How football assists young people to chase their goals

We live in hard times, with draconian cuts to public services, much greater competition for charitable grants and the inevitable, if unfortunate, in-fighting between like-minded organisations trying to stay afloat (even if there are initiatives seeking greater collaboration in the youth sector - see CYP Now, 10-23 November). In such circumstances, it requires considerable courage or stupidity to try to start from scratch, as everyone else is repositioning, reconfiguring or going under. These "ocean" analogies are apposite: for the past 15 years, the UK has been awash with organisations of many different sizes proclaiming their capacity and effectiveness in combating the social exclusion of young people, in particular supporting the (re)inclusion of young people outside of education, training and employment, and dealing with all the associated challenges these young people present.

But on to this scene comes an enthusiastic, if arguably naive, and committed young man seeking to use football as a vehicle for supporting the learning and development of young people. Football Beyond Borders (FBB) was founded by Jasper Kain just over a year ago, but already appears to be going places. The embryonic organisation is premised on the belief that football is one of the most powerful tools in the world for transforming the lives of young people. Jasper is a former Chelsea youth player, but was released and went to university. Nevertheless, his footballing past provides connections to key players and ensures an important level of credibility with the young people he coaches in his mission to get them back on track. The basis of the project is a deal - in return for application at school, you get top-class coaching and the opportunity to go on a football tour. Simple, but seemingly already effective, as it is trialled in a number of schools within and beyond London.

Not that it started so parochially, albeit in the capital. FBB was born through international experience, as Jasper's university football team went on tours to places such as Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Ghana, Brazil and Serbia, and, in so doing, challenged prejudices and created lasting friendships across cultural and national boundaries. It was only after the so-called London riots four years ago that FBB decided to switch its focus to delivering programmes in the UK. Jasper and the team around him identified a need for vulnerable and excluded young people, who were often stigmatised and always powerless, to be involved in football-themed programmes that supported their physical, social, emotional and intellectual development. Football is the tool for youth engagement, the means of tackling low educational attainment, poor school attendance and challenging behaviour.

Young people who join the project enter into a journey that involves the triangle of improving academic knowledge, gaining technical (footballing) skills and undergoing experiential learning. Jasper, clearly already a competent coach and a man with finely tuned interpersonal skills, is now on a sharp learning curve with regard to the necessary connections to both the structured and target-driven world of formal education and its curriculum requirements, and the participative meanderings and mysteries of non-formal learning and youth work practice. Around him, there is a small team of like-minded young men with a passion for football, and a commitment to social transformation and the renewal of young people's life chances.

Perhaps we have heard it all before. In this case, it is football that will foster core skills and competencies, develop self-respect, confidence and a sense of belonging, thereby changing lives, cultivating teamwork and building leaders of communities. But there are differences. A central participative principle derives from the fact that at least some of the team come from similar backgrounds to those with whom they are now working. And there is no claim to have the quick fix or the magic bullet. The duration of the programme, starting with school but extending to family and community, can be as long as three years. That is what makes FBB rather refreshing and distinctive; it is grounded, realistic and, to date, displays strong indicators of success.

I have to declare an interest in this. I met Jasper in the summer, was immediately won over and subsequently joined the board of FBB. I, too, am passionate about football and committed to social transformation and the inclusion of young people. But I write this piece far less in order to promote this particular project and far more to point out that, even in hard times, the social entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and kicking.

Howard Williamson is professor of European youth policy at the University of South Wales