Our local delivery partner Unity Gym Project in Sheffield offers so much more than an ordinary city-centre gym. It’s a community where young people can find support, motivation and hope.
Once a week, up to 18 children attend their Levelling the Playing Field drop-in session where they can work out, receive nutrition advice, chat with peers, engage in mentoring and get advice and support with issues at home, school or in the community.
Once a week, up to 18 children attend their Levelling the Playing Field drop-in session where they can work out, receive nutrition advice, chat with peers, engage in mentoring and get advice and support with issues at home, school or in the community.
Participants are referred by volunteer or statutory services (schools, social services, mental health services etc), by their parents, by a Unity Gym staff member or have made the decision to turn up themselves.
“We offer them a space where they feel a sense of belonging, but more importantly identify their abilities and offer support in a way that’s consistent and gives them hope,” says Unity Gym Project founder Saeed Brasab.
“A lot of young people we work with have lost hope – in the education, employment or criminal justice systems. Our role is seeing the potential in them and getting them to recognise the potential in themselves.”
These aims align with Levelling the Playing Field’s common goals:
Most of Unity Gym’s staff are volunteers who are from the area, understand the issues and want to give something back by improving young people’s prospects and help them fulfil their potential.
“Having that continuous, ongoing support is what we feel makes an impact,” says Saeed. “We want them to know we’ll always have their back - even if sometimes it has to be ‘tough love’. There has to be consistency but frankness too.
“We offer them a space where they feel a sense of belonging, but more importantly identify their abilities and offer support in a way that’s consistent and gives them hope,” says Unity Gym Project founder Saeed Brasab.
“A lot of young people we work with have lost hope – in the education, employment or criminal justice systems. Our role is seeing the potential in them and getting them to recognise the potential in themselves.”
These aims align with Levelling the Playing Field’s common goals:
- Increase the number of ethnically diverse children taking part in sport and physical activity
- Prevent and divert ethnically diverse children from being involved with the Criminal Justice System
Most of Unity Gym’s staff are volunteers who are from the area, understand the issues and want to give something back by improving young people’s prospects and help them fulfil their potential.
“Having that continuous, ongoing support is what we feel makes an impact,” says Saeed. “We want them to know we’ll always have their back - even if sometimes it has to be ‘tough love’. There has to be consistency but frankness too.
“If we know they ought to be doing something more productive we have no hesitation in telling them. But they will only listen once our staff have built that connection and trusted relationship with them. That’s why we’re blessed that our staff are from this community and understand the sorts of issues they’re facing because they’ve been through the same things themselves.
“Our staff give them all the support to build their confidence to make that transition in their lives and move on [from negative activities] to become a better version of themselves. Our young people appreciate that what we do is always in their best interests. We’re there in the times of most dire need.”
As we speak, Saeed breaks off as he’s interrupted by a young person who has just received their exam results. He's done well, and it will be a springboard to achieve his ambition of going to university. He thanks Saeed for his support and says he couldn’t have done it without him.
“I live locally and I can’t close my door or turn off my phone!” laughs Saeed. “Young people rely on us a lot, but I thoroughly enjoy it, I must admit! It feels rewarding when you see young people able to achieve their full potential or move on to a destination which you know they’re capable of reaching but so often barriers get in the way.”
Saeed set up Unity Gym Project in 2010 as a response to some of the issues he could see affecting his community (partially stemming from the cuts to community youth services in 2009). He had benefited greatly from his local youth club as a youngster and wanted to provide that same ‘support hub’ feel to help the next generation in the face of the local lack of opportunities, violence and crime.
“I left a well-paid job to go into youth and community work to support young people,” says Saeed. “Having accessed youth provision myself as a kid, I knew what a difference it made to myself and my peers in the community. The youth club was always the place where we had things to do, but most important was that it was an environment where we all felt we belonged. We wanted to bring back those kinds of principles, and Unity Gym Project was born.”
“Our staff give them all the support to build their confidence to make that transition in their lives and move on [from negative activities] to become a better version of themselves. Our young people appreciate that what we do is always in their best interests. We’re there in the times of most dire need.”
As we speak, Saeed breaks off as he’s interrupted by a young person who has just received their exam results. He's done well, and it will be a springboard to achieve his ambition of going to university. He thanks Saeed for his support and says he couldn’t have done it without him.
“I live locally and I can’t close my door or turn off my phone!” laughs Saeed. “Young people rely on us a lot, but I thoroughly enjoy it, I must admit! It feels rewarding when you see young people able to achieve their full potential or move on to a destination which you know they’re capable of reaching but so often barriers get in the way.”
Saeed set up Unity Gym Project in 2010 as a response to some of the issues he could see affecting his community (partially stemming from the cuts to community youth services in 2009). He had benefited greatly from his local youth club as a youngster and wanted to provide that same ‘support hub’ feel to help the next generation in the face of the local lack of opportunities, violence and crime.
“I left a well-paid job to go into youth and community work to support young people,” says Saeed. “Having accessed youth provision myself as a kid, I knew what a difference it made to myself and my peers in the community. The youth club was always the place where we had things to do, but most important was that it was an environment where we all felt we belonged. We wanted to bring back those kinds of principles, and Unity Gym Project was born.”
Unity Gym’s staff are all volunteers, but many have backgrounds in community or youth work and have undergone further training in mentoring, safeguarding or mental health (including LtPF’s mentoring training). They often signpost participants to follow-up support with mental health, substance misuse, or to fulfil their ambitions in training, apprenticeships or employment. “Often they simply don’t have the confidence to access the services they should be using, so we bridge that gap,” explains Saeed.
Like many frontline organisations, Unity Gym Project face a constant battle to find consistent funding for their work. They are glad, though, to now be part of the Levelling the Playing Field community of practice and that their work in Broomhall will contribute to the project’s common goals.
“The work you guys do in collectively tackling the disproportionality of young people of colour in the Criminal Justice System is vital. We see that on the ground.
“It ensures the issues that impact young people from communities such as ours remain at the forefront of people’s consciousness. Lack of awareness and opportunities are the barriers that lead them to making bad choices. The more that can be done collectively, the bigger the voice is calling for change.”
Like many frontline organisations, Unity Gym Project face a constant battle to find consistent funding for their work. They are glad, though, to now be part of the Levelling the Playing Field community of practice and that their work in Broomhall will contribute to the project’s common goals.
“The work you guys do in collectively tackling the disproportionality of young people of colour in the Criminal Justice System is vital. We see that on the ground.
“It ensures the issues that impact young people from communities such as ours remain at the forefront of people’s consciousness. Lack of awareness and opportunities are the barriers that lead them to making bad choices. The more that can be done collectively, the bigger the voice is calling for change.”