The Kicks project provides sports activities and development to vulnerable young people in Coventry...
The Sky Blues Kicks project was amongst the winners at the Coventry Partnership ‘Community Cohesion Awards’, in a ceremony at St Mary’s Guildhall last Thursday.
The annual awards are a collaboration between the Coventry Ethnic Minority Action Partnership and the Coventry Partnership, which recognises the contributions people or activities have made to building cohesive communities.
The Sky Blues in the Community Kicks project was amongst three organisations shortlisted in the ‘young people’ awards category, and were presented their award by the new Mayor of Coventry Councillor Hazel Noonan.
The Kicks project works with young people aged 12 to 19, providing sports activities and personal development opportunities to vulnerable young people from priority areas within Coventry.
Since September 2013, over 450 individual young people have attended the activities, with approximately 90% of those taking part being from a black or minority ethnic background. The sessions taking place at the Goals Soccer Centre on Friday nights have seen over 200 young people attend at once.
As well as the Goals Soccer Centre (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday), activities also take place at Sidney Stringer Academy (Tuesday) and the Moathouse Leisure Centre (Monday) over four nights of the week.
Social Inclusion Manager Craig White – who coordinates the Kicks project – said “We are delighted to have won this award. The project is extremely popular with young people and they make the project what it is – fun to be involved with and very rewarding.”
Sky Blues in the Community Director Guy Rippon added “This award is a real testament to Craig and his team who are out there four nights a week until late providing positive activities and making a difference to the lives of young people.
“We also have to acknowledge the support of our partners at West Midlands Police – in particular Sergeant Alex Tarr – our colleagues at the Positive Youth Foundation, and also Goals Soccer Centre, who are always very supportive in terms of using the venue as the main project site.”
For more information about the Kicks project, please contact Craig White on 024 7678 6313 or visit the Sky Blues in the Community website at www.sbitc.org/inclusion/kickz