“For me, there’s no such thing as ‘hard to reach’ young people. That just means you’re not working hard enough to engage them.” - Richard White, Community Director at Ballers Academy 

Just across the Thames from the looming skyscrapers of Canary Wharf is Rotherhithe – a different world from London’s high-rolling financial district. 

Rotherhithe has a large housing estate located within the bend in the river which features in BBC soap Eastenders. There, you’ll find Ballers Academy; part of Levelling the Playing Field’s network of specialist partners in London. 

Ballers Academy use football and other sports as a vehicle to engage local young people who may otherwise get caught up in crime and anti-social behaviour. Their Friday night community sessions have proven so popular (with up to 50 attending each week) that they have now started others in nearby Lewisham and Southwark. 

Through football, the Academy’s coaches and mentors gradually build relationships with local young people. That mutual trust allows staff to guide them towards follow-up opportunities such as volunteering, education, training and employment.

As well as community sessions, Ballers Academy also run award-winning coaching for all age groups which over the years has produced several professional players. They also provide coaching for children and adults with disabilities and special needs, plus sessions for girls and older people.

In 2019, Ballers Academy founded grassroots club Canada Water FC to provide competitive football for local youngsters. The club has now grown to four youth sides and one adult disability team. 

These opportunities, on and off the pitch, offer participants in community sessions a clear pathway to achieve positive outcomes of their choice – whether it’s playing competitive grassroots football or working towards a career in the game in whatever form. 

“We use football as a platform to steer them on the right path and inspire them to what they want to achieve,” says Ballers Academy’s Community Director, Richard White, who has 23 years’ experience of serving the community and contributing positively towards society.  

“Our staff keep things fun and develop trust with young people gradually. You’re not going to get to know them on the first night, it’s about developing trust over time and having friendly banter, in a professional manner. It’s small steps, but before you know it, you’re in a position where they will be ready and open to taking the next phase in their development. 

“Young people come to our programmes because they enjoy playing football. Football might not end up being their career, but they might go into volunteering, mentoring or take their coaching or refereeing badges.” 

The Academy has formed fruitful partnerships with local agencies. For example, Southwark’s Youth Offending Service now refer young people who have been caught up with the police to Ballers Academy as a form of positive engagement. 

Ballers Academy has also partnered with Southwark Young Advisors, who promote football sessions during the outreach work on the streets through the borough. The Academy is also well connected with local schools and colleges. 

Ballers Academy is part of a consortium led by Active Communities Network, who helped them run a Level 1 Sports Leaders course last summer (see above). Fourteen young people took part in the four-day programme then volunteered as leaders at a Ballers Academy children’s summer camp. 

“Those youngsters essentially gave up their summer holidays to pursue that opportunity,” says Richard. “They gave back their own time, which showed they are thinking about their careers and how they can progress in sport.” 

Using funding from the Youth Justice Sport fund, Ballers Academy has upskilled one local youngster, Dashaun, to work as a mentor with participants in the community programme. He started at the Ballers Academy sessions himself, then after returning from university was keen to develop in coaching and mentoring. 

These kinds of positive outcomes show why Ballers Academy are a perfect fit within the Levelling the Playing Field network and the pursuit of our 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 

Richard says: “Our programmes are more needed now than they ever have been with the cost of living, funding cuts and the lack of opportunities for young people. 

“Our aim is to ensure nobody from deprived communities is denied the same opportunities as anybody else. Many of them are tagged with the stigma of being ‘hard to reach.’ For me, there’s no such thing. That just means you’re not working hard enough to engage them. 

“An equal platform is absolutely key to improving community cohesion. I’ve lived in Southwark all my life and care passionately about giving young people a chance to achieve.” 

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