When Paul Munday-Castle founded a youth basketball club in wake of the 2011 riots, his goal was simple, "help young people."

A former pro basketball player himself, Mr Munday-Castle knew just what kind of effect sports could have on a child.

Just like that, the Croydon Cougars were born.

Since that day, the Cougars have offered players a weekly homework and reading club, combining access to free basketball training with maths and English support from a professional tutor, as well as career mentoring from Deutsche Bank volunteers.

"Croydon Cougars has worked with hundreds of young people in Croydon over the years," Mr Munday-Castle said.

"We use basketball to help young people reach their full potential, giving them structure and improving their mentality on and off the court. "Grassroots sport has a massive role to play in giving young people a good attitude, improving their education and job prospects."

Now the basketball program's good work has been brought into the national spotlight thanks to Croydon Central MP Sarah Jones.

Ms Jones today highlighted the importance of sports projects in tackling Croydon’s high levels of knife crime and youth violence.

In a debate on the funding of basketball in the House of Commons, Jones argued that grassroots sports have a “real role to play” in engaging young people in Croydon.

Speaking in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament, Ms Jones said: "We have heard how basketball reaches further into communities than many other sports in this country, how it reaches children from black, Asian and minority ethnic and deprived backgrounds, and what value it provides.

"We need to stress the value that basketball can bring to our local communities by tackling the problems that we struggle with in London and across the country, including serious youth violence, and young people getting involved in crime and needing to be helped out."

She also highlighted Croydon boxing project Gloves Not Gunz, which combines boxing sessions with mentoring and education programmes for young people.

“Croydon Cougars does fantastic work with local people, and it also manages to fit in some extra homework time, so that children can play basketball for free and get tuition and help with homework afterwards," Ms Jones said.

“I want young people in Croydon to be able to say, 'If I put the effort in, show talent and become good at this, there is a pathway right to the very top,' but unless we fund the very top as well as the grassroots, that pathway will not be there for them.”