Football4life Results.

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Football4life has been working with the prison community at Castle Huntly Open Estate since March 2008. In partnership, we are together looking at football as a means of challenging personal barriers in education, participation, and society, whilst focusing on the practical elements of the sport through coaching workshops.

In March 2008 the community at Castle Huntly devised, actioned and successfully delivered a shirt amnesty scheme across the North East of Scotland. Collecting in the region of 2000 football kits for kids in Africa, the inmates learned valuable skills in communication, participation, and awareness of social development issues.

Furthermore, as part of a Coaching for Life programme, guest sports coaches from across the world are providing practical and educational workshops within Castle Huntly creating an awareness of social issues, in the broader spectrum and creating a framework for improved health and lifestyle choice, post-release.

 Why have we chosen to work in a prison? Well, the answer is straightforward in terms of project development and delivery. Our project is about challenging barriers to education, health, and equality, through football. Internationally, we are working in some of the greatest crime entrenched communities delivering hope and opportunity for people to make positive choices in their lives. Those exact hopes and opportunities are what inspire many of the inmates at Castle Huntly. Therefore, while internationally we are striving to provide routes out of poverty and in to prosperity, with our prison community we are building a knowledge and understanding of social issues and challenges across the wider world, which brings home the realities ensuring they do not reoffend upon release. Football has created a captive audience for the delivery of this message.

Many inspirational spin off opportunities have arisen from our work in the Open Estate. During 2009 inmates helped recycle over 3000 tents donated by Millets & World Emergency Relief UK, helping refugees in Uganda and Burundi, by providing shelters. Additionally, the shirt amnesty scheme has continued with the support of prison staff and inmates looking at new ways of supporting kids into football across Africa through the actions of the prison Castle Huntly community. Last but by no means least, the inmates, staff and support bodies to the prison have created a ‘charity challenge’ football team, which participates in fundraising matches against guests teams to raise money for local charity initiatives.

The Football4life & Castle Huntly partnership is a valuable example of how our work can have life changing impacts and benefits both internationally and domestically. The power of football is changing the lives of the men in the Open Estate, providing an opportunity to learn and challenge their barriers leading to safer community’s across Scotland.

The Football4Life nationwide shirt amnesty scheme has been operating successfully for since 2007. The scheme allows football fans to directly support other football fans in far off distant places and some not so distant places as well.

In 2005, was Glasgow the Caring City charity was introduced to MCM Sports South Africa and their Sports Director Francisco Naude. What quickly emerged was a detailed plan for improving the life chance of thousand of local children in the Paarl East community, South Africa. Francisco outlined his vision for a programme which empowered young people to utilize the social and educational resources available to them in their community, through the direction and support of football coaches. In essence, if you like playing sports our coaches can make you a better & stronger community leader. The perfect package!

However, what Francisco lacked was the raw materials to make this project come to life. On this list of materials he needed were football shirts, the most treasured possession for these kids, empowering them to take part in his programme and gain respect in a new ‘gang’ for good.

Paarl East, being one of the most under resourced and deprived areas of South Africa desperately needed programmes such as Francisco’s to ignite positive change. Providing material resources was well within our capability, hence the creation of the Scotland wide football shirt amnesty.

As time progressed and the programme needs adapted to circumstances, additional resources were required. By November 2009 football shirts, boots, goal posts, general sports equipment and professional coaching exchanges to Scotland had all been actioned.

The partnership project with MCM in Paarl is a classic example of how several organisation, with respect for each others core values and visions, can come together to contribute to positive change. As common in any relationship, not all of the parties contribute as extensively as others but we all share equally in the successful delivery of the objectives.

The Football4life Nationwide Shirt Amnesty is available to anyone across Scotland to participate in. Within 50 miles of Glasgow collection is free and outside of these areas we will try our best to collect for free or advise you of a the most efficient means of participating.

The developmental value of donating a football shirt to charity is low however, when you work in partnership with people like Francisco, MCM and other, providing core development agendas, that one shirt can be the difference between a positive or negative future.

Supporters Network & Events The football4life supporters network keep friends of the charity up to date on news, developments and events from a football fans perspective.

Our focus is to keep football as the central component in the campaign to alleviate poverty. What does this mean? Well, in real terms it means that football fans can place their trust in us, to use our beautiful game in support of children. We focus on football as a primary component of our work and we never allow it to become a simple ‘means to an end’.

The supporter’s network embraces this spirit. Through football based charity events, sports quizzes, team shirt amnesty and lots more, we produce a wonderful array of resources for communities in Scotland and overseas.

Our events listing put you in control of your support. Not all events will match your interests but that’s the great thing about football4life; take part when you feel you want to, how you want to and why you want to.

Our events are also a great way of staying in touch with like minded friends and exchanging interests. Through events such as our Celtic Quick News 5-a-sides fans from both sides of the Old Firm have come together to exchange fun, stories and sportsmanship for a great cause.

Football4life is by football fans and for football fans. Our goal is to support children out of poverty and into sport using the passion which we hold for our game

watching his dream of playing in the World Cup happening all around him this summer. Read about daily life for Bebe in South Africa by clicking here....