As part of our ‘monitoring and evaluation’ theme in May, we speak to Ben Eckett who is introducing a fascinating new system to measure the impact of his programmes at our specialist partners Gloves Not Gunz and Urban Yogis.
Ten participants from our specialist partners Sports Key in Birmingham have been selected for the Commonwealth Games Gen22 programme to gain confidence and boost their employability.
Our strategic partners Yorkshire Sport Foundation have set up the Active Burngreave Training Hub to share local expertise, upskill workforces and empower organisations delivering sport and physical activity in the community.
Four Sheffield-based Levelling the Playing Field specialist partners – Reach Up Youth, Zest, Unity Gym and Saalik Young People (formerly Ellesmere Youth Project) – are involved in the Hub. It has been set up to identify gaps in local provision and use its collective pool of knowledge and resources to try and fill them (or access appropriate training to upskill people in order to fill the gaps themselves).
Mentoring plays a big part in the support offered by the Hub. Local mentors will support leaders, staff or volunteers through qualifications or training, developing their confidence and competence around any element of delivering sport and physical activity and improving health and wellbeing.
For example, one local organisation has accessed the Hub for mentoring support in applying to become a Community Interest Company (CIC). Another recent meeting at the Hub saw two young leaders from Reach Up Youth ask for help in delivering sport to disabled children. Levelling the Playing Field have stepped in to fund a Disability UK course for the pair.
“This is ultimately about tuning into what local people and organisations need, understanding where their skills and strengths lie, and matching them with each other to work together and offer mutual support,” said Kathryn Mudge, Development Manager (Communities) at Yorkshire Sport Foundation.
Kathryn added: “As a city, we’ve spent an awful lot of money in the past bringing in external expertise when we could have done it ourselves, with a bit of support and structure, by accessing great local people who have the skills already.
“The Hub is a product of us recognising that ‘going on a course’ doesn’t always work. To plug gaps in provision, it often needs longer-term support and mentoring, particularly in areas where community leaders, volunteers and staff have English as a second language or are fairly new to the world of policy, bureaucracy and navigating the system.
“The Hub will also help build people’s confidence to voice their opinion, or get them access to the ‘right table’ in order to exert an influence. They can then start challenging decisions and ensure projects are locally led.
“In the voluntary sector, people have busy schedules and can’t benefit from the ‘watercooler conversations’ and conferences of the professional world. They miss those crucial networking opportunities. We’re trying to offer that across the city of Sheffield and eventually all of the county.”
Levelling the Playing Field specialist partners Saalik Young People is also supporting the Hub. Its director and local resident Imran Ali is mentoring groups and individuals. Partners such as StreetGames or Sheffield & Hallamshire FA have offered free or discounted courses to upskill leaders and coaches.
Yorkshire Sport Foundation’s own mentors are also on hand to support people in whatever they want to achieve. For example, Yorkshire Sport Foundation's Sheffield Community Development Officer Faisal Eid is helping two young leaders from Reach Up Youth, Tyrone and Umar (pictured above), with the administrative side of leadership: writing reports and emails, policy, developing ideas and speaking at meetings.
Supporting Tyrone and Umar is part of a push to increase the number of skilled community leaders in their early 20s who have that crucial element of relatability with participants. “We want to bring in new blood,” says Kathryn. “The majority of our current community leaders are a little bit older so we want to identify the leaders of the future.”
Summarising the project’s impact, Kathryn says: “The Hub is going to build a network of highly skilled, highly qualified community leaders delivering excellent provision within neighbourhoods – initially in Burngreave, but eventually across the whole of Sheffield.”
Main pic (l-r): Sheffield Community Development Officer Faisal with Umar and Tyrone from Reach Up Youth
Levelling the Playing Field has completed a “hugely positive” initial phase of delivery with children inside HMP Werrington via our specialist partners Sharks Community Trust.
Manpreet Kaur Saini from our specialist partners Wolverhampton Wrestling Club has achieved a Bollywood-inspired dream after being selected as a baton bearer at this summer’s Commonwealth Games.
We sit down with Arnaud and Raya, who deliver Levelling the Playing Field sessions at our specialist partners Palace for Life Foundation, to discuss their impact on ethnically diverse children and their community.
