The Bright Sparks Programme
This project's parent organization is Bristol Rugby
It operates in United Kingdom
It uses Rugby Union
Entered the Best New Project
More about The Bright Sparks Programme
The Bright Sparks Programme was initially commissioned to address National Local Area Agreement NI87 (secondary school persistent non-attendance rate) as the link between exclusion from mainstream education, subsequent anti-social behaviour and poor life choices is well proven and documented. The Bright Sparks Programme has conclusively proven the ‘unique engagement power’ of rugby union.
Rugby union is a unique tool for engaging some of the most disaffected young people in our communities for 4 main reasons:
- The values and ethics that the game holds dear (such as honesty, integrity and teamwork)
- The requirement for positive and co-operative teamwork to achieve the best results
- The physically inclusive nature of the game through a requirement for all body shapes and types to get the best results
- The requirement for aggression and aggressive behaviour but in a controlled manner
Bright Sparks aims to use rugby union to re-engage young people back into the educational process. As a result of the programme, a high percentage of the young people we work with have displayed a significant change in their attitude towards education, school and their attendance at school. The attendance of the participants in Bright Sparks sessions is very high (well above the persistent non-attendance rating) and the overall attendance of pupils at school has also been significantly increased.