Road to Johannesburg: Best New Project

In the build up to the Beyond Sport Summit 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa we are going to profile the shortlisted projects category by category. This week we are focusing on the shortlisted projects for the Best New Project award.

This award is for new organisations using sport for social change, or existing development organisations that have started using sport as a tool for positive social change. The aim of the award is to celebrate projects that explore new ways and places to use sport as a vehicle for social change. All the projects in this category have conducted planning and research within communities that their initiative has been launched in, they have used partnerships effectively and have a structure in place to measure its impact and has begun gathering results.

The Shortlisted projects are:

Dance4Change – The Change Foundation – United Kingdom

The Change Foundation is a charity that has been successfully changing the lives of disadvantaged young people for over 30 years. With a team of passionate and dedicated coaches who work to make a real and lasting difference in young peoples lives. The Change Foundation is an organisation that uses sport and dance to unlock wider potential and open the doors of opportunity.

Using dance as a tool, Dance4Change aims to encourage positive changes in the lives of young people, where and when they need it most. Built into the programme, there will be an alumni programme designed to enable past participants to keep in touch and seek support for as long as they want or need it.

Dance4Change's aim is to encourage and inspire young people to work together in a structured way and learning a range of useful new skills that will help them bring about positive changes in their lives. Built in to the course, there will be mentoring and personal development sessions, professional career advice and internships, directions and pathways towards further education, the possibility to gain useful qualification.

eHoops – Sport Changes Life Foundation – Ireland

Sport Changes Life aims to raise the aspirations of young people through sporting excellence, vocational and academic achievement and personal development.  Sport Changes Life wish to change the lives of disadvantaged and disengaged young people through the medium of sport by building self-belief, achieving success and shaping a person's future. With their Victory Scholarship Program they have created a unique opportunity that provides student athletes a chance to extend their education to post-graduate level, continue to play the sport they love and allows them to give back to the local community.

The eHoops programme addresses the deprivation of aspiration in communities most impacted by the legacy of the conflict in Belfast.

Working in partnership with the University of Ulster, the Police Service for Northern Ireland & local community leaders the programme targets socially deprived communities with young people most at risk who are not in education, employment or training (NEET’s). They use a programme of education, sport & personal mentoring to build relationships with young people so that they can be mentored and empowered to become the directors of their own future. Sport is used given its ability to bring people together.

It is the hook to set the scene for development work to confront wider issues with individuals & within communities. It works as it is a shared passion, is fun & informal. It is an interactive opportunity for participants to work together, get to know each other, build relationships, achieve academically and develop personally and professionally.

Kick Out Corruption – L.A.C.E.S – Liberia

L.A.C.E.S have the mission to establish mentorship-based sports leagues as an avenue for teaching children morals and values.

‘Kick Out Corruption’ aims to use the power of soccer in the fight against corruption.

Corruption is prevalent in Liberia, with devastating political, social, and economical costs. According to a recent survey by Transparency International, Liberia is perceived to be the second most corrupt country in the world. The international community has found it difficult to tackle these challenges in the past because they have not focused on Liberia’s youth to build a sense of personal responsibility among the next generation of decision-makers. As a result, unaccountable behaviours continue, corruption flourishes, and instability remains.

L.A.C.E.S believes the solution to the problem requires moving beyond workshops to instilling accountability and integrity in youth through activities and language they understand. Soccer is a key medium for this as it is the most popular sport in the country; it is played at every level throughout Liberia. All citizens deserve corruption-free services, and working together through the power of sports, and L.A.C.E.S make this a reality.

The PLAY Sport for Development Project - MLSE Foundation And Right To Play Canada – Canada

The United Nations Human Development Index states that living conditions and quality of life for Aboriginal people in Canada are similar to the developing world. Lack of access to education means 70% of Aboriginal students in Canada between 15 and 24 years, living on reserve, will never complete high school. Unemployment rates are twice that of non-Aboriginal populations. Growing rates of mental health issues, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, suicide, diabetes and obesity impact Aboriginal people in greater percentage than any other cultural group in Canada.

The PLAY Sport for Development Project addresses these intergenerational effects of colonization in Aboriginal communities. They do this through sport and play. Using sport as the driver of social change, combined with an Indigenous worldview model, they build capacity in local Community Mentors through nationally recognized coaching certification; Sport For Development clinics for youth; and creating lasting change in Aboriginal communities through consistent recreational programming.