Leading football clubs enlist for early intervention push
Joe Lepper
Monday, April 27, 2015
Children's services departments and voluntary organisations are linking up with professional football clubs in an innovative attempt to boost outcomes for children.
In Norfolk, the council has teamed up with Norwich City FC's community arm to launch a football-themed parenting programme as a way of preventing family break-ups, after a small-scale pilot proved a success.
And Premier League Sunderland AFC's community arm, called Foundation of Light, has teamed up with charity Livin to launch the Family Learning Through Football programme for families in the town.
The initiative in Norfolk, called Future Canaries, involves parents being asked to carry out football management-themed tasks using skills that can be used within family life.
This includes writing a persuasive letter to a star player convincing him to sign for the club.
Another is to produce a shopping list from Norwich City’s club shop.
The session also involves physical games with a focus on developing children’s self-esteem, teamwork and strong leadership from parents.
The course lasts five weeks and those that excel are invited to sign up with Norwich City as mentors for young people.
Steve Bramble, curriculum manager at Norwich City’s Community Sports Foundation, said the course has been designed so that young people and their parents work as a team and treat each other with respect in a fun environment.
“If we are going to work with families on communication, respect and developing boundaries it is vital that both parents and young people are learning together in a place where they both want to be," he said.
?The course is being made available to families with challenging needs, including a history of conflict or at risk of their children being taken into care.
It takes place in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Dereham, where 14 families took part in a pilot of the project. ?
Richard Bearman, Norfolk County Council's vice chair of children’s services, said: “This new programme gets families talking, working and playing together, helping to strengthen relationships between parents and their children.
??“We know that developing communication within families is a really important part of supporting parents to tackle any difficulties they are facing and we are hopeful that schemes such as this will help give families the skills they need to stay together and thrive.”
The Family Learning Through Football programme, run by Sunderland AFC Foundation of Light and Livin, aims to promote personal development and learning with adults while building relationships within the family.
Efforts are also made to raise the skills and educational attainment of parents to help them find work.
Specialist family learning courses are also offered to help improve numeracy and literacy skills for both adults and children, and improve awareness of healthy lifestyle choices.
