E.ON Next brings sports career pathways to Leeds primary school pupils

Currently in its third year, the nationwide initiative continues to tour the UK, introducing school children to activities such as football, motorsport, tennis, and netball. Beyond physical fitness, the sessions help students discover the broad ecosystem supporting the sports industry, highlighting roles across healthcare, media, energy management, performance science, and design.

During the event in Leeds, 61 pupils from Years 5 & 6 engaged in a mix of career-focused insights and practical physical activities.

Key activities throughout the day included:

• England Football - Football Skills: Pupils took part in small-sided games and drills run by England Football, designed to improve agility, speed, and overall tactical understanding of the sport.
• Media & Presenting workshop: Facilitated by Presenter Steph Wentworth, this session aimed to boost literacy, communication skills, and confidence in public speaking.
• Sports First Aid:Children were taught how to handle minor injuries, understand emergency responses, and recognise situations requiring CPR.
• STEM & Sustainability: Enovation Consulting led this showcase to highlight the role of technology and science in modern sports. Pupils engaged in interactive coding exercises using SPHERO balls alongside a Sustainable Development Goals panel game.
• Energy in Sport: Linking energy generation to physical activity, pupils pedalled cycle-powered cars around a track to generate electricity.

To finish the day, specific awards were handed out to pupils who demonstrated outstanding effort, energy, and participation across the workshops. Every child who took part also received an E.ON Next sports kit, containing a notebook, cap, water bottle, and branded bag.

Elisha Santos, Year 5 Teacher from Summerfield Primary School, said: "It’s been a delight to host E.ON Next’s ‘Kids in Sport’ at Summerfield Primary today. This has been a real treat for our Year 5 and 6 students to see the possible career avenues in sport. Getting the kids learning in an active way is always really effective and the range of workshops mirror a lot of what they’re learning in the classroom.

“A big thank you to England Football as well for running the football skills workshop as we’ve had lots of positive feedback. I’ve really seen some of the children who struggle with both confidence and resilience at times flourish in these workshops which has been lovely to see.  I’m sure the kids will remember what they’ve learnt today for a long time and we hope that E.ON Next come back again!”

Scott Somerville, Director of External Affairs at E.ON UK, added: “Not least because it’s the home of our npower business, Leeds is a city we’re proud to be part of and one we know well. That made it the perfect place to host the latest event from our touring Kids in Sport initiative, as we help to inspire the next generation through the power of sport.

“These events are about opening young people’s eyes to the wide range of careers connected to sport and the valuable life skills it builds - from teamwork and resilience to confidence and ambition. It’s not just about what happens on the pitch; it’s about all the roles behind the scenes that make those moments possible. From energy engineers to low carbon specialists, there are many exciting career paths that can grow from a passion for the game.

“We’ve been delighted by the response here in Leeds and we are excited to build on this momentum, bringing Kids in Sport to more communities and inspiring even more students in the future.”

This latest event follows the first Kids in Sport event to be held in Wales, which was held in Cardiff in April.

Leeds is also home to npower Business Solutions, E.ON UK’s dedicated supplier of electricity and gas to large corporate and industrial businesses, which has a major office in Thorpe Park Gardens housing more than 100 colleagues.

The company actively supports the local area, having established the npower Business Solutions Foundation to fund community projects and charities within a 50-mile radius of the company’s offices in Leeds and Solihull.