BACKGROUND

For the last 8 months we have been working closely with Cricket For Change (www.cricketforchange.org.uk) to establish the first Street Team in London.

The Street Team is made up of young ex-offenders who join this new training for work programme from our projects either HMP & YOI Ashfield or HMYOI Portland.

This three year pilot programme is funded by Sport Relief and aims to use the young ex-offender’s love of sport to take the first steps in developing a career in sports coaching and sports development. This pilot will provide training and paid coaching work for 5 young ex-offenders a year for three years.

The 2^nd Chance Project prepares potential Street Team members whilst in custody in Ashfield or Portland. On their release or whilst on licence they spend 12 months with Cricket for Change undertaking a wide range of training courses and supervised on the job training. Part of their training will involve passing Level 2 qualifications in cricket and one other sport of their choice.

Upon successful completion of their training the Street Team members are offered paid coaching work assistants on a range of Cricket for Change programmes in London. The first member of the Street Team to graduate is starting full time employment with the charity on September 1^st this year.

The 2^nd Chance Project and Cricekt for Change aim to use the best practice developed during the pilot to help set up Street Teams across the UK.

STREET TEAM MENTORING PROGRAMME

As part of their training, a number of Street Team members have been working in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) in East London. The pupils in these units are aged 13 to 16 and are in danger of being excluded from school due to their disruptive behaviour, much of which is gang related.

They are often involved in violence, drug use and truancy and are all known to the police. The police and the school have invited us to work with the PRUs as we have had success at engaging hard to reach and at risk young people in three East London boroughs (Newham, Waltham Forest and Hackney) as part of our Streetchance project which is a year round, youth engagement programme which we run in 15 boroughs in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police.

The pilot programmes that we have run in the PRUs are run by Cricket for Change Development Manager, Adam Hall, who was himself a gang member in Waltham Forest and who knows the issues that the young people are facing.

Changes in behaviour and attitudes are achieved by discussing the consequences of one’s actions and alternative approaches to situations they might find themselves in.

Sports sessions break up the often intense discussions and also act as a reward and a way to let off steam in a safe and supervised environment.

Changes in attitude come about most easily when the young people themselves begin to understand that they have options, choices and opportunities. Check out some of our success stories:

Sams Story with Street Team

Mikes the inspirational fitness coach

If you would like some further details, please contact:

James Mapstone
Managing Director
E-mail: james@2ndchanceproject.co.uk

Andy Sellins
Chief Executive
E-mail: andysellins @crricketforchange.org.uk