London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced a new £1.4 million investment to expand access to sport for young people across the UK capital, as part of his flagship 'Go! London' initiative.

The announcement was made in Cape Town on Saturday (July 19) during Khan’s visit to the Atlas Foundation, a charity that uses rugby and mentoring to support vulnerable children globally, including London.

“An additional 1.4 million pounds to invest in young people, Tackle London, and the idea is we use in the Atlas model. Atlas are in London, working with young people keeping them constructive, keeping them busy and sports and rugby is a really good way to do that.” Khan said during a rugby session with local youth.

Launched in 2023, Go! London is a partnership between the Mayor’s office, the London Marathon Foundation, Sport England, London Marathon Events and London Sport. To date, it has invested over £8 million in more than 200 grassroots organisations, with a focus on underserved communities.

The Mayor’s visit to South Africa is part of a wider trade mission across Africa – the first by a sitting London Mayor – aimed at promoting London as a global hub for investment and innovation. Khan has also visited Nigeria and Ghana, and marked Mandela Day (July 18) in Johannesburg, held on what would be the birthday of former South Africa president Nelson Mandela.

While in Cape Town, Khan met with staff and volunteers from the Atlas Foundation, founded by former England rugby star Jason Leonard. The charity operates in 21 countries and promotes education, nutrition, and safe play through rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, discipline and enjoyment.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 19, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. VARIOUS OF LONDON MAYOR, SADIQ KHAN, PLAYING RUGBY WITH YOUNG PLAYERS OF THE ATLAS FOUNDATION ON RUGBY PITCH

2. VARIOUS OF KHAN PERFORMING A HAND CLAPPING EXERCISE WITH YOUTH GROUP

3. RUGBY BALL IN GRASS

4. ATLAS FOUNDATION PLAYERS CLAPPING HANDS

5. KHAN SPEAKING TO MEDIA

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LONDON MAYOR, SADIQ KHAN, SAYING:

"The idea is to bolster trade between South Africa and the UK, between Nigeria and the UK, and Ghana and the UK. And the really exciting thing is, when you look at the trade between the UK and Africa, it's now roughly 50 billion. We want it to be 60 billion over the course of the next five years and South Africa is integral to that mission."

7. KHAN WATCHING PLAYERS

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LONDON MAYOR, SADIQ KHAN, SAYING:

'We've managed to bust the myth that exists about Africa and about South Africa, you know, this is a flourishing, thriving economy in terms of Cape Town, the ecosystem, we've already done some business to business connections. It's great tech companies here, but also linking them up with venture capitalists in the UK."

9. PLAYERS PASSING BALL / KHAN WATCHING

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LONDON MAYOR, SADIQ KHAN, SAYING:

"Now, the Atlas foundation doing some amazing work with young people in not just Cape Town and Joburg, but other parts of South Africa. And we love the idea of investing in young people. Sports is a real power to bring people together. It is your life skills, you know teamwork. How to be magnanimous in victory, dignified in defeat. It gets you out of the home. You make friends. And so I've announced today in London, an additional 1.4 million pounds to invest in young people, Tackle London, and the idea is we use in the Atlas model. Atlas are in London, working with young people keeping them constructive, keeping them busy and sports and rugby is a really good way to do that."

11. YOUNG CHILD WATCHING RUGBY MATCH FROM BEHIND SIDELINE FENCE

12. VARIOUS OF KHAN INTERACTING WITH A PLAYER / LEADERS

13. PLAYERS CHANTING AND CLAPPING