Swindon Town’s Holiday Camps Give Parents Respite

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Thanks to Swindon Town holiday camps parents of youngsters with a disability are getting a much needed respite.

Swindon recently extended their Multi Sports Holiday course to include activities for children with Special Educational Needs and Physical Disabilities.  These courses not only are delivered to enable parents a respite facility during school holiday periods, they also enable the children to attend the courses with their siblings.

One parent is delighted that her son Hayden, along with his younger brother Josh has. Hayden’s mum Kirsty stated,

 “I am at times very over protective of Hayden. These courses have given him the opportunity to take part in various activities with his younger brother Josh, who is just about to start mainstream school. It has been wonderful to see the excitement in both my boys, and for them to enjoy a wide range of sports together as brothers, as it is something I never thought was going to be possible. Their independence and self-worth, particularly in Hayden, has been a joy to see. When we have tea together Hayden continuously talks about the sessions and the exciting activities they have engaged in during the day.

Hayden states,

“I have made friends with other children from other schools and I can’t wait for the next course. On the last day we have a presentation with our families and we all get presented a goodie bag and a medal, along with a photograph of our group”

“We couldn’t believe the change in our daughter, her energy and enthusiasm to be more active is amazing”

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As part of the Every Player Counts programme, Southend United run special PE sessions that allow all children to benefit from taking an active part in sport.

Funded by the Wembley National Stadium Trust, the sessions are are tailored to meet specific needs of the participants.   One pupil whose benefited from United session is Emily

Emily has always struggled with her physical ability. She attend PE sessions with the rest of her class mates, however she not the most active pupil. She often sat out or refused to play at lunch as she would prefer to read or draw. Emily has learning difficulties and cerebral palsy which means she struggles with communication and struggles to lift and hold objects.  The coaches noticed that Emily wouldn’t get involved with her class mates. She would often get distracted easily and walk around the sports hall and read off the posters on the wall. Emily would prefer to watch the session instead of taking part.

The coaches therefore started delivering in smaller groups to help those, like Emily,   who are shy and lack confidence to be part of the session. This worked well with Emily and we noticed a huge change in her confidence after week four, this is when Emily started to join in. We found out that by promoting prizes that linked to her hobbies encouraged her to join in and socialise with the new students and staff.

Within the last session Emily joined in for the whole session.  Jason who is head of PE at Emily’s school said

 “We spoke to Emily’s parents and they couldn’t believe the change in Emily, they said that her energy and enthusiasm to be more active is amazing!”

Teenagers from Exeter CITY Community Hit the Headlines by Tripling Foodbank Donation

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A group of Exeter teenagers have hit the headlines this week thanks to an innovative scheme to drive foodbank donations, that has tripled donations and is now being rolled out nationally  

And they came up with the simple, yet genius, idea when they were taking part in the National Citizen Service with Exeter CITY Community Trust.  This week the group of 13 National Citizen Service (NCS) graduates will see their idea rolled out in Sainsbury’s stores nationwide.

The story really has become a media sensation with the group appearing on Sky Sunrise, BBC Victoria Derbyshire, ITV News and Channel 5 News.  As well seeing their story covered by The Times Independent, Mail Online, BBC Newsbeat, Guardian, AOL, MSN, Big Issue, The Pool.

The idea was developed after the group spoke to their local food bank during the social action phase of the national youth programme for 16 and 17 year olds. NCS graduate, Holly Manning, 17, from Exeter, said:

“After talking to the manager of our local food bank it was clear that shoppers were being reminded too late about donating, with food bank collection points usually being placed at the exit of the store. We also learnt that people were regularly donating similar items, making it difficult for them to get the quantity and variety that they needed to serve the needs of their beneficiaries.”

To combat this, the NCS grads came up with a simple, ingenious idea: pop a branded sticker alongside the items most needed by the local food bank to encourage people to purchase the item and drop it in the existing food bank collection box on their way out.

Holly continued:

“Once we had developed an idea we were confident would help, we set about pitching it to various local retailers. After being turned away by a few we popped into Sainsbury’s and spoke to the store manager who, to our delight, agreed to trial the initiative.”

After two weeks of the labels being in store, the food bank reported the number of donations had increased by 300%.  Mark Richardson, manager of Exeter foodbank, said:

“Teenagers these days often have an unfair reputation for being unengaged with the world around them, so it’s great to see young people being empowered by programmes like NCS to go out into their communities and make a difference.  The results of this initiative just go to show that sometimes you just need a new mind on an old problem, sometimes the most simple ideas have the greatest impact. This campaign has already had fantastic results locally, and I’m excited to see how it can benefit food banks and their clients across the UK.”