As part of our support for the Sport for Development Coalition’s #OpenGoal campaign – which coincides with International Day of Sport for Development and Peace - we profile the journey of Kameron from our specialist partners InPower Academy.
The Alliance of Sport’s successful application for Sport England Tackling Inequalities Funding (TIF) has given more children in Croydon access to physical activity, support, safety and routine - thanks to LtPF specialist partners Gloves Not Gunz.
Gloves Not Gunz use boxing, jiu-jitsu, fitness and yoga to engage and divert children from crime, anti-social behaviour, exclusion from education and the care system. Bringing parents on board with their processes has a huge influence on the positive impact they make on young people.
Levelling the Playing Field is delighted to welcome Pat Benson Boxing Academy as a new specialist partner in the West Midlands.
Named after its founder in the early 1960s, Pat Benson Boxing Academy runs a variety of sport and education programmes to build young people’s physical and mental health, confidence, resilience and self-esteem, as well as foster community cohesion.
Now led by Pat’s grandson Paddy Benson, a former international boxer, the academy runs projects with schools, alternative provisions, community groups and individuals to support participants on a journey to achieve their goals inside and outside the ring.
When a young person is referred to the Academy’s Youth Development programme – typically by police, offending agencies, social services, schools, Birmingham Children’s Trust – the first priority is setting boundaries and goals.
“Straight away we home in on their personal development – What time do you call this? Have you come dressed to train? Put your phone away!” explains Programme Manager Leah Harris.
“It’s a ‘tough love’ approach that appeals to young people. It’s a male-dominated environment and the coaches aren’t going to sit you down, put their arm around your shoulder and ask how your day has been.
“They know why you’re here and they have a technique, steeped in the boxing culture, of teasing certain things out. It’s very much, ‘Great to have you, you’re now part of the family, now let’s get on with the session.’”
The Academy never turns anyone away (even taking steps to accommodate local postcode rivalries between participants). They work with participants and their families towards specific goals such as qualifications, apprenticeships, volunteering, employment or housing solutions for those affected by homelessness.
Funded by BBC Children in Need, the Academy’s Youth Development Programme has worked with over 1500 young people in the last eight years.
Based in the ethnically diverse but deprived area of Digbeth, Birmingham, Pat Benson Boxing Academy is an ideal fit as a special partner in achieving Levelling the Playing Field’s common goals:
Academy staff are about to begin a new programme with 20 young people in custody who are within six months of the end of their sentences. Combining their boxing programme with housing support, they hope to be able to positively impact on their re-introduction to society and rehabilitation. “We want them to go on a positive journey with us,” says Leah.
The Academy’s staff team includes several coaches who have come through the youth programmes themselves – inspiring role models for those who want to follow the same path.
“What we have learned over the years is that having high-quality partners is absolutely crucial,” says Leah. “We are looking forward to working with Levelling the Playing Field and contributing to a national movement for positive change.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAT BENSON BOXING ACADEMY, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE, OR FOLLOW THEM ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
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Martine Smith’s job title at Maindee Primary School in Newport may be ‘Equity Lead’ but her influence on children and families in her local community goes way, way deeper than that.
Martine is a highly respected figure amongst the hugely ethnically diverse population surrounding the school (where 46 different languages are spoken amongst the pupils). Through dogged persistence, empathy and patience (amongst many other attributes), Martine has positively engaged vulnerable families, fostered cohesion and set many at-risk children on a more positive path.
Using her trusted reputation in the community, Maindee Primary has partnered with Levelling the Playing Field’s specialist partners Positive Futures and Community Youth Project, plus Newport Youth Justice and Sport Wales to offer local children tailored provision in sport, music, creative arts, personal development and education opportunities.
Early intervention is crucial. Thanks to Martine, head teacher Jo Cueto and Positive Futures’ own community relationships, local families are more willing to engage in opportunities in school and in the community, delivered with partners and statutory services such as Newport Youth Justice (the recent boxing session at St. Michael’s Boxing Gym with Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sean McGoldrick was a great example).
This provision helps build trust and break down barriers, so that when incidents do occur, Martine can be that crucial link between the families and statutory services or the police to ensure everyone works towards the best possible outcome.
“Relationships are the key to everything,” says Martine. “We’ve got an open-door policy at the school. Everybody is invited in for a cup of tea and given the time to talk and be listened to.”
