In brief

The Cardiff City FC Community Foundation creates opportunities for people, whatever their background, to lead healthier and more active lives, improve education and employment opportunities and reduce levels of offending and reoffending, improving their lives and helping build flourishing communities.

Problem to be tackled

The target group are young people aged 11-19 who are living in areas of high crime and high deprivation, including young people who commit crime live in these areas. This group is not only disadvantaged due to living in deprived communities but also vulnerable due to the impact of living in high crime areas, and thus they want to deliver an early intervention programme which engages young people before they reach high risk ages which would make them more vulnerable to criminal involvement.

Local partner

Cardiff City FC Community Foundation’s programme takes place at 12 community sites, engaging young people in a 44-week programme of weekly evening one/two-hour sessions and events during the Holiday periods.

At each site the programme differs slightly, as it is adapted to the needs and interests of the young people living in that area, however programme content remains largely the same.

Using the hook of the Cardiff City FC brand and the power of football, they engage young people living in this high risk, high need areas, those that other organisations have found difficult to reach, most of whom are yet to become involved in crime, and guide them towards a variety of sports, educational and personal development activities.

The programme content initially focuses on engaging young people in fun and physical activity to keep them interested and ensure they are involved in constructive activity each week. Around the physical activity sessions, they also provide a variety of educational and personal development activities for young people to choose from, including a range of workshops focussing on pertinent issues for young people.

Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries are children and adolescents aged between 11 and 19 years, 80% male and 20% female including special needs. The majority of the participants share an underprivileged and low socio-economic background.

SOL’s contribution

With the support from The SOL Foundation, Cardiff City FC Community Foundation will be able to continue their programme for children that would otherwise not have much of an opportunity to break out of the criminal cycle and look to boost their skills and confidence to thrive in a working environment.

Project partner

The Cardiff City FC Community Foundation is an independent charity and the official charity of Cardiff City FC. They use the unique appeal of Cardiff City FC to change lives of underprivileged and vulnerable people through education and sport (primarily football), delivering sustainable programmes across three key themes: education and employment, health and wellbeing and community safety, including:

• providing access to safe community sport opportunities in high crime areas,
• raising awareness of the impact of crime,
• creating links between community support officers and underprivileged young people and
• providing access to developmental community sport sessions for vulnerable groups.