Sport 4 Life use sport as a ‘hook’ to engage young people in Birmingham and guide them towards sustained education, employment or training. Last year, 79% of their beneficiaries were from ethnically diverse backgrounds and 15-20% have an offending history. For Levelling the Playing Field, they’re a gift-wrapped delivery partner.
Sport is the starting point for every one of the young people that the organisation takes under its wing. There are 10 free sessions per week; football, basketball, cricket and more, delivered in local schools or community facilities mainly in the deprived areas of Hodge Hill, Ladywood and Hall Green.
Referred from partner agencies including schools, police, youth offending teams, job centres or other charities, young people are engaged by a specially trained coach and dive straight into the sporting opportunities. From that initial point of engagement, the support young people aged 11-29 are offered is tailored around their needs in an entirely bespoke way.
Sport is the starting point for every one of the young people that the organisation takes under its wing. There are 10 free sessions per week; football, basketball, cricket and more, delivered in local schools or community facilities mainly in the deprived areas of Hodge Hill, Ladywood and Hall Green.
Referred from partner agencies including schools, police, youth offending teams, job centres or other charities, young people are engaged by a specially trained coach and dive straight into the sporting opportunities. From that initial point of engagement, the support young people aged 11-29 are offered is tailored around their needs in an entirely bespoke way.
Those needs, unfortunately, can be desperate. 41% of Birmingham’s children live in poverty and 43% of the city’s population live in the top 10% of most deprived areas nationally. Disadvantaged children are on average 18 months behind the rest of their class in academic achievement by the age of 16, twice as likely to fail key GCSE exams and twice as likely to become long-term NEET (not in education, employment or training) than their peers. It is in these circumstances that young people typically fall prey to the temptations of crime.
In the face of these challenges, Sport 4 Life’s objective is best summed up as ‘helping young people make a better life for themselves’. This involves confidence-building, improving their employability and life skills, getting involved in social action projects, earning qualifications (including Sports Leaders), engaging with potential employers and offering opportunities such as National Citizen Service (NCS) programmes.
Mentoring (with 4.5 mentors all trained to Level 3) plays a big role throughout every young person’s journey and these important relationships continued online during the Covid-19 lockdown. Mentoring is a crucial element in moving beneficiaries towards what hopefully is a ‘progression outcome’.
In the face of these challenges, Sport 4 Life’s objective is best summed up as ‘helping young people make a better life for themselves’. This involves confidence-building, improving their employability and life skills, getting involved in social action projects, earning qualifications (including Sports Leaders), engaging with potential employers and offering opportunities such as National Citizen Service (NCS) programmes.
Mentoring (with 4.5 mentors all trained to Level 3) plays a big role throughout every young person’s journey and these important relationships continued online during the Covid-19 lockdown. Mentoring is a crucial element in moving beneficiaries towards what hopefully is a ‘progression outcome’.
Those outcomes are impressive. In 2019/20 (as of 30 June), Sport 4 Life supported 926 young people, of whom 72 completed a qualification during that period. In addition, 197 improved their life skills and 69 progressed from NEET to EET. 274 young people are still enrolled in service and making progress.
Their “needs-led” delivery model gives each young person the best chance to reach one of these desired outcomes. Each individual is assessed and, alongside an assigned mentor, they create an action plan on what they need in order to progress positively.
Their “needs-led” delivery model gives each young person the best chance to reach one of these desired outcomes. Each individual is assessed and, alongside an assigned mentor, they create an action plan on what they need in order to progress positively.
Rob Wells, Sport 4 Life’s Head of Business Development, says: “It’s not about bringing everyone in at Point A, and getting them all to Point B; it’s about identifying each individual’s barriers and working on their specific needs, whether that’s qualifications, introducing them to employers, working on their CVs or simply building confidence. It can differ in intensity and be long or relatively short-term, depending on each case.”
Sport 4 Life is funded by trusts such as Children in Need, Comic Relief and the National Lottery, corporate funding and as a delivery partner for NCS and now, of course, Levelling the Playing Field.
“Levelling the Playing Field’s vision is so closely aligned to what we do,” comments Rob. “The importance we place on sport and mentoring and the diversity of our beneficiaries makes this an ideal opportunity to make a real impact. We’re looking forward to working in partnership on this important project.”
To read more about Sport 4 Life, click here.
Sport 4 Life is funded by trusts such as Children in Need, Comic Relief and the National Lottery, corporate funding and as a delivery partner for NCS and now, of course, Levelling the Playing Field.
“Levelling the Playing Field’s vision is so closely aligned to what we do,” comments Rob. “The importance we place on sport and mentoring and the diversity of our beneficiaries makes this an ideal opportunity to make a real impact. We’re looking forward to working in partnership on this important project.”
To read more about Sport 4 Life, click here.