The strengthening of Maindee Primary’s relationships with parents began after serious racially motivated incidents took place in the playground. Martine called them a “huge eye-opener".
As a response to these incidents agencies were asked to support. The Early Intervention Project began with Newport Live, Newport Youth Justice, prevention teams and the school working closely to address concerns around what they were seeing in the community.
The school hosted workshops on drugs awareness, knife crime, anti-social behaviour, healthy eating and more – with parents and their children attending separately but receiving the same information. Partners such as Fearless, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Gwent Police have come into the sessions to offer guidance and support.
'A SAFE SPACE'
“Those meetings and workshops soon became a safe space where parents from different faiths and religions all had something to latch on to and a common interest, held in a safe environment with a member of school staff present to mediate,” Martine explains.
In the ensuing three years, this cohesion has blossomed into all sorts of community activity – including a forthcoming after-school boxing programme at the school (supported by Positive Futures and the ‘Active Education Beyond the School Day’ funding from Sport Wales) which will be led by a group of keen volunteer fathers from the community.
“The reason we can achieve progress with families all stems from relationships we’ve built up with them,” says Martine. “I wouldn’t advise anyone to cold-call at someone’s door without building that trust up first.
“I’ve worked here for 12 years so I’m well known. If a child has voiced concerns to me, I know I can knock on a family’s door and I’m welcomed in as part of the community. I’ve done the groundwork. It’s just a really simple conversation in non-threatening, non-judgemental language, in which I say to them, ‘How can I help?’
“It’s very, very evident that the work we’re doing in the evenings is working. Lots of my older boys are right on the edge of anti-social behaviour, exploitation and other issues. They need someone to reach out to and we’re providing that support.”
Matt Elliott from Newport Youth Justice has recently joined this circle of trust and delivers several sport-based programmes locally. Previously in his role, his relationship with a young person would start with a referral following a court order, but now he works preventatively with vulnerable families, building relationships and giving children a safe place to let off steam.
It’s for these reasons that this partnership’s work is aligned to Levelling the Playing Field and our common goals:
Lucy Donovan, Senior Development Officer for Positive Futures, works closely with Martine. She comments: “For all of us in this partnership it’s about getting to know people and having a chat on their home turf. Then when issues occur, you can go and have a conversation, as opposed to them feeling like they may be judged by a professional, and starting the relationship in a 'deficit' position with a power imbalance. We want our communities to own and lead these programmes to ensure they can be sustained for years to come.”
Martine summarises: “The relationships come first – and that can take time, sometimes years – which is why short-term funding is inadequate for this type of work.
“On a personality level, it’s about being caring, consistent and determined to build up children’s self-belief. Many young people and adults just don’t believe they can achieve anything. They must receive a consistent message – you belong, we want you to be the best you can be and we care about you.”
Everybody knows Safiya Saeed in the Sheffield community of Burngreave. She is deeply embedded and highly respected in the area – and that is key to her impact on children at the organisation she founded, Reach Up Youth.
Reach Up Youth run sport-based community youth projects called Big Brother Burngreave (for up to 24 boys) and Sisterhood (for up to 15 girls), based at the Verdon Recreation Centre. Both are specialist partners of Levelling the Playing Field. Great emphasis is placed on leadership, with boys earning coveted blue, red, grey and black t-shirts which represent their ascending status as mentors and role models to younger participants.
Burngreave is an ethnically diverse area, with over 25 languages spoken within its small radius. It can also be tough. Safiya's tight connections with hundreds of families across the area enable her to exert a strong, positive influence on the children who come through Reach Up Youth’s doors.
“In this job, I encounter issues every day,” Safiya says. “My number one priority is making sure I have some sort of relationship with their parents. That way, I find out if they can be part of the solution – or sometimes if they are part of the problem! Either way, you’ve got to know what’s going on.
“You’ve got to understand that no matter what that child says to you, it is only their perspective and there will always be another side to the coin. It’s about calming that young person down, saying, ‘Let’s find out what’s going on’ and making sure they know you have their back – but then finding out the adult perspective too.
“Have a three-way conversation so everything is transparent. Don’t react the minute you hear a story. You need to use your intuition. You must have a good relationship with the child and the parent, in order to be able to offer any help. It doesn’t work if you only have one’s trust but not the other’s.”
