Activation Plus
Community Sports Leadership and Global Citizenship Programme
2009 Hackney to Saint Lucia!
Introduction
The Activation Plus project is an exciting intensive personal and social development programme for hard to reach young men aged 16-19 (up to 24 if special needs are assessed) which will give them the opportunity to gain an accredited qualification, make a positive contribution to Hackney and experience meaningful foreign travel through an international volunteer programme. It is aimed that once they have completed Activation Plus, participants will reach higher educational standards and become valued members of their communities.
The project will be delivered by a pool of experienced and inspirational staff with a sound knowledge of working with hard to reach young people and will possess the skills needed to embark on a programme of this kind.
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During the 12 week Activation Plus project, the participants will be mentored and supported to complete a minimum level 2 accreditation in sports leadership or coaching and complete 30 hours volunteer work in their communities alongside senior coaches from Access to Sports and AOSEL. |
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Once young people have completed the personal development programme the group will embark on a 10 day trip to Saint Lucia to network with the sports community there as well as volunteer on community projects linked to the High Commission and the St Lucian FA. |
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Background
Young people in Hackney suffer from multiple levels of deprivation, over a third of young people are dependant on someone claiming income support and nearly all of Hackney’s wards fall into the top 20% deprived areas in England. Hackney also has three Super Output Areas, in the most deprived 3% of England’s neighborhoods. These factors can greatly hinder a young person’s life opportunity whether that be reaching high educational standards or finding meaningful employment and will have a direct effect on whether the young person has an opportunity for distance or foreign travel.
The majority of Hackney’s school leavers, nearly 80% continue in education after the age of 16, but only 12.9% of 18 year olds in Hackney go on to higher education, compared to 21.4% nationally. Whilst the majority of school leavers continue on to college, which is usually in or near Hackney, only a minority are prepared to venture further a field in London or around the country to attain higher education at a degree level or equivalent.
Unfortunately the high levels of measured deprivation are not the only factors effecting Hackney’s youth, high levels of crime, anti social behavior and weapons are also prominent with approximately 30 youth affiliated gangs operating in the borough, according to the MIT. Gang life affects all of Hackney’s young residents, directly or indirectly, and has a knock on effect on life opportunities, through this project we aim to raise life aspirations, broaden horizons and create thought provoking experiences.
Outcomes
By engaging young people at risk of gang involvement in this long term personal and social development programme we can drastically improve their life and future life opportunities making it less likely they will participate in gang, threatening or bullying behavior leading to a reduction in the likelihood they will end up in the criminal justice system.
Some of the participants on this programme will not have met each other before, or may have previous negative associations with each other, we hope to start the mediation process and resolve any conflict to do with area as they meet each other on common ground and build positive relationships and share common goals.
Sport is a known catalyst to increase confidence and self esteem in young people, it is hoped that through the project young people can confidently make good decisions about their own actions and challenge bullying or threatening behavior in others and understand consequences for actions, positive and negative.
Offering an alternative to gang life, after the project finishes we hope that the young people will remain engaged in their sports clubs where they can be roles models and champion good foundations for community life to younger children by teaching them how to follow rules, accept others, foster teamwork, take responsibility for themselves but more importantly give them a sense of belonging.
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