APPENDIX A
INTERESTING EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY SPORTS
INITIATIVES
POSITIVE FUTURES
IN LICHFIELD
Lichfield District Council
This project uses sport and leisure as a diversionary
tool for those at risk from anti-social behaviour. Activities
in the programme include sports (such as kick aerobics, basketball,
girls football, trampoline, table tennis, rounders), free swimming
for disability groups, trips (eg rock climbing and soccerama)
education and training sessions (eg anti-smoking and FA referee
courses) and links to local clubs. The project is open to all
young people who reside within the target wards; young people,
however, can also be referred onto the project by key partners.
B is a young man aged 16 who was referred to
Positive Futures by a Crime Diversion Officer. After a consultation
he was offered the chance to join in with football training. He
successfully completed a three month football course and then
undertook a level 1 FA coaching certificate. He now works for
Positive Futures as a football coach as well as working as a volunteer
coach for a local junior football club.
ASIANS IN
FOOTBALL IN
LUTON
Luton Borough Council
This project was designed to increase the participation
in football by children and young people from an ethnic minority
background, particularly Asian. The project has grown since 1998
with the support of a grant from the Football Association and
a successful bid to "Awards for all" scheme to establish:
— Regular coaching sessions at lunchtime,
after school and weekend sessions in 13 primary and junior schools
with a high ethnic minority population (greater than 45%).
— An annual football festival attracting
over 30 boys and girls teams.
— An increased number of schools participating
in football competitions.
— A new junior football club, Luton
United FC.
— A pool of qualified coaches.
— A strong partnership between the
borough council, Sport Action Zone, Luton Town Football in the
Community and Luton United FC.
The project has provided regular coaching in
football for 10 schools with a predominantly Asian attendance.
This in turn has led to schools that had not previously not entered
inter-school competition, participating in an annual summer football
festival, which over five years has grown to an event attracting
over 30 boys and girls teams. The formation of Luton United FC
has provided an exit route for those pupils who wish to regularly
participate in local junior league football. The club has also
identified and trained senior members and adults as football coaches
and referees, who in addition to assisting the running of the
club, support the coaching sessions in schools and provide holiday
programmes.
SOCIAL INCLUSION
THROUGH DISABILITY
SPORTS IN
EASTBOURNE
Eastbourne Borough Council
In May 2001 Eastbourne Borough Council finalised
an action plan to increase the opportunities of local people with
disabilities to participate in sport and appointed a Disability
Sport Assistant. Today over 100 young people and adults with disabilities
enjoy a wide range of sports along with over 40 students from
local mainstream schools and colleges to add even more fun and
competition to the sessions.
Each week the Disability Sport Assistant leads
after school clubs, lunchtime integrated clubs, sessions with
special schools and adult disability groups and a leisure centre-based
club open to any adult with a disability. A full range of sports
and games are played, ranging from football to boccia, with each
activity adapted to meet the requirements of those participating.
One locally developed game that is popular with both sexes, and
all ages and abilities is "Targetball", using a mixture
of rules from basketball, netball and cricket.
SPORTSLINX IN
LIVERPOOL
Liverpool City Council
Sportslinx started in 1997 as an intervention
programme to tackle childhood obesity and to improve the general
health and well-being of young people across Liverpool. With support
from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Sportslinx has expanded into
a multi-faceted programme encompassing a whole range of added
initiatives encouraging young people to take part in more grassroots
sport and physical activity programmes, healthy eating clubs,
referral schemes, talent identification sessions and community
coach education programmes.
NRF funds have played an integral role enabling
local people to be trained as sports coaches and youth leaders
in local communities, then going on to deliver sessions as the
local coach or mentor in their school. This programme has helped
ensure that the project can be sustained as well as providing
employment opportunities among local residents.
All sessions take place on school premises over
a 6 to 18 week period. On completion of the clubs children are
encouraged and given a Sports Directory that helps them contact
sports clubs in their own community.
April 2005
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