Let the Games Begin! There was plenty of fun and nostalgia as Hammerson employee volunteers designed and delivered traditional childhood Sports Day games for members of Learning Disability Network (LDN) London.

As part of its annual Giving Back Day on Friday 6 June 2025, a group of 10 Hammerson employees ran a series of games such as an Obstacle Course, Egg and Spoon and Beanbag Balancing Races.

Hammerson – owner, operator and developer of prime urban real estate – put on the event for LDN London, a charity based on Harrow Road that supports people with learning disabilities. The Sports Day activity complemented a fun-filled outreach programme aimed at helping boost confidence and challenge the false narrative that disability means inability.

The day started with volunteers from Hammerson setting up race lanes, preparing a refreshment station as well as creating cheer banners for the two competing teams: Team Orange and Team Lime.

Volunteers created motivational banners to cheer on the sports teams from the sidelines.

Before the Sports Day began, everyone took part in a game of People Bingo by way of an icebreaker, with participants finding out more about each other such as who can play a musical instrument, speak another language, and who has pets.

The competition began with an Obstacle Course Relay Race which required participants to navigate a balance beam, zig-zag between a series of cones and then throwing a ball into a bucket. Team Orange won the race and took a slender 1-0 lead in the competition.

The Egg and Spoon Relay Race was next and filled with drama as the final Orange and Lime runners crossed the finish in a dead heat, splitting the points one apiece. Team Orange now 2-1 ahead.

After a pit stop for lunch of delicious wraps, sandwiches, fruit and cakes – kindly provided by Hammerson – the games continued in the afternoon. Another too-close-to-call race in the Beanbag Balancing Relay ended in a draw for the second time, earning each team another one point. Team Orange now taking a 3-2 lead into the final event.

The beanbag balancing relay race gets underway.

In a dramatic final race of a Basketball Dribbling Relay, Team Orange took an early lead only for Team Lime to stage a comeback with a strong finish to win the race, bringing the team scores level at 3-3 and force a tie-break decider.

Hammerson colleagues then staged a medley race, incorporating elements of all of the games played across the day, with the winner claiming victory and the trophy. It was another close race with teams being cheered on from the sidelines, but there could only be one winner, and it was Team Lime that clinched the victory!

Warm applause and congratulations were shared across teams. Hammerson employee volunteers created a guard of honour for LDN London participants of both teams, who walked to the front to be presented with their medals of participation. The crowning moment was Team Lime lifting the trophy.

The winning team hold aloft the trophy after winning a tense tie-break activity.

Hammerson colleagues hand out medals.

Both teams congratulate each other.

The activity was organised through our Community Programme as part of Hammerson’s Giving Back Day, which this year saw 17 teams of volunteers take part in locations across the UK, France and Ireland. Other activities local to Marble Arch included a jewellery making craft workshop at St John’s Hospice and a garden party for older people at Penfold Community Hub.

If you are a Marble Arch BID member and would like to find out more about the wide range of community engagement and employee volunteering opportunities, please contact Phil at community@marble-arch.london.