In a new unique approach Albion in the Community has joined in partnership with the Football Foundation and nine housing associations from across Sussex to develop a new target-specific Registered Social Landlords (RSL) Football Inclusion Project.
The housing associations are the Southern Housing Group, Worthing Homes, Amicus Horizon, Orbit Housing, Servite Houses, Guinness Trust, Sanctuary Hereward, Hyde/CDHA, and Saxon Weald.
The project uses football as a positive activity for young people aged 7 to 15 years old in targeted areas of deprivation and works to emphasise the values of teamwork, inclusion, achievement, respect and self-belief.
For the first time, young people living in housing association cluster properties outside deprivation wards have been given the opportunity to participate in regular funded football coaching sessions.
New regular fully-funded football sessions have been established across Sussex for summer holidays, after school, evenings and Saturday mornings. We provide young people living within targeted housing associations areas the opportunity to participate in regular physical exercise and learn new skills. In addition to the football skills learned by the young people the scheme works to:
- Assist in tackling anti-social behaviour
- Promote valuable life skills such as teamwork, respect and discipline
- Promote community involvement
- Highlight the dangers of smoking, drug's misuse including alcohol
- Promote the benefits of regular exercise and healthy diet
The project also works with young adults in target areas, by giving them the opportunity to gain accreditation on the Level 1 Certificate in Football Coaching. This in turn provides coaching employment opportunities within the Community Scheme.
Over the next two years the project aims to work with over 1500 young people from across Sussex and bring together over 100 different partners from all areas of the community to improve the lives of all residents living within the target communities.
