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Anti-drug Sports Co-ordinators| Anti-drug Sports Co-ordinators | Anti-drug Sports Co-ordinators
Geographical Area: Camp Hill, Grove Farm, Heath, Keresley, Stockingford and Wembrook.
Age Range Min: 8
Age Range Max: 24
Gender Specific: no
| Culturally Specific: no
Method of Access: There is specific targeting of young people within the wards. Third party and self referrals are also welcomed
| | Description | Managed by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Councils Sports Development team and funded through the council and ‘Communities Against Drugs’, the two anti-drugs sports officers work in the 6 most socially deprived areas of Nuneaton and Bedworth. Through ‘street style’ consultation and liaising with resident and community associations, they are able to target young people between the ages of 8 – 24, encouraging them to take part in sporting activities alongside which, guidance on healthy living, career and educational advice is available. If more specialised help is needed by any individual, the project will support and signpost them on to more appropriate agencies. The project commenced in 2002 with a male worker, a female worker brought on board to positively discriminate towards young females joined him in 2003.
Often working with young people from families with long histories of unemployment, the project has been successful in attracting young people from BME groups. By getting young people from different estates and groups to come together and participate in sporting activities, the project tries to break down some of the barriers that exist in the locations they work in. Football teams have been organised with young people that used to sit on street corners drinking and believing there was nothing else for them to do, the project workers give help with completing insurance forms and anything else that’s needed but the team members have ownership. The project also works with former heroin users, helping them to build up their bodies through sporting activities, and with referrals from the youth offending team. A wide range of sporting activities can be organised including paragliding, canoeing - local schools have been involved in Sport against Drugs tournaments with activities such as 5-a-side football and athletics, and a girl’s football tournament is being organised. Through getting young people involved in the activities they organise, they hope that they will then go on to join other clubs in the area. The project also runs 6 week ‘Fit to live’ courses for 14 – 16 year olds. Participants attend 2 evenings a week and take part in drug awareness sessions run by a substance misuse worker from the Young People’s service, sporting activities such as rock climbing and a gym induction, and sessions on hygiene, cookery and sexual health. | | Objectives | | The project aims to ‘reduce the harming effect of substance misuse in young people (8-24 years) and reduce nuisance crime’. A number of methods will be used to achieve this, namely: arranging weekly sports sessions within targeted areas; delivering workshops that provide advice on healthy living, career and education advice, and sporting opportunities; installation of multi-use games areas; signposting individuals to services where they can find advice and support on substance misuse; and increase diversionary facilities and opportunities for young people within the targeted areas’. | | Staff Profile | | 1 male and 1 female anti-sports drug officers. Sessional sports workers including young men from the project that have sat sporting qualifications. | | Linked Organisations | | The officers involve any agency that deal with young people. Connexions, the youth service, army, youth offending team, PAYP, health services, community education service, the police, crime stoppers and Warwickshire DAT. |
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