younger siblings and parents all sharing the court safely and joyfully—but the experience evaporated by Monday because the infrastructure couldn’t sustain structured, inclusive use. With indoor prices rising for families, the value of a free, culturally relevant hub is greater than ever. This model tackles structural barriers directly—cost, proximity, safety, inclusion and cultural relevance and aligns with city evidence that trusted, hyper‑local spaces improve youth wellbeing and reduce risks.
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 have shaped this from the start. In 2016–18, local teens helped me make the case for Lloyd Park’s first basketball court markings. Since then, they’ve let us know what makes them feel safe; a well kept space, which deters ASB and under or miss use of the space, regular sessions and events by trusted adults, open play hours, the opportunity for professional & informal basketball and other events to be able to happen on there doorstep, instead of having to travel to out the area and good hoops, what draws girls and women in (welcoming time slots, role‑model showcases, zero judgment), and what makes it fun for families, (organised activities/entertainment like sport, music & dance, seating, near by amities and a calendar they can plan around). I run listening segments at sessions, in WhatsApp groups, and on the court; the ideas become pilots at pop‑ups before we scale them. In delivery, young people will co‑design the identity artwork, co‑create the open‑play timetable, test 1v1/3x3/5v5 formats, lead MC/DJ slots, collect feedback, and take on paid helper‑coach and event‑crew roles. Families are included by design: many of our youngest participants arrive with parents and siblings, so I make the environment friendly for all ages. Friends of Lloyd Park (capacity allowing) will help us reach residents and park users, while schools and local businesses will be invited to use the space for taster sessions and showcases that broaden who feels welcome. The goal is simple: if young people and their families help build the hub, they will protect it, use it, and grow it.
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?
I already see tangible impact in Lloyd Park: more consistent play, broader participation and visible pride in place. In our surveys, participants report feeling healthier, more confident and likely to recommend sessions. With an upgraded surface, safe hoops and a clear identity, we can shift from sporadic pop‑ups to a dependable weekly calendar that better serves all including girls, neurodivergent participants and families groups most sensitive to safety signals and predictability. My track record underpins credibility. I led the first line‑markings at Lloyd Park in 2018, then sustained activity with culture‑led formats that fuse basketball, music & wellbeing. I’ve delivered Flames Basketball in LBWF for 10+ years, showcased basketball at the family‑oriented Walthamstow Garden Party, and run LET’S BALL 3x3 in 2023 and 2025 following venue renovation. Our work has been recognised by Basketball England (London Community Club of the Year), and one park regeneration featured on a Channel 4 series. This demonstrates my ability to steward a public space over time, mobilise families, and build a positive park culture beyond any one event. Year one will deliver a regenerated court, weekly open‑play sessions, quarterly cultural events, a helper‑coach pathway and a light stewardship rota. I will track attendance and basic demographics, run baseline‑to‑post micro‑surveys on confidence, belonging and enjoyment, and conduct quarterly learning reviews. I expect several hundred unique users and thousands of repeat visits in year one. Over three years, I expect higher girls’ and family participation, stronger school links and a sustained culture of safe, inclusive park play. This aligns with evidence showing that safe, hyperlocal sport with trusted adults creates positive disruptive
Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions that are already out there? How is your approach original and innovative?
Two shifts make this approach different. First, I combine physical regeneration with cultural activation and youth stewardship. Many projects stop at repainting; many programmes stop at events. I do both, then embed leadership pathways so young people help run and protect the space. Second, I change the delivery burden for the landowner. Parks support permissions and compliance, while I take responsibility for procurement, contractor management and activation. This directly addresses a major structural barrier for councils—capacity constraints—while maintaining quality and community ownership. Innovation also lies in reframing price and proximity as part of access. As indoor costs rise, a free, walkable, culturally relevant outdoor hub becomes essential for families. By integrating basketball, music, identity artwork and girls’ showcases, the space becomes more than a court—it becomes a cultural home rooted in the community. Finally, this model is replicable. Once the Lloyd Park flagship proves itself, I can package a low‑burden playbook (permissions, procurement specs, identity tools, activation calendar and M&E templates) that other parks can adopt with the right partners.
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?
I am set up to deliver. EverBetter Sport LDN provides governance, safeguarding, procurement and finance. Flames Basketball, the initiative I run under the organisation, delivers weekly activation—sessions, coaching, helper‑coach pathways, events and data collection. LB Waltham Forest Parks provides permissions and procedural alignment without taking on delivery burden. Friends of Lloyd Park offer community visibility where capacity allows but hold no governance or financial responsibility. The budget prioritises durable surfacing, hoops and identity elements, with a light annual activation and maintenance plan that keeps the space functional & high‑quality. Sustainability blends free access with a small number of school and community windows that help maintain equipment without excluding anyone. Young helper‑coaches will be trained into paid sessional roles, creating continuity and pathways into work. For scale, I will document the approach as a replicable model—permissions checklist, procurement specs, identity toolkit, activation calendar and M&E templates—and engage other parks with the same low‑burden offer. With Go! London’s capacity‑building support, I will strengthen governance and fundraising so we can move from one flagship to a small network where communities invite us.
Roles and Responsibilities: Describe how responsibilities are shared among your team or partners.
I, as Director of EverBetter Sport LDN, lead governance, procurement, finance, safeguarding and delivery. Flames Basketball (our initiative) delivers weekly activation, coaching (including our two‑coach safeguarding model), events and data. LB Waltham Forest Parks provides permissions and alignment to park processes. Friends of Lloyd Park have expressed supportive interest and, where capacity allows, help with community visibility. Schools and local creatives will be offered agreed windows that broaden participation without displacing free public access.
Upcoming Milestones: Please provide an overview of the milestones that are required for your initiative to come to fruition/to grow.
Because winners commence from September, I phase design, permissions and procurement through autumn/winter and reserve weather‑sensitive works for spring/summer. September–November 2026: confirm permissions, complete site survey and cost validation, co‑design court artwork and timetable with young people and families, refresh safeguarding and recruit helper‑coaches. December 2026–February 2027: finalise specifications, invite quotes, select contractor, begin pre‑start communications, and secure a provisional spring weather window for surfacing and coating. March–June 2027: deliver resurfacing and levelling, install hoops, apply line‑markings and identity artwork once the surface has cured; timings flex to avoid cold or wet spells so acrylic coatings cure properly. July 2027: soft‑launch open‑play schedule and begin baseline surveys. August–September 2027: full public launch with a culture‑led festival prioritising girls’ and family participation. October 2027–March 2028: weekly open‑play, quarterly showcases and learning reviews, stewardship rota, and a spring year‑one review to publish learning.
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.
If selected as a finalist, I would need support to maintain programme delivery while completing the eight‑week capacity‑building programme. I would request up to £10,000 to cover release time and sessional backfill; technical survey and procurement‑spec refinement; co‑design workshops for young people and families with small stipends; and setting up baseline M&E tools and a short learning report. This aligns my existing development needs—technical surveys, permissions documentation, codesign and an activation/sustainability plan—with the programme’s structured support, ensuring a compliant, community‑co‑owned and ready‑to‑deliver model. All requested costs will follow the programme’s T&Cs.
