Stoke City Football Club Community Programme

Available to young people not in education, employment or training, the pilot initiative offered a twelve week programme, which young people attend two full days each week. Future programmes will be delivered as part of a ten week package (see Section 10 'What's Next for the Programme).

Aim of the programme - the aim of the programme is simple - To motivate young people into employment, college or training.

The programme is split into two main elements, both of which encourage young people to adopt positive values into their lives. The first element includes activities that focus on learning by doing, which includes sports based learning, where the young people gain experience in sports leadership, first aid, fitness and exercise and adopting a healthy life style.

The second element challenges the young people's attitude and behaviour, encouraging a positive work ethic and positive view towards learning. Negative perceptions of classrooms are challenged by introducing literacy and numeracy in an informal and supportive environment. This allows the young people to address poor classroom behaviour, anger management, basic skills, poor work ethic and negative views of learning.

All aspects of the programme reward positive behaviour and achievement, enabling the young people to begin to appreciate that hard work does pay off. Players contribute to this ethos, as they point out for example that no matter what successes they gain on the pitch, they recognise the value of further education and training as they prepare for careers after football.

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7. A Special Programme!

By being based at Stoke City Football Club, there is no doubt the young people are benefiting from excellent facilities, which includes highly qualified and committed Club and Connexions staff; and most significantly, an aspirational environment, which does not fail to 'rub off' on everyone who enters the Club.

Commenced February 2007, with a grant of £25.700 from the LSP; the Programme challenges the young people physically and mentally and enables them to appreciate that hard work can bring success. There is no doubt that regular access to professional footballers and coaches, reinforces this ethos.