Cuts to sports and youth service budgets have prompted the voluntary sector in Thanet, supported by Thanet District Council and National youth charity StreetGames, to establish a new programme to fill the void.
Sport 4 Good, made up of isle youth, community and sport organisations, will offer football, basketball, multi sports, junior gym, DJ and MC workshops and targeted youth provision that includes mental health and wellbeing support.
Groups and venues confirmed as involved so far include Sport 4 NRG Pumped, Zone Youth Club, Broadstairs, Your Leisure and Pie Factory.
Safer Kent, Porchlight, Yo Street Zone, Hang 10 and Kent Youth Service are also on board with the cluster style of working to improve outcomes for community organisations, young people and families.
The aim is to provide training and development of young people from participants, to volunteers to employed coaches to increase the capacity of the Sport 4 Good cluster and the impact of the provision.
Sessions will develop life skills, and improve physical health, mental health, and wellbeing. Research shows that taking part in engaging and quality assured youth and sport activity increases young people’s self-esteem, social skills, discipline, respect and resilience, which are all vital life skills that are often missing in the most vulnerable members of the community.
Sport 4 Good says young people in disadvantaged communities are twice as unlikely to participate in sport, to volunteer in sport, or to have access to coaching and positive role models as their more affluent peers. The StreetGames Sport 4 Good cluster is hoping to tackle this inequality.
Details of the programme and schedule are due to be released in January.
To get involved with Sport 4 Good Thanet contact Mark Roughsedge, StreetGames Community Development Officer – [email protected] or call 07534986127