Safiya recently became a local councillor for Burngreave ward and sees her job as “to fight for young people and families to access education, equality and a healthy lifestyle.”
Her community leader role is greatly helped by speaking several languages, which helps her relate to local families. “When I ask, ‘Have there been any recent changes in the house?’ that could potentially embarrass those proud parents, so saying it in Pakistani or Somali is very helpful – as well as respecting confidentiality,” explains Safiya.
Whichever language she’s speaking, it’s fair to say that Safiya loves to chat! Her beaming smile and engaging personality ensures she is warmly welcomed into local homes and any tension over concerns and issues is diffused.
‘BE A FRIENDLY CROCODILE!’
“My advice is not to step on anyone’s toes but understand where that child is coming from. Make sure they come to you; don’t go round chasing anyone. When they are ready, they will come to you. I need to be a friendly crocodile under the water so I can catch those kids who fall in the water!
“You have to be very transparent and say what you can and can’t do. If you feel like your child is disrespecting their parents, you’ve got to put a lot of boundaries around. It is very important the you are respected within the community otherwise those boundaries would be meaningless – they wouldn’t stay within them.
“It’s very important that young people and families know that you are ready to commit your time. I will give 110% for them. If they are in a safe house in Nottingham, I’ll go and pick them up. The parents are very often limited in terms of knowledge and resources, so you have to fill that void.
“You’ve got to be there, come what may. You can’t say, ‘Don’t call me after 6pm’. That person might be in serious trouble and you’re their lifeline at 4 o’clock in the morning.”
Recently, Safiya was dealing with a participant who was hanging out with the wrong crowd and using drugs. She invited him to some climbing sessions that Reach Up Youth are running with Levelling the Playing Field delivery partner Rachel Climb Unity. There, Safiya engaged him gently in conversation.
“We danced around the issue. I reminded him what a beautiful person he is and told him how he’s so funny and always making me laugh. I advised him to take control of his life a bit more. I said I want him to become one of our next leaders and would invest time in him.
“I approached his father. Together we came up with a plan to help his son find his own identity, discover a focus and give him emotional support. It was a good example of how those close relationships with a young person and their family can bring about good solutions - finding volunteering opportunities, qualifications, jobs, friendship groups and connecting to local networks.”
‘LTPF LIKE A SECOND FAMILY’
All this work has recently been underpinned by funding from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund, which Reach Up Youth received via an application made on behalf of many Levelling the Playing Field specialist partners by the Alliance of Sport.
“The TIF money has helped us develop more opportunities for young people, breeding aspiration and confidence,” says Safiya. “It has paid for training in things like safeguarding and mental health and resources which will be a real boost to our young people. Our sustainability is so important because it maintains consistency which is vital to building trust.
“I feel like I have gained a family from being part of Levelling the Playing Field. It feels empowering and protective. We could never have hoped to reach the likes of Sport England otherwise. It’s a massive bridge between grassroots organisations and big funders and governing bodies out there.”
Street Soccer London have been able to develop deeper relationships with their participants by being part of the Levelling the Playing Field network and receiving Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Funding.
That’s the opinion of Street Soccer London coordinator Jack Badu, who together with manager Craig McManus and other staff has seen their programmes at the Black Prince Trust in Lambeth grow in numbers and increase their positive impact on participants.
Street Soccer London’s designated Levelling the Playing Field sessions take place on Wednesday evenings with U12s, U16s and U19s groups on separate pitches. A typical session will be attended by 60-70 players in all.
After coaching and matches, all youngsters have access to ‘The Boot Room’, where they can chill out, watch Champions League games, play on the PlayStation and have informal conversations with staff. In those conversations, their voices are heard and they are supported and encouraged to take positive steps towards achieving ambitions within football and beyond.
Those ambitions could involve coaching or refereeing, volunteering, youth work, work experience or employment. Street Soccer London has built a web of partners to whom they can signpost young people to achieve these next steps.
Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund (which was secured for many Levelling the Playing Field specialist partners by the Alliance of Sport) has given Street Soccer London the capacity to set up this supportive environment.
“The TIF money has been crucial,” said Jack (pictured below). “It has allowed our participants to have more of a say and engage on a deeper level. It has given us space to develop better relationships and provide further support. It’s where I can be a critical friend, not just a football coach.”
