Champions team providing great opportunities for young people

AFC Fylde Community Foundation's Champions team has been working alongside several different organisations to provide young people with multiple opportunities to express themselves.

The Foundation is one of nine Football Club Community Organisations (CCOs) across Lancashire who deliver the Champions project - in partnership with Lancashire Violence Reduction Network.

Champions is an innovate intervention programme supporting young people aged 10-25 with experience or at risk of offending behaviours. The programme is non-judgemental and confidential. Participation is voluntary.

Our Community Engagement Manager, Daisy Sheridan, and Community Engagement Co-ordinator, Ryan De La Harpe have been keeping busy in recent weeks providing their participants with regular activities.

Firstly, four students from Carr Hill High School attended an event at Wigan Youth Zone which aspired to be like a traditional School Sports Day. It included activities such as boxing, tag rugby, skating, BMXing and football.

The boys received this trip as a reward for their improved behaviour over the last couple of months, showcasing the positive impact the Champions project has had on these young people.

More recently, Daisy and Ryan attended Hope Hack and, Blackpool and Fylde Hope Hack. This presented children with the opportunity to express themselves and discuss issues that matter to them.

Those issues varied from local transport to improving relations with the police and young people.

Not bad critical and reasonable thinking for young people.

This event was in partnership with Lancashire County Council, Fylde Youth Zone, United Youth Alliance (UYA) and #Iwill movement.

The Champions staff also delivered a lesson on Child Exploitation in an attempt to make the young people more aware and alert of any suspicious activity.

Daisy, our Champions Project Co-ordinator for the last 12 months before recently being promoted to Community Engagement Manager, said: "Being able to work alongside young people and have a positive impact on their lives is an amazing feeling.

"The project is voluntary so it's always great to see that children want to put in the effort. Sometimes young people don't get enough credit for how self aware they are, the participants we have are here because they've recognised their behaviour needs to change."

Daisy believes one of the reasons behind the success is: "They don't see us like teachers, who children are usually uncomfortable around, which is key to breaking down that first wall because they immediately feel more at ease around us.

"Between Ryan and I, throughout 2024 we were able to mentor 77 people away from anti-social behaviour (ASB) which is fantastic! That's the number of nearly three full classes at school, when you put it into context like that, you realise just how significant it is."