Sport can player a wider social role than just getting people active.
It’s helping to create safer communities in Leith, Edinburgh thanks to a new evening intervention programme ran by Leith Community Sport Hub supporting young people aged 9-12.
How the project was identified
Leith Community Sport Hub is part of the national sportscotland Community Sport Hub network that is funded by The National Lottery, and brings sports clubs and community organisations together to improve the contribution sport and physical activity has within communities across Scotland.
The hub includes several traditional sports clubs, as well as Police Scotland, numerous youth work groups, Leith Academy, and charities such as Hibernian Community Foundation.
The project came about after discussions within hub meetings on how best sport and physical activity could help the wider Leith community. Through the community police officers, it was identified that criminal responsibility in Scotland has increased to the age of 12, resulting in criminal gangs intentionally targeting 9-12 year olds in Leith and the surrounding areas to undertake organised crime, as well as other anti-social behaviour. Also identified was a gap in prevention activities managed by youth work organisations which would typically stop at 7pm on a Friday night and not restart until the start of the following week.
With this in mind, it was decided that a programme of activities would commence on Friday nights aimed at young people aged 9-12 that were deemed ‘at risk’ of committing crime. These young people would be referred to attend by the community police officers, local youth work organisations and Leith Academy, who all work closely with the young people already.
How the project is ran
The sessions are held on Friday nights between 6-10pm either at Leith Academy or at a new community space at Easter Road Stadium through the Hibernian Community Foundation.
Food is provided to the young people through local charity Empty Kitchens, Full Hearts, followed by physical activity led by member clubs from the hub. To date there has been activity involving football, rugby and fencing, with other opportunities such as table tennis in the pipeline. These activities then run on a rotational basis each week to save the sessions being too similar each week.
Through funding from a local housing association, Places for People Scotland, two youth workers are on hand to support each session and build vital relationships with the young people to deter involvement in criminal activity and/or gangs. They are then directed to further support and mentoring programmes. In turn it’s hoped that the programme will have a positive influence on the young people that are based in the housing associations portfolio and reduce anti-social behaviour on their properties.
Local community police officers have also committed to attending the sessions to build up relationships, rapport, and trust with the young people.
The community sport hub will then identify pathways for the participants to attend more regular sessions in the activities they show an interest in, with one young person already attending regular fencing sessions.
As an extension to the Friday night sessions, the Hibernian Community Foundation have offered match day tickets for weekend home matches to participants.
What they said
Adam Szymoszowskyj, Community sport hub manager for City of Edinburgh Council said: “Although it’s too early to tell the direct impact on crime prevention and anti-social behaviour, the project aims to make the community of Leith safer and act as a preventive measure, reducing current anti-social behaviour amongst young people and deter it in the future.
"Leith CSH has designed and coordinated the programme, but the resource in the form of staffing and facilities from local partners has keen key to its success to date.
"There has been a strong sense of purpose and willingness within the local third sector and sporting organisations to work together to influence positive change.
Christopher Casselden of Leith Community Policing Team, who attends the weekly sessions, said: “We at the Leith Community Policing Team were delighted to become involved in the youth projects as organised by Adam. By attending at weekly sports-based social sessions, we have been able to engage with young people who live locally in Leith and Craigmillar by participating in the various physical activities and allowing an open, free space for conversations and discussions.
"Our expectation is that this engagement will lead to trust being developed between our Community Police Officers and the young people attending, and in turn have a positive influence on these relationships in the community in the future.”
Lewis Melee, Head of Community at Hibernian Community Foundation said: “It’s a great outcome for the Foundation if we can demonstrate we are helping Leith Community Sport Hub to reduce anti-social behaviour in the area and also ensure social inclusion as well for local young people who may otherwise not have activity to engage with or become involved in over the weekend period.”
Mike Kerracher, YMCA Edinburgh Manager and Leith Honeybadger Basketball leader said: “The formation of a community sports hub in Leith has been a vital addition to the services in the community and addresses a direct gap in provision.
"Sport can be life changing, the supportive relationships, friendships and safe spaces offered here are already demonstrating their worth and we are excited and committed to continuing the development of the community sports hub.”
Find out more
- Follow the Edinburgh CSHs on Twitter
- Learn more about community sport hubs
