The National Youth Agency

StreetGames

BASIC INFORMATION

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Case study date: December 2007

Local authority in which project based: Nationwide/Reading Borough Council

Date started: 2006

Type of organisation: National charity

Brief description

StreetGames is a national charity providing sports programmes for young people living in disadvantaged communities who are not current participants or members of sports clubs. Young people can access sport and dance opportunities where, when and how they want. Training is often done in basic but convenient facilities such as local parks and community spaces. Volunteers of all ages are involved in StreetGames, with a volunteer programme specifically for young people – the Co-Operative StreetGames Youth Volunteering Programme - currently being developed.

The programme aims to:

provide a route into sustained and regular sport;
develop local leadership, citizenship and coaching skills within communities;
spread skills and knowledge so sports workers learn how to involve young people;
support renewal agencies in communicating with young people about their sporting needs and other lifestyle issues.

StreetGames operates through an expanding network of projects (currently 24) across England. This case study focuses on Reading StreetGames which has a proven track record of working with young volunteers.

Collaboration

Reading StreetGames is managed and supported by Sport Reading, the sports development team of Reading Borough Council. It also works in partnership with Nacro, Berkshire Sports Partnership, and local sports clubs, which provide the coaches to deliver the sessions.

Funding

Nationally, StreetGames receives funding from Sport England, the Department of Communities and Local Government, New Deal for Communities, and the Football Foundation. The Co-Op has provided funding of £170,000 and v has committed £212,000 for the 2007-09 youth volunteer programme.

Staffing

Nationally, there are four core members of staff, including a national development manager for volunteering. The Reading project is managed by Sport Reading’s community sports manager, in liaison with one of four national part-time regional managers.

NATURE OF PROVISION

Which groups of young people does the project work with?

Around 40 volunteers a year are involved in Reading StreetGames, half of whom are aged between 16 and 25. Of the young volunteers, a third are young women; 10 per cent are from BME communities; and half have never volunteered before. They work with around 1500 young participants a year. Project sessions take place within disadvantaged areas of Reading where there are few opportunities for young people to take part in structured sports sessions. The project seeks to engage local young people who have low self esteem, confidence or aspirations related to their physical activity.

How was the need for the project identified?

The original idea for StreetGames came out of a football tournament in 2003 organised by the Football Association, the Government Office for the North West and the regional New Deal for Communities. The tournament aimed to bring together sport and renewal in a sporting event for young people in renewal areas.

Reading StreetGames was subsequently established in 2005 with a pilot cricket season. Before the programme was launched, StreetGames consulted young people to identify the barriers to participation and the kinds of sports they wanted to play. The four focus sports chosen - football, cricket, tag rugby and lacrosse - reflected the results of the consultation, with particular emphasis on the choices of young people from the Asian community and young women.

How do young people become involved? What, if any, commitment do you ask for?

Around half of the young volunteers come from disadvantaged communities. They are mainly recruited via word of mouth with adverts placed in local community venues such as libraries and youth centres. A number are ex-participants who want to give something back.

Before becoming involved, potential volunteers meet informally with project staff to talk about their skills and interests and what they hope to achieve through volunteering. Each volunteer is then assigned a mentor from the Sport Reading team. Mentoring is of particular value to young volunteers enabling them to build up confidence and knowledge at their own pace.

What are the main approaches used and activities offered?

Reading StreetGames offers taster sessions and coaching in five different areas of the town. The sessions are held in local venues and green spaces and culminate in festivals where all the young people come together to play sport. The programme is designed to offer personal and social development for participants, plus long term opportunities for participating in sport.

The volunteer programme aims to provide education, training and mentoring in order to:

contribute to a greater sense of community and the reduction of social exclusion;
introduce leadership and mentoring opportunities;
raise achievement and self-esteem in both participants and volunteers;
increase the number of qualified coaches working in the local community.

Volunteers take on a variety of roles including coach, administrator, press officer, and festival co-ordinator. As many of the volunteers come from the disadvantaged communities where the activities are held, they act as powerful role models. Young volunteers in particular have extensive knowledge and understanding of the issues faced by young people.

To support its volunteers, Reading StreetGames has developed a volunteer resource pack for managers based on Nacro’s volunteer management methodology. This details all aspects of volunteer recruitment and management, including the expectations of the role and the support and supervision a volunteer will receive. Once a volunteer is actively involved in the programme, they identify and discuss their training needs during supervision with their manager every four weeks (the same as for paid staff). Volunteers can access training and qualifications including sport specific coaching and sports leaders’ qualifications. Supervision also gives volunteers the opportunity to talk about their volunteering and identify ways in which they think it could be improved. Each volunteer has an individual action plan, outlining their achievements, future work and training needs. On leaving the project, volunteers have an exit interview to clarify their reasons for leaving, future plans and what they have learnt from their volunteering experience.

How are young people involved in shaping the project?

Volunteers contribute ideas about the running of the programme through their regular supervisory sessions. The volunteer resource pack is regularly updated based on comments received.

How does the project respond to the needs of different young people, particularly the most marginalised?

