Kingston has secured the 'Most Improved Borough' trophy at the annual London Youth Games, securing dramatic increases in performance across 30 sports since last year.

With five gold medals, seven silvers and one bronze, Kingston's achievement highlights its success in boosting youth participation and community involvement - driven by the council's Active Kingston team and its work on building strong links with local clubs and organisations. 

Kingston Council says it is committed to providing all residents with a wide range of opportunities to be active and healthy. From school sports, community activities and wellbeing programmes to gyms and swimming, there's something for all ages and abilities. 

Speaking about the achievement, Councillor Alison Holt, Kingston Council's Portfolio Holder for Leisure, said: "This award is a fantastic recognition of the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, from our young athletes to their coaches, and the incredible support from the council's Active Kingston team and our local clubs.

"It truly showcases what we can achieve when we work together to provide our young people with the best sporting opportunities.

Team Kingston showcased exceptional talent and dedication throughout the 2024/25 season, with 173 residents representing the borough across 17 sports from November to July. Their efforts resulted in an impressive medal haul, including:

Five Gold Medals:

• Two x Individual Indoor Rowing (Year Nine & Year Ten girls)
• U13 Girls Football Team
• U16 Boys Table Tennis Team
• U16 Boys Basketball Team

Seven Silver Medals:

• Boys Individual Road Time Trial
• Individual Indoor Rowing (Year Eight girls)
• Two x Individual Kayak (U17 female 200m and U17 female slalom)
• Kayak U17 Team Slalom
• U16 Girls Para-football team
• Individual Aquathlon (Girls Year Nine)

Bronze Medal:

• Individual U15 Boys 50m Freestyle Swimming

A prime example of this successful partnership is the boys' basketball team. For the first time, Active Kingston collaborated with the Lions basketball club, leading to the borough's first-ever boys' Basketball Gold medal.

This achievement was a true community effort, with 11 players and two coaches representing five different local clubs and seven different secondary schools.

A Kingston Council spokesperson said; "Get ready for even more exciting opportunities to get active and stay healthy as Places Leisure begins a new agreement with the council on 1 October 2025 to deliver new leisure services and improved facilities across the borough."