Greenhouse Sports and London Lions unite to foster a new generation of basketball talent

We’re proud to announce a strategic partnership with the London Lions, the UK’s  premier professional basketball team.  

The partnership unites Greenhouse Sports’ commitment to youth development through sports and the London Lions’ rich legacy of excellence in professional basketball.  

A range of significant initiatives will be launched, such as engaging primary schools, establishing secondary student leagues, promoting girls’ participation, granting young athletes’ elite-level access, and enhancing coaching delivery. The ultimate goal is to cultivate a fresh era of youth basketball development and bolster community engagement. 

Vanja Cernivec, General Manager of the London Lions women’s team, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Greenhouse Sports to bring to life the vision we have for basketball in the UK. We believe the sport has the power to be at the forefront of tackling youth inactivity, and promoting physical and mental benefits. Moreover, we believe this partnership has tremendous potential to help improve outcomes for children in some of the most deprived areas across London by providing a clear pathway to careers within the sport. We look forward to hopefully seeing some of the next generation of London Lions stars coming from programmes just like this.”

Greenhouse Sports, supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, works with more than 8,000 young people annually through dedicated full-time school coaches embedded in schools, focusing on areas of high deprivation.  

The evident passion for basketball within the Greenhouse community led to the inception of the Greenhouse Sports Basketball Club (GSBC), which evolved from the original London Greenhouse Pioneers club. GSBC offers a London-wide competitive basketball club beyond school, with four hubs established in north, south, east, and west London, catering to Greenhouse kids and the wider community aspiring to play more and perform at higher levels. 

With 22 years of experience in delivering inspirational coaching and mentoring in schools, Greenhouse Sports basketball division alone boasts a team of 40 full-time, qualified basketball coaches and stands as one of the largest independent youth basketball programmes in the UK. 

The partnership with the London Lions serves as a bridge, nurturing young talent, guiding them seamlessly into GSBC, perfectly aligning with Greenhouse Sports’ vision to become the largest youth basketball club in the UK, empowering and inspiring young athletes. 

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the London Lions and to bring the initiatives of this partnership to life. This partnership epitomises the core mission of Greenhouse Sports, which is to empower young individuals through sports and provide them with clear pathways to success. It also establishes a seamless continuum that nurtures young talent, guiding enthusiastic participants  to the GBSC to further develop their skills and deepen their passion for the game.” states Chris Allbut, Greenhouse Sports Director of Programmes. 

ENDS