Adults in the poorest third of the population are half as likely to participate in organised sport in their community as adults in the richest third. Similarly, volunteer-led sports clubs have traditionally flourished in more affluent communities. StreetGames aims to redress this imbalance by developing provision for young people at a local level and building capacity and skills within disadvantaged communities through volunteering. The programme also aims to increase community cohesion by bringing together young people from different communities.

OUTCOMES OF WORK

How does the project contribute to the five Every Child Matters outcomes for young people?

Be Healthy – volunteers are active throughout the sessions, which has led to improved physical activity levels and emotional well-being.

Staying Safe – volunteers are trained to deal with bullying within the sessions and their own lives.

Enjoy & Achieve – volunteers enjoy their placements, which is reflected in the commitment they give.

Make a Positive Contribution – volunteers are helping develop the social capital of their local community.

What skills do young people gain through their involvement in the project?

Young volunteers develop leadership experience and skills - including increased self confidence, communication, teamwork, being able to give and take praise and criticism, organisation, and time keeping –to improve their life chances and enhance their employment prospects.

How are young people's progress and achievements measured and recorded?

Volunteers are recognised in a variety of ways including certificates, thank you letters and recommendation for external awards. Accreditation on offer includes ASDAN, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Millennium Volunteers, the Prince’s Trust, and the Youth Achievement Awards.

What has changed for other young people, organisations or the wider community as a result of the project?

Participants have access to a range of local sporting opportunities tailored to their specific needs. They also develop a range of broader skills such as teamwork, communication, confidence and self-esteem;
The wider community benefits from increased use of local facilities and from young people from the area having access to positive activities;
Local sports clubs, which previously had little success in recruiting young people from deprived areas to their junior sections, have benefited from increased numbers of participants.

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

How is the project evaluated?

The project submits regular data and evaluative material to New Deal for Communities. StreetGames has been highlighted as an example of good practice on the government’s renewal.net website. Reading StreetGames also evaluates participants’ views of sessions and festivals.

What are the findings of any evaluations to date?

Reading StreetGames received a StreetMark award in 2007, recognising that it meets the national standards for service delivery. Participants consistently report that they enjoy the sessions, trying new sports and making new friends.

The renewal.net case study describes the project as successful in ‘recruiting and developing volunteers from these [five inner city] areas – thus helping to build a sustainable grass-roots sports infrastructure and helping to give more of a community feel.’

What changes/developments have occurred as a result of evaluation?

Change and development is an integral part of the Reading StreetGames approach. Initial feedback from volunteers indicated that they valued their qualifications and recognition of their achievements, resulting in the project investing time and resources in a learning and development programme.

What has worked well and why?

The coordinated approach provided by the volunteer resource pack ensures that all volunteers are treated consistently and that every stage of their involvement is carefully managed.

What has been difficult and why?

The high level of volunteer management undertaken by the project, including finding roles that offer progression and are suited to individuals’ skills and interests, takes time and commitment.

PARTNERSHIP AND STRATEGIC IMPACT

What other agencies does the project work with?

Reading StreetGames has created the South East Inclusion Network to share learning and practice, develop joint working, and coordinate training and development among agencies involved in inclusion and neighbourhood renewal work. Partners include Positive Futures, Nacro, local authorities, housing associations and community sport and youth engagement organisations.

What does the project bring to partnership work?

StreetGames brings expert knowledge on using sport to engage young people who are outside of formal structures, creating a platform for other agencies to engage with them. For example, when the Reading Street Wardens programme started, it was treated with hostility by local residents. After some of the wardens became involved in supporting the delivery of StreetGames programmes, they became more integrated into local communities.

Has this partnership resulted in greater collaboration?

Inclusion Network partners working with young people in deprived areas are able to draw on each other’s specific expertise.

Do you consider this project to be innovative?

By bringing sport to young people on their own terms and in their own neighbourhoods, StreetGames seeks to combine sport with youth work values. The StreetGames model also allows a community to develop sporting provision tailored to its local needs, while maintaining the integrity and quality of the sports delivery.

How do you disseminate the learning from the project?

On a local, regional and national level, Reading StreetGames disseminates practice through a newsletter, website, and e-forums. The project has also been featured in publications and on websites and regularly runs conference workshops on volunteering.

Has the learning from this work influenced wider organisational/service strategies?

StreetGames is able to directly contribute to one of Reading Borough Council’s Local Area Agreement targets on the number of people volunteering;
the programme has enabled Sport Reading to develop stronger relationships with internal partners.

What plans do you have to sustain/develop this work?

Nationally, volunteering opportunities for young people involved in StreetGames will be enhanced by the Co-Operative StreetGames Youth Volunteering Programme. The two year programme aims to develop a comprehensive volunteer training programme in sports development in partnership with national sporting bodies and volunteer organisations. This will give more young people the chance to train to coach other young people in a range of sports. The programme will also fund regional festivals bringing local projects together.

Reading StreetGames will benefit from the national programme through extra funding to enable it to recruit and train more volunteers. The project will become a volunteering training and mentorship hub for other StreetGames projects being set up in Berkshire.

CONTACT

Mark Lawrie, Volunteer Project Manager, StreetGames UK Ltd,
Sports Academy, LSBU, 90 London Road, London SE2 6LN Phone: 020 7621 1430. Email: mark.lawrie@streetgames.org