As tabloid newspapers reveal scandalous stories about superstar footballers, the positive effect of sport in our communities is being overlooked. Every week thousands of young children are benefiting from schemes designed to get them involved in sport, keeping them off the streets and making communities safer.

One of these schemes, Kickz, is proving hugely successful and has recently been given an £11million funding boost. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, joined forces with the police, the Football Foundation and the Premier League to announce the expansion of the project and hailed its success in cutting anti-social behaviour.

Kickz is delivered by 19 Premier League and 11 Football League clubs, offering the chance for children to take part in sports sessions three nights a week. Activities range from football tournaments to education sessions concerning the importance of healthy diets. Due to the increased funding, Kickz will now be extended to more than 100 projects nationwide catering for over 12,000 children.

''Kickz shows the extraordinary power of football, and sport in general, to reach young people and provide a route into volunteering, training, education and employment'' - PM Gordon Brown


The Prime Minister said: “Football clubs are perfectly placed to offer something back to some of the most marginalised members of society. Through Kickz they can help young people get involved in their community and learn self-respect, personal achievement and a sense of responsibility.

“Kickz shows the extraordinary power of football, and sport in general, to reach young people and provide a route into volunteering, training, education and employment.”

Kickz, which began as a trial based at Tottenham, Fulham and Brentford football clubs, involves providing constructive activities for children in local estates with high instances of anti-social behaviour. Now more than 30 clubs and their delivery partners provide three sessions per week for 48 weeks of the year.

By using the appeal of professional club brands and opportunities such as player appearances to encourage young people to participate, and by taking the project to venues within the community, it is envisaged that even hard-to-reach groups will take part. Young people are much more receptive to the ideas of people they look up to than they are when listening to government ministers, police officers and teachers. When available, Community Police Officers and Support Officers are present at many sessions, using football as an opportunity to break down barriers between the police and young people.

Inspired by projects like Kickz, many local police forces are beginning to use sport as part of their strategy to tackle youth crime and make communities safer. Even in rural areas, where there are no large sports clubs, the police and local authorities are setting up new clubs and initiatives.

In south Shropshire, the local police have expanded the number of clubs they run after the initial success of their school holiday football clubs. This year they have attempted to engage with young people who they fear are close to criminal activities and have been working with the Youth Inclusion and Support Programme to use diversionary activities to prevent crime.

PC Paul Sparrow, from Ludlow, has been working closely with the South Shropshire Youth Forum on a new cricketing project in Craven Arms. Sport has a history of breaking down racial barriers and the aim of this project has been to include the Asian community, who are often isolated from the rest of the community, as well as helping all the participants to improve their health and fitness.

PC Tony Sewell, from Ludlow, said: “Each year we hold a football tournament, for local primary schools. This year Ludlow Junior School were the winners with over 20 teams taking part. The cricket culminated in a game between the police and the young lads; unfortunately the boys won and we went home with our tails between our legs!”

PC Sewell has also restarted the Ludlow Boxing Club. The project is in its early stages but so far over 30 people have attended: both young people interested in learning the sport and older people willing to train as coaches. The aim of the boxing club is to improve the discipline and respect of the participants for each other and the community.

“The young adults and children benefit as they get to be included in something,'' he added. ''They get to go to places that they may never go to in their lives and they get support in their futures. I always tell under-achievers that most people are looking for them to fail but that we are looking for them to succeed.

“The community benefits as there is less anti-social behaviour, we have good links to the schools and encourage community engagement. There is also a growing trust between the community and the police, something which has not been encouraged for some time.

Legendary American footballer Tony Dorsett once said: “To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.” Sport can provide young people with all of these things. So the next time you read a scandalous story about a Premier League footballer, remember that across the country, from Manchester to Ludlow, sport is making a big difference to young people and their communities.