Celebrating 15 years of CABNAB with NASSA v. Met Police game

NASSA v Metropolitan Police – Respect on the basketball court

Tate & Lyle Sugars was delighted to support Newham All Star Sports Academy (NASSA) in celebrating the 15^th Anniversary of their award-winning programme Carry a Basketball Not a Blade (CABNAB) with a special basketball game against serving officers in the Metropolitan Police.

The NASSA v Met Police game was held at East London’s Sports Dock facility on 25 January 2024, in front of 100 guests, including Newham Mayor Roksana Fiaz and local MP Stephen Timms. It was preceded by a minute’s silence and the shooting of basketball hoops to remember each of the young people who have died in the London Borough of Newham as a direct result of knife crime in the past two years. While the NASSA team won 77-22, the scoreline was secondary to the spirit of friendship, collaboration and respect shown by both teams on the court.

Together, NASSA and the Metropolitan Police have engaged over 100,000 young people across east London on the dangers of knife crime and gang activity through NASSA’s CABNAB initiative.

“Every member of the NASSA team in this special game has been directly affected by knife crime and felt its consequences. CABNAB has always been about educating young people, making them aware of the consequences, not just of using a knife, but of simply carrying one, too.” Natasha Hart, Founder of NASSA

NASSA, a charity partner of Tate & Lyle Sugars for over 14 years, engages disadvantaged young people across East London to play basketball in a fun and safe environment. Sessions include mentoring talks, educating young people on the dangers of knife crime and gang culture, and the opportunity to gain basketball coaching, officiating, and first aid qualifications. As well as financial support and volunteers, we also provide NASSA with office space free of charge at our Thames Refinery.