32 UK Football Teams to Partner on Prison Project
January 25, 2019
The Twinning Project has announced a joint partnership with 32 Premier League and English Football League clubs to be part of the programme and ‘twinned’ with their local prisons to help tackle the high UK reoffending rate.
Launched on 31 October 2018, The Twinning Project aims to bring together professional football clubs and prisons across the UK to use football as a catalyst for change -- providing real opportunities to better prepare prisoners for release, find employment and reduce reoffending, which is a huge cost to the country and local communities.
Through the initiative the clubs, in conjunction with other football bodies, will work with PE officers from the Prison Service to deliver coaching, stewarding, lifestyle skills and other employability-based qualifications to prisoners to help them prepare for release. Additionally, the PGMOL will deliver refereeing courses.
These qualifications will provide a vital route to paid employment which has proven to be a key factor in reducing reoffending and helping prisoners to rebuild their lives.
As of this week , the following football clubs have agreed to the Twinning Project:
Arsenal, Aston Villa, AFC Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Bristol Rovers, Bury, Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic, Chelsea, Doncaster Rovers, Everton, Exeter City, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Lincoln City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Millwall, Newcastle United, Notts County, Oldham Athletic, Plymouth Argyle, QPR, Rochdale, Rotherham United, Southampton, Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur, Tranmere Rovers and West Ham United.
The Twinning Project expects that the first courses will be launched during the second quarter of 2019. The project is actively engaging in discussions with the remaining UK professional football clubs and expects to announce the next group of clubs over the coming months.
In recognition of the positive response to the Twinning Project from the prisons, HM Prison & Probation Service has mandated that all employability programmes between football clubs and prisons will become part of the Twinning Project.