The funding has also improved engagement on the pitch, with older groups supporting activities for younger ones through informal peer mentoring, coaching and refereeing. Participants also play in a league seven-a-side team alongside staff.
Street Soccer London have also partnered with fellow Levelling the Playing Field specialist partners Palace For Life Foundation to give youngsters the chance to enter a Premier League Kicks tournament at Crystal Palace Academy’s training ground.
One participant in his late teens was at one stage at risk of homelessness. “Having had mentoring from staff and support from peers who have been in similar situations he now feels he can come to any of our sessions and there is a safe place him to play, coach or referee," says Jack. "He is just one young person who has benefited from the sense of community we’ve been able to create."
The organisation’s work aligns perfectly with Levelling the Playing Field’s common goals:
As Street Soccer London manager Craig McManus puts it: “It’s not about us changing people’s lives, it’s about the young people changing their own lives but using us as the mechanism to allow them to do that. We want to put a smile on young people’s faces, give them hope, experiences and opportunity, then what we class as success for each young individual will follow.”
Working very closely with families in his community of Burngreave in Sheffield enables Imran Ali to maximise the positive impact he has on children in his care.
Imran manages Ellesmere Youth Project, one of Levelling the Playing Field’s specialist partners in South Yorkshire. His strong relationships with parents ensures his provision for young people meets local need and engages young people in the most effective ways.
“My staff know the parents of the vast majority of the young people who come to our programmes,” explains Imran. "They know my phone is always on. We touch base. It becomes like an extended family. There has to be mutual trust, otherwise we can’t be offering their child the best service.”
For example, Ellesmere Youth Project (EYP) opened an online consultation process with parents and children during the pandemic, asking what activities and support they would like to receive.
The survey asked about the worries parents had about their children, what they felt they were missing out on or needed more of in their lives. They had over 200 responses from young people and 86 from parents.
The variety of responses was huge: many wanted trips and excursions (having been cocooned for so long during the lockdowns), as well as mental health support, support with home learning, religious workshops, health and fitness, education around knife crime and drugs, personal development, life coaching and activities they could enjoy together as families.
“It gave us a really good mix,” reflects Imran. He immediately set about responding to these requests and needs, engaging with mosques and other local partners to provide workshops, coaching and away days.
“By consulting parents, it builds a lot of trust,” Imran explains. “We are working with their son or daughter, but giving them an input into it means that our relationship is so much stronger. We’re on the same page.
“It increases the power of parents and our staff. The young people know we’re in constant contact so we can be united in saying, ‘If you don’t knuckle down at school or if there are any incidents, you will be off the trip or you won’t be involved in sport sessions.’ That is a powerful deterrent to that young person – more powerful than if I or the parent were working independently.”
Imran set up drug awareness workshops for parents and for children, which were delivered by the same external organisation, but attended separately. It ensured both were getting the same information, up-to-date research and support. Both parties could look out for danger signs and were aware of negative impacts.
“When kids come to me, I’m dealing with a fully-formed problem and have to log it and deal with it myself,” says Imran. “If the parents are on board, it makes my work easier and we have a higher chance of recognising and dealing with any problems at an earlier stage.
“It gives me back-up. It increases the network of people who are on board and have that kid’s best interests at heart. I welcome other trusted agencies and organisations into that network too, so the net is as wide as possible.”
EYP don’t have a strong presence on social media, as they find that local word of mouth is the best form of marketing. Parents bring their children in from nearby Rotherham, Tinsley, Darnall and elsewhere, wanting to become part of this supportive community.
“I sent one text message out after lockdown before half term about a boxing session – 115 kids turned up, almost out of nowhere!” said Imran. “It showed the trust and the scope of our network – those parents knew straight away it would be a safe place to go.
“It’s all about working with the parents,” he concludes. “They might not always be clued-up, because so much is happening out there, but they know there’s a guy out in the community who is going into bat for them. They have our phone numbers, we will listen to them, support their needs and what they want for their children.”
Read more about Ellesmere Youth Project here.
Positive Youth Foundation have offered vital post-lockdown support to children in ethnically diverse areas of Coventry thanks to support from Levelling the Playing Field and the Tackling Inequalities Fund.