The labels – which will appear alongside the top 15 priority food bank items all year round – will be a key driver in Sainsbury’s Supermarket and Sainsbury’s Argos’ festive food and toy donation drive: ‘Help Brighten a Million Christmases’.  Danny Harris, deputy head of community at Exeter CITY Community Trust, said:

‘We are so proud of the young people who developed this project; they threw their hearts and souls into it and it is incredible to think of the impact their idea could have. We have had over 500 teenagers taking part in NCS in Exeter this year and they continue to be inspired by the programme and by each other and are making a real difference in our community.’

CITY Community Trust works in partnership with Exeter City Football Club and provides a range of activities to people of all ages, focused on health, education, wellbeing and physical activity.

Proud to Support Rainbow Laces

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The EFL and EFL Trust are proud to support Rainbow Laces. Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign is in support of LGBT equality with a key theme for this year focused on creating more allies to LGBT people in sport.

The EFL’s support for rainbow Laces forms part of its wider LGBT work delivered in conjunction with Clubs through the Equality Code of Practice. This includes delivering activities, setting policies, and advising on recruitment and education at Clubs.

Shaun Harvey, EFL Chief Executive said: “The EFL is once again fully supporting Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, with all 72 Clubs coming together to raise awareness and visibility of an important issue. The EFL continues to be committed to providing a match day experience that is safe and welcoming to all supporters across all of our competitions.

Brentford Legend Kevin O’Connor unites with LGBT+ fan group for Rainbow Laces community match

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Brentford’s LGBT+ fan group ‘LGBeeT’s’ laced up their football boots with Brentford FC Community Sports Trust and Middlesex FA this week in a bid to raise awareness of LGBT+ equality in football.

The group took part in a unique football match at Middlesex FA’s new home at Rectory Park, Northolt. Along with four Brentford players, Brentford legend Kevin O’Connor attended the event and pledged his stalwart support for the match.

The match coincided with the Rainbow Laces campaign, which encourages fans and athletes to be ‘active allies’ and to play their part in ensuring LGBT+ people feel included in sport. Run by the LGBT+ charity Stonewall, the campaign is now in its fifth consecutive year, and has been credited with tackling discrimination both on and off the football pitch.

Brentford players Jonny Mitchell, Jarvis Edobar, Nicolaj Kirk and Joe Hardy, who all played in the match, joined B-Team Head Coach Kevin O’Connor at Rectory Park. Kevin, who made over 500 appearances for the championship club, felt it was important that Brentford endorsed the Rainbow Laces initiative. Kevin said

 “Our message is clear: football is for everyone. We have to get the message out there and hopefully events like this will highlight Brentford’s commitment to the Rainbow Laces campaign.”

Brentford FC have already cultivated a reputation as a pioneering football club for LGBT+ rights. Back in 2017, Brentford players and officials watched a special screening of the short film WONDERKID, which highlights the problem of homophobia in football, focusing on a young footballer whose sexuality is threatening to alienate him from the game. Gemma Teale, who is the founding member of the LGBT+ fan group, believes such events have an important message for LGBT+ football fans. she said

 “The annual Rainbow Laces campaign has been really important in raising awareness of LGBTphobia in sport – uniting people to become allies over the last few years. It’s great to see the Trust, Club and FA support the campaign with events like this and Brentford’s game against Sheffield– giving the message thatrentford FC and football as a whole is for everyone.”

Bassam Mahfouz, Cabinet Member for Finance and Leisure at Ealing Council, said:

“I am delighted that Brentford FC Community Sports Trust and Middlesex FA have joined forces for Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign. Working together with Middlesex FA, Ealing Council are committed to making Rectory Park a footballing hub that is accessible and enjoyable for all. Community matches like this prove that very goal – making football a catalyst for social change.”

 

Schools & Colleges Awarded at NCS Champion Schools Event

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60 schools and colleges from South Yorkshire and Humber have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the National Citizen Service (NCS).

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Blackburn Rovers Social Action Stars

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An inspirational group of young people from Blackburn Rovers have won the NCS Social Action Star Awards for their project supporting Galloways Society for the Blind.   Their project was voted the best social action project from the many 1,000s of projects that were undertaken by young people on NCS this year.  Here Shannon and Kelly explain a bit about their project and why they love to volunteer in their community.

LATICS STAR NICK POWELL HELPS TO GET KIDS ON THE MOVE IN WIGAN

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Pre-school aged children in Wigan were joined by Latics’ first team player Nick Powell at the launch of the Kids on the Move programme.

Youngsters aged three and four years old from the Westfield Start Well Family Centre attended the session at Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s base at Montrose Skills Hub near the DW Stadium, and took part in fun activities which were designed to improve their balance and coordination.   Kids on the Move – a project that has received funding of £40,000 for the next three years from BBC Children in Need and £10,000 from Wigan Council – will see coaches from the Community Trust work with young children and their parents from various Start Well family centres across the Wigan Borough to enhance their life chances by making them more school ready.

Nick said: “My little girl has just turned 17 months old and playing with her and seeing how happy she gets is the same as this, so it’s a great programme and the work of the Community Trust in enhancing children’s lives is brilliant.”

