Engaging young people through sport

Marking its 29th anniversary, Youth Charter is calling on a coordinated strategic plan to engage more youth and address their social needs through sport.

After three decades of hard work, Youth Charter, and international charity and UN NGO maintains the same derive and focus that the organisation had when it was launched 29 years ago.

However, as Founder & Chair of the Youth Charter, Geoff Thompson points out, this is not the time for celebration. A unified and coordinated strategic plan is as vital as ever. “We must continue to address the youth disaffection and disadvantages that still provoke gang-related violence and loss of life on the nation’s streets and communities.”

Watch Geoff Thompson explain his motivation to set up Youth Charter

Three years ago, the Youth Charter was building on its 2019 ‘#Call2Action’, aiming to:

Engage 1 million young people through sport, art, cultural and digital activities nationally and 5 million internationally
Equip young people with mental, physical and emotional life-skills and resilience
Empower them to aspire to further and higher education, to employment and entrepreneurship

There are only 127 days to go before the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 10^th anniversary of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The pledges from the #Call2Action to inspire generations and to provide sporting and physical activity to 1 million young people, in particular from disadvantaged and disaffected backgrounds is a pledge with a plan, community model, cultural framework and a method of measuring the impact of this approach.

Last week, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee noted the Government’s lack of vision and subsequent risks of squandering the lasting benefits to UK. In particular, the report highlights the case of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games confirming that whilst it presents a great opportunity for the people of the West Midlands, there has not been sufficient priority given to legacy funding and long-term evaluation.

Geoff Thompson also emphasised that his role as Deputy Chair of Birmingham 2022 provides extra impetus to the sporting, physical activity and legacy inclusion pledges beyond Birmingham and the West Midlands nationally and internationally, stating:

“Today will also see the London Legacy Youth Board Summit at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Youth Charter will close this summit with its #Call2Action where we will level up and build back better our young people and communities with real achievable, deliverable and sustainable impact.”

Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Avanti Communications, said:

“Avanti believes in education for all. We have been active in this space for almost 10 years in Africa. We support the Youth Charter #LegacyOpportunity4All plans and look forward to building a long term relationship to improve education together.”