Rotherham United Community Sports Trust say Levelling the Playing Field and Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund have been “massive” in enabling them to engage with local ethnically diverse communities.
As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘peer research’ month, we visit the Peer Action Collective who ask other young people about their experiences of youth violence and use their findings to create change in their local communities.
Trust is a fundamental factor in effective safeguarding. Having a close relationship with a trusted adult gives children the confidence to share any issues and concerns as well as a solid support mechanism to thrive and succeed.
Levelling the Playing Field has linked with a host of partners in Newport to find new ways of supporting children in the ethnically diverse area of Maindee through sport and physical activity.
Tom McIntosh, Operations Director at Levelling the Playing Field’s strategic partners Sport Birmingham, gives his view on the attributes any coach or youth worker must have when it comes to safeguarding.
As part of our focus on safeguarding throughout January, we asked Nikki Miles what the process looks like at our specialist partners Positive Youth Foundation in Coventry.
As part of our focus on safeguarding throughout January, we find out how London Sport use the voices and opinions of young people to ensure policy converts into good practice on the front line.
Read how safeguarding of individuals, families and the community runs through the whole philosophy of Levelling the Playing Field's specialist partners NPV Football Development in Wolverhampton.
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We asked our specialist partners Millwall in the Community how their Levelling the Playing Field football sessions achieve positive outcomes for ethnically diverse children in their South London community.
As part of our Sport for Development theme, we asked specialist partners Sporting Elite how their Levelling the Playing Field football sessions achieve positive outcomes for ethnically diverse children in their community.
As part of our 'Sport for Development' month, we asked our specialist partners Fight 4 Change how they use boxing and martial arts to give local young people positive experiences and opportunities - both in the ring and in life.
We sit down with Arnaud and Raya, who deliver Levelling the Playing Field sessions at our specialist partners Palace for Life Foundation, to discuss their impact on ethnically diverse children and their community.
As part of our 'Sport for Development Month', we pick the brains of our specialist partners RUCST on how they use 'the power of the badge' to engage ethnically diverse children and make their community a safer place.
As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘Sport for Development Month’ in December, we hear from our specialist partners Street Soccer London on how they guide young players from the pitch towards progress in many different areas of their lives.
Maindee Primary School, situated in a hugely multicultural area of Newport, has connected with a web of local partners to positively impact ethnically diverse children in their care.
Levelling the Playing Field is delighted to offer CEOs, project leaders and key management staff in our network of specialist delivery partners the opportunity to take part in a bespoke leadership skills programme.
New apprentice Geri Leigh Branigan is proud to be guiding and supporting ethnically diverse children at InPower in Wolverhampton – because she knows herself how vital sport and role models can be.
Sharks Community Trust are the latest partners to join Levelling the Playing Field to engage and support young people in custody and post-release through sport and physical activity.
Big Brother Burngreave, our LtPF specialist partners in Sheffield, have a unique approach to nurturing young leaders. As part of our 'Leadership Month, we met Tyrone and Tes to see how it's changed their lives.
As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘Leadership Month’ we are privileged to meet Neeco and Gulraj, two outstanding young leaders from our specialist partners InPower in Wolverhampton.
Levelling the Playing Field is linking up our local delivery partners in London with Centre of Change Project to provide specialist counselling and mentoring to their young people.
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Aptitude Youth, our local delivery partners in Coventry, are training up 10 young people as qualified sports leaders using funding from Levelling the Playing Field.
Emmanuel joined our local delivery partners Aptitude Youth three years ago after arriving in Coventry from Ghana via Italy. He says the staff and his fellow beneficiaries have become “like a second family”.
For Ayathola, Sinokuhle, Keren, Chloe and Exaucee, attending Levelling the Playing Field sessions run by Young Minds Together in Rotherham is more than a weekly dance class; it’s a sisterhood that helps them overcome many barriers in life.
Former Olympic athlete Marilyn Okoro is to lead sport and physical activity sessions with young people in custody as part of a new Levelling the Playing Field partnership.
Tamsir Gaye is just starting out as a mentor for our delivery partner Positive Youth Foundation in Coventry - but he has already found a creative way to get his message across to young people.
As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘Youth Voice’ month, we visited Newport Live's Friday night LtPF session in the suburb of Pillgwenlly and asked participants Kareem, Hilmee and Raheed about the project's impact on their lives.
