Nottingham Sikh Lions: Grassroots Football & Sport
About Nottingham Sikh Lions
The Nottingham Sikh Lions represent SCYS's grassroots football provision, a programme that sits at the intersection of sport, community and belonging. In 2026, we ran four competitive 7-a-side tournaments, with a few subs per team, across five age groups, giving young players structured competitive opportunities and fostering the values of teamwork, discipline and respect. We also run a smaller-scale football training programme on a more informal basis.
Current age groups competing:
Each team brings with them a circle of parents, siblings, grandparents and family friends, meaning the programme's community reach extends far beyond the players themselves.
Our Impact
Football is one of the most powerful tools available for bringing communities together. The Nottingham Sikh Lions harness this potential deliberately, using grassroots sport as a vehicle for building confidence, fostering belonging and creating connections that reach across families and generations.
Each tournament draws not only the young players but the parents, grandparents, siblings and wider family members who come to watch and cheer. This collective participation strengthens family bonds and builds community ties in ways that few other activities can replicate. At a time when social isolation and fragmentation are recognised as significant public health challenges, the social infrastructure created by community sport is genuinely valuable.
The inclusion of a dedicated girls’ age group is a particular point of pride for SCYS. Female participation in sport continues to lag behind male participation across most demographics, and within some South Asian communities, cultural barriers can compound this challenge. By providing a safe, supported and culturally appropriate environment for girls to train and compete, SCYS is actively working to dismantle those barriers and ensure that the benefits of sport, including improved physical health, stronger mental wellbeing, greater confidence and social connection, are accessible to all.