A 20-week Kids on the Move pilot scheme was delivered to 12 children by the Trust last year thanks to funding from Wigan Council, and the project had a significant impact on their physical, social and personal skills, with 100% of pupils improving three or more baseline challenges, five pupils made progress on all challenges and one pupil improved a baseline challenge by 150%. 

Cllr Jenny Bullen, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “We are delighted to contribute funding to this initiative which will encourage children to be active and help them develop vital skills so they are ready to start primary school. This is all part of our work to ensure children get the best start in life and have access to fantastic opportunities.”

To date the UK public has raised over £950 million for young people facing disadvantage in different parts of the country, with more than £441,000 invested by BBC Children in Need to community groups across Wigan.

Tom Kirk, Regional Officer (North) for BBC Children in Need, said: “We’re committed to improving the lives of children and young people who need it the most by supporting projects such as Kids on the Move, which work locally to make real lasting changes to the lives of participants.”

For more information about the Kids on the Move programme, please email Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Community Development Manager Wes Partington on [email protected] or call 01942 318090

Inspirational Bristol Youth Are Transforming Their Community

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Bristol City’s Youth Council are a group of young people taking practical action in their community in order to create positive social change that is of benefit to the wider community as well as to the youth council themselves. They have designed and delivered some brilliant projects addressing issues that are relevant to their community. They shine as individuals and as a group. They were instrumental in City’s holiday camp success and this year they have delivered 5 ground-breaking projects.  They really are the voice of their community and are constantly coming up with new community issues to overcome.

 

They were involved in the Bristol clean up, hosted a girls event which saw over 100 girls attended, developed and delivered an anti-poverty free football camp, a free disability holiday camp-over 50 in attendance, F3 girls session, Luke 5s League to combat Anti- Social Behaviour, developed a Mumball session, weekly youth disability session and recorded all of their achievements by writing a Social Impact report.

The programmes they have run have addressed a number of issues in society and in only a year have completely transformed perceptions, attitudes and behaviour.   There was a problem within the community, people didn’t have confidence, were subject to anti-social behaviour and didn’t feel they could afford activities or be would be heard within their own community.

Now people are able to access affordable sessions, which in turn is giving people greater confidence, which is leading to more people accessing education and qualifications and less people witnessing anti-social behaviour and substance misuse. The most important result is that for the first time young people are feeling As if their voices are being heard and they are actually making their community a better place.

They have won a number of awards already and have been invited to talk in front of hundreds of people. As well as all of the above they have all had their own journeys documented. They were all chosen or referred to the organisation for their own specific reasons.

This is Lauren who helped start Bristol City’s first girls team, she was also instrumental in developing and running the F3 Girl’s mini soccer hubs,  which are fun session that to give girls aged 8-11 the opportunity to play football. The sessions are structured to raise self-esteem and build confidence. Lauren  is very much a role model for these girls helping to run the session she designs.   84 girls in total have come along to the F3 sessions with 18 girls going on to join a football team for the first time. Having the Youth Council help run these sessions really does make a huge difference, they are link between the coach and the girls. They are amazing positive role models for the younger girls.

 

I want to help other young carers realise that they are not alone and there is support out there.

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Seven years ago, Ali Umar was struggling to manage as a young carer for his mum. Joining  the Young Carers Project run by Brentford FC community Trust meant Ali could receive much-needed respite – joining a supportive network of young carers and taking part in fun educational activities. Now, aged 19, Ali has decided to give back. He has started working for Brentford FC Community Sports Trust as a support worker for the Young Carers project – mentoring other young carers who are going through a similar situation to Ali. Too often, young carers feel socially isolated and invisible members of society, Ali Umar is hoping to change that.

How did you get involved with the Young Carers project? 

From what I remember, it started off when I was visited by a member of the Brentford Team about the Ealing Young Carers project. At first, I was really quiet and unsure about how the project could help. However, after seven years being involved in the project I feel like it has been life-changing for me. I have enormous gratitude to the extraordinary people who made a difference in my life.

What impact did the Young Carers project have on you? 

After ten years on the Young Carers project, I feel like everyone on the project has become like my family. For me, the sense of security and knowing I have other young carers I can turn to has been the biggest impact for me.

Why do you think it is important that Young Carers receive support from organisations such as Brentford FC Community Sports Trust? 

Having support from the Young Carers project has been extremely beneficial: it allows you to be yourself. Through fun activities and educational games, the project helps extracts all your  worries and stress – helping to distance carers from their ‘caring’ environment.

Why did you decide to help other young Carers struggling? 

When I was a young carer, I felt really trapped and confused. I think it is human nature to help anyone in need, and from my own experiences, I want to help other young carers realise that they are not alone and there is support out there. I want to make sure other young carers have the same positive experience I had during Brentford’s Young Carers Project.

If you know someone who might benefit from our Young Carers project, please email Kathryn at [email protected] or on 020 8326 7044