The initials in PKC Football Academy stand for ‘Prevent Knife Crime’ - but the aims of our new Levelling the Playing Field delivery partners extend even further beyond that.
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As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s ‘Youth Voice’ month, we spoke to Uzo Anosike, a participant at our delivery partners Street Soccer London. The budding young sports journalist told us the impact the organisation has had on his life since he first attended their Levelling the Playing Field session last year.
Tamsir Gaye is just starting out as a mentor for our delivery partner Positive Youth Foundation in Coventry - but he has already found a creative way to get his message across to young people.
Sports Key, our local delivery partners in Birmingham, feel they benefited from the ‘thinking time’ given to them by Covid-19 and have re-emerged stronger post-lockdown.
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.
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The pandemic has hit under-served communities particularly hard and our local delivery partners in South Yorkshire have worked tirelessly to support local children who have been severely impacted.
Our local delivery partners Fight 4 Change have emerged stronger from the pandemic by moulding their programmes to meet the increased needs of young people.
The pandemic has led to a big rise in vulnerability among young people and support services have had to be nimble and innovative to even come close to meeting these acute needs.
The pandemic has led to a big rise in vulnerability among young people and support services have had to be nimble and innovative to even come close to meeting these acute needs.
Levelling the Playing Field is to give children inside HMP/YOI Wetherby the opportunity to learn climbing both during their jail terms and as part of their resettlement into the community.
Support from youth services has never been more needed than in the last 18 months, but Covid restrictions and dwindling resources have made it tough to meet demand. Money from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF) has therefore been a lifeline for many of Levelling the Playing Field’s local delivery partners.
Levelling the Playing Field partners and Gwent Police have joined forces to stage the Community Cohesion Cup - breaking down barriers and building trust between ethnic communities and local services.
Young refugees and asylum seekers often arrive in Newport having experienced conflict and trauma in their homelands, so when the Sanctuary project engages them in sport and physical activity, it's to achieve two very simple outcomes: to get them “sweaty and smiling”.
Palace for Life Foundation have joined Levelling the Playing Field as a local delivery partner and Angel O’Dwyer, who will be working on the project, has all the makings of a perfect role model for our participants.
Millwall Community Trust are the latest addition to our Local Delivery Partners in London. They have been using sport to achieve positive social impact in their local community for over 35 years.
Our local delivery partners Wolverhampton Wrestling Club have launched a project to engage autistic children in sport and physical activity.
Participants at Levelling the Playing Field sessions run by Aptitude Youth, our local delivery partners in Coventry, are set to become leaders for the next generation.
Warwickshire Cricket Board have joined Levelling the Playing Field as a Local Delivery Partner – and their projects targeting specific communities are set to enrich our evidence base.
Exiles Together is a brilliant partnership between Newport County FC and the ethnically diverse community right on the club’s doorstep. Their activities promote diversity, inclusion and diversion from crime through the power of sport.
Tess Awoke says being part of an ethnically and culturally diverse ‘brotherhood’ at Big Brother Burngreave in Sheffield has helped give him a sense of identity, connection and purpose.
Co-founder Chris Willett says Platform Cricket wouldn’t be able to achieve its impact without the diversity of its young participants.
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We are proud to have Sithule Mguni as a Local Delivery Partner on Levelling the Playing Field. Her organisation, Young Minds Together, uses performing arts to empower girls from ethnically diverse communities in Rotherham to overcome many barriers in life.
Young people at Fight 4 Change’s Levelling the Playing Field sessions on Wednesday nights in Lambeth will receive coaching, guidance and support from the very best in the game.
Newport Aces are the latest Local Delivery Partner to join Levelling the Playing Field in Gwent. Their founder, Asa Waite, has a great phrase to sum up the issues his community basketball club tries to tackle with children in the area.
Mentoring has had a profound effect on Keanna Arnett’s life – and Levelling the Playing Field’s support for mentors is set to spread that positive impact across our four delivery areas.
London Thunder have a reputation for producing elite-level basketball players, but their community sessions - open to all young people in the culturally diverse borough of Lewisham - are the club's beating heart.
Youth empowerment and social cohesion are the aims of Community Youth Project in Newport, which has become the first organisation in Wales to join Levelling the Playing Field as a local delivery partner.
