Three innovative programmes to help refugees

On the Ball Football programme

With funding from Sport England, Communities First is able to deliver two On the Ball programme sessions every week. This project aims to help refugees and asylum seekers — who thus have access to public funds — in becoming fit and active through football and then maintain their progression through long term participation and volunteer opportunities at nearby sports clubs. This project has three objectives:

1. Weekly coaching and football skills development sessions with a FA qualified coach at Selhurst Sports Arena.
2. Additionally, this project will identify refugees or asylum seekers that would like to volunteer for a club, to find a football club that is seeking volunteers. As part of our agreement with Palace for Life Foundation, we aim to offer at least four opportunities per year to obtain a FA Level 1 Coaching qualification.
3. Participants can drop in to information sessions at our sessions to access pathways and further support information from social workers and health professionals or simply look at leaflets/posters about additional information and opportunities.

Get Fishing programme

The Get Fishing programme, funded by 'Angling Trust', is an initiative to get more people into fishing. Young people from lower income households were introduced to the benefits of fishing as a meaningful and rewarding programme as we emerged from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Angling programmes are particularly effective at providing solutions for re-engaging this cohort by raising self-esteem, efficacy, and aspirations, while also assisting them to meet basic levels of attainment. The key objectives of this programme are to:

• Improve personal development, work skills and functional capacity
• Reduce loneliness and isolation
• Increase participation in sports and leisure activities
• Keep participants motivated and engaged
• Increase education attainment through progression through the recognised CAST Awards
• Raise aspirations and progression into fishing related activities, be it employment or further training
• Improve wellbeing and social integration in society

Over 40 young refugee and asylum seekers participated in this programme, and we hope to be able to continue such programmes in the future in partnership with the Angling Trust. 
 

Community Well-Being Service programme

Though the COVID-19 crisis has been devastating for many, it has also shown us at our best, with communities coming together to help those most affected. 

Since March 2022, Communities First has been invited to several meetings in Hammersmith and Fulham to deliver our Community Well-Being Service. It was observed that residents, both young and old, in Hammersmith and Fulham were experiencing depression, anxiety and conduct disorders, challenging financial concerns, increased rates of youth unemployment, lack of motivation, lack of regular exercise and physical activity. Further, gang activity in local areas increased, heightening concerns that gangs can influence vulnerable people and lead them towards negative activity. 

The Community Well-Being Service is a new and viable way of different groups coming together for the common good. As a collaboration of workshops and support programmes, this initiative helps to forge a culture of understanding and support for the vulnerable young people who are enduring negative experiences. There are five strands to our Community Well-Being Service:

1. Mental well-being

An award-winning learning and development consultancy, Orange Ball, coached a number of high performing teams inside and outside of the football sector. The founder, Sakib Rafique, has had previous experience as an Advanced Skills PE teacher/coach, accredited senior leader and qualified ILM (Level 7) executive coach and mentor. 

With support from ‘Orange Ball’, many young people suffering with mental health issues receive comprehensive support and guidance to tackle these problems. Orange Ball offers mental well-being support programmes that aim to improve their confidence and self-esteem, independence and life skills, communication skills, decision making capacity, capacity to face challenges and leadership skills, while reducing risk-taking behaviour and developing a sense of fun and achievement.

2. Physical literacy

Academy Conditioning specialises in providing sports science and fitness testing education, and delivers workshops and programmes for schools, colleges, organisations, and community-based initiatives.

The founder, Freddie Ocrah, is passionate about promoting fitness and athletic development for sport, health, and wellbeing to the wider community. With a Masters in Sport Performance Coaching, he has worked predominantly in youth sports in coaching, education, and community sports in roles such as sports testing director, head of PE and as a multi-sports coach.

Academy Conditioning will provide participants with a framework to build and sustain a healthy lifestyle — the ultimate protection against poor health.

3. Motivation

Paul Canoville is a freelance motivational speaker, who has worked in education, the criminal justice system and local communities for the past eight years. Having experienced trauma in his own personal life, Paul wanted to give back and share his journey in the most-simple way, for young people to understand.  

Whether it is bullying in school or dealing with racism in the workplace, the Paul Canoville Foundation Workshops will offer easy to use strategies to deal with life impacting issues such as racism and bullying. They will deliver practical workshops with interactive participation and case studies will provide easy to use tools for measurable change. 

4. Employment

Toby French, the founder and managing director of Careers in Football, is passionate about career development and giving people the best chance to find and achieve their ambitions. Careers in Football delivers career services, workshops and programmes for a variety of organisations and education providers, from primary schools to universities.

Despite the fact that COVID-19 has reduced work opportunities for young people, particularly in the retail and leisure sectors, football is receiving record investment, and there are several career opportunities for young people in football. The Careers in Football Workshops will take participants along the first steps of discovering and following these opportunities.

5. Financial well-being

Our facilitator, Clive Rhoden, has great experience in introducing effective financial operational change and program management to meet future strategic goals, defining best practices, and establishing governance.

Particularly at times of crisis but in life generally, managing one’s finances can literally be the difference between survival and progress. The support Financial Well-Being Service offers with their programmes will transform participants' understanding of the support and resources available to them to help them make better and more valuable financial decisions.