Custody to Community Programme Report
The following is an extract from a report posted in January on media channels by our partner in a North West prison and highlights some of the benefits of engaging with Street Soccer Academy in the delivery of our Custody to Community Programme.
In the new year, many people get back to the gym or start a new sport and it’s no different in our prisons! Sport can play a key role in providing a place of support for holistic wellbeing, including physical exercise, de-stress tools, healthy living and mental wellbeing. Sport can also deliver the feel-good factor for both prisoners and staff by offering a range of activities that innovatively improve prisoner wellbeing. We provide prisoners with the tools and resources to engage with healthy lifestyle choices, maintaining their physical and mental health. This can help reduce the risk of self-harm and violence within the prison, with some prisoners managing to reduce or stop self-harming altogether because of our wellbeing interventions
Street Soccer Academy has been working within in our prison for over twelve years, providing personal development support for prisoners through sport. One prisoner engaged in a four-week ‘Street Fit’ course and was initially quite reserved, opting to only communicate with another prisoner from his wing. However, as the course progressed, he became more comfortable within the group, eventually leading his own discussions and often referring to his own personal experiences to address topics such as conflict management. His fellow prisoners enjoyed his sessions, resulting in him applying to stay on to assist as a mentor on the next course. He excelled in his support of other prisoners and commended for creating a positive working environment.
By enabling prisoners to engage with wellbeing activities we can help them to develop coping mechanisms, support anger management and even uncover previously unknown skills that can lead to meaningful employment on release.
Street Soccer Academy’s Coach Education & Personal Development programme is an AQA Accredited learning programme, with streetsoccer (football coaching) or streetfit (personal fitness) variants. All learners receive additional ‘through the gate’ support to assist in effective resettlement.
Details of Street Soccer Academy’s work in the Justice Services sphere can be seen here