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Chris Willetts can testify to sport’s positive social impact after a 20-year career managing sports initiatives in diverse but deprived areas around the world. He says the opportunity “to be part of a collective all helping to evidence of the power of sport” made joining Levelling the Playing Field an easy decision.
There can be few more ethnically diverse environments than that of Wolverhampton Wrestling Club. Situated in a Sikh gurdwara, it is melting pot of religions, nationalities, backgrounds, ages and sporting abilities. Once through the door, all are treated as equals.
Children so often find themselves labelled these days: ‘socially excluded’, ‘at risk’ or ‘disadvantaged’. One of Street Soccer London’s philosophies is that these tags are left at the door.
Self-expression and social cohesion are the buzz words at Young Minds Together in Rotherham where girls from diverse local communities enjoy dance, acting, singing and poetry.
Amy Cooper’s childhood home in Sheffield had an ‘open door’ to local youngsters who needed shelter and support. When her father Mick died of leukemia in 2012, his family were determined to continue his ethos of caring for disadvantaged young people. OnBoard skatepark is his legacy.
“I just love what I do,” says Imran Ali from the Ellesmere Youth Project. “As a kid, I went to the same youth club as I’m standing in right now. Even if I become a millionaire tomorrow, there’s no way I’ll be leaving.”
Sky Blues in the Community, the charity arm of Coventry City FC, exemplify the ways that collaboration between sport and criminal justice can bring positive outcomes for children.
These are tough times in Sheffield. At the time of writing, Tier 3 lockdown measures are in place and it’s October half-term, with holiday hunger a major topic of conversation.
Every Friday night at Goals five-a-side centre in Nechells, inner-city Birmingham, up to 90 young males aged 14-19 gather to play football. In-between matches, Sporting Elite director Seb Hamilton and his staff mingle and chat.
Frustrated and fearful at the lack of opportunities for children in her community back in 2017, Tara Foster wanted to bring back the “lost art” of youth work to help. Aptitude, in the deprived Radford area of Coventry, was the result – and its impact has been phenomenal.
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A new organisation which uses yoga to engage and divert children away from crime, gangs and anti-social behaviour is joining the Levelling the Playing Field project as a local delivery partner.
Changing mindsets and building resilience are the cornerstones of the InPower Academy in Wolverhampton, which uses martial arts to engage children who are at-risk of entering, or already involved with, the Youth Justice System.
Sports Key are a valuable addition to Levelling the Playing Field’s network of Local Delivery Partners in the West Midlands. They use sport as a ‘magnet’ to attract people from their largely disadvantaged but hugely diverse local community, helping to make it more active, healthy and cohesive.
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 BAME backgrounds and 15-20% have an offending history. For Levelling the Playing Field, they’re a gift-wrapped delivery partner.
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The Positive Youth Foundation has built such an esteemed reputation for supporting young people's needs over the last 23 years that the decision to approach them to be a Local Delivery Partner for Levelling the Playing Field was a no-brainer.
Joe Jackson, founder of NPV Football Development, has worked with at-risk young people from diverse backgrounds in Wolverhampton for the last 22 years. His organisation's reputation and vast experience make it an ideal Local Delivery Partner for Levelling the Playing Field. Find out more about their frontline work.
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In the underprivileged Sheffield area of Burngreave, young men and women wearing distinctive blue, red, grey and black t-shirts are recognised on every street corner. But this is no ordinary urban gang.
Newport Live's highly-regarded Positive Futures initiative has come on board as LtPF's Local Strategic Partner in Gwent. Find out all about their award-winning and innovative work with young people and how they plan to support the area's at-risk BAME young people through our project.
Sport Birmingham is an independent charity that uses the power of sport and physical activity to improve lives. We're delighted to have them on board as a Local Strategic Partner and spoke to Operations Director, Tom McIntosh, about our forthcoming partnership.
The Yorkshire Sport Foundation is Levelling the Playing Field's Local Strategic Partner in South Yorkshire. We hope to help them build on their exemplary work with local sport-based projects that support young people from BAME communities.
London Sport's ambition is to make London the most active city in the world. As one of LtPF's Local Strategic Partners, we will work with them to engage and energise at-risk young people from minority backgrounds across the capital. Read on to find out how.
