INTRODUCTION
This is a mid-project case study following a meeting with Sheffield Wednesday Football club on their Young People Forward Project (YPF). The overall YPF project aims to use sport to improve the physical and mental health, self-efficacy and resilience of young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The project which involves 6 Active Partnerships and Street Soccer Scotland was awarded £600,000 funding from the London Marathon Charitable Trust which was made possible from money donated by Virgin Money
WHAT HAPPENED?
Having started the YPF project in October 2020, we encountered many barriers to getting it off the ground. One of the main challenges was actually engaging with homelessness organisations at a time when their priorities were elsewhere and battling with multiple lockdowns and the complications that came with those. However, we were lucky to be put in touch with the Refugee Council in Sheffield who were housing around 150 young refugees. Speaking in depth with the manager there, it was clear there was so much we could do for these young people who had faced unimaginable amounts of challenges.
WHO WAS INVOLVED?
After consulting with the young men as to what they feel they needed, we partnered with Sheffield Wednesday FC to put on some virtual PA sessions initially to build trust and relationships. This included general fitness classes and football activities. The sessions developed into weekly visits from Sheffield Wednesday in spring where they were able to build a positive rapport with the young men. Now Sheffield Wednesday are hosting multiple sessions per week at external venues providing sessions including fitness classes, badminton and football.
WHERE?
The location of the sessions has been continuously adapted to suit the needs of both the young men and also local restrictions. Having the sessions now hosted with external providers as oppose to the hotel, the impact on the young men’s mental health has been very positive. The opportunity to be able to get out of their usual environment has had a big impact. Sheffield Wednesday also noted that some of the participants have taken on a leadership role in ensuring access to these sessions was easy by creating maps and guided walks to venues. This had enabled different cultures to mix within the facility and some barriers to be broken down.
WHY?
The need for physical activity opportunities was clear in the hotel that housed around 150 young men who faced a multitude of challenges. They were new to the city and there were clear opportunities to develop a programme that could help them tackle some of their issues and provide support at a time where it was needed. Sheffield Wednesday knew that welcoming them to the city was paramount for them to settle and feel a sense of belonging.
SO?
The positive impact this project has had so far can been seen for many of the stakeholders on a number of levels.
For the young men it has provided;
- a sense of belonging in the city
- stability in a challenging time
- provided motivation to leave the hotel
- opportunities for leadership and for different cultures to interact and build relationships despite language barriers
All intertwined with opportunities to be physically active.
For Sheffield Wednesday,
- is has been great to hear how this project has opened up a new area of work for them and how they will be continuing it past Young People Forward.
- It was also very interesting to hear the impact they have had in promoting their work through social media channels with their fans.
- By having a positive buy-in from the club, Sheffield Wednesday has helped to reduce stigmas and change perceptions in their community by being given the opportunity to promote this work through different channels. An outcome I never thought about but clearly an amazing result of such a fantastic project.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash