Stoke City Football Club Community Programme

1. Executive Summary

Stoke on Trent is currently ranked the eighteenth most deprived local authority area in the Country. It also has highest proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET).

Funded by Local Strategic Partnership Neighbourhood Renewal Funding, the Stoke Challenge is an ambitious Connexions Programme that aims to provide targeted support to young people who are at risk of becoming NEET, or who are NEET and for whom statutory intervention by schools, colleges, Connexions and partner agencies and providers has not worked.

Building on an ethos of supporting local communities, the Stoke City Football Club Community Programme has embraced the concept of the Stoke Challenge and have piloted an innovative club based Programme that aims to help local NEET young people get into work or training.

Launched in February 2007 the Stoke City Football Club Community Programme has provided support to 24 local NEET young people. An impressive 75% of the intake have either gained employment or will be moving onto further education or training. As will be highlighted within this report, young people, many of whom who have never previously completed any courses or training have, over a twelve week period taken on real challenges. These include hill walking, surviving 24 hours in the wilds of Wales, canoeing across open water, gaining a first aid qualification and passing a motor scooter test.

Most significantly, they have gained access to an aspirational sporting environment, where they have learnt that following rules, team working, keeping healthy and maintaining a positive and realistic outlook brings results. They have met Stoke City Football Club first team players and training staff, who have had time to stop and help them build their confidence and resilience. They have learnt the importance of hard work and planning. Such is the success of this pilot Programme; Stoke City Football Club in partnership with Connexions will be delivering 4 more Programmes to 96 NEET young people living in Stoke on Trent this year. Stoke City Football Club, Connexions Staffordshire, the Stoke on Trent Local Strategic Partnership and most importantly the young people should be commended for their involvement in such an innovative and worthwhile Stoke Challenge initiative.