ReachOut! Academy
This project's parent organization is ReachOut! Youth
It operates in United Kingdom
It uses Football (Soccer)
Entered the Sport For Social Inclusion Award
More about ReachOut! Academy
ReachOut! has been working with young people from inner city areas for nearly 20 years – tackling educational disadvantage, raising aspirations and developing positive character. Football is a way of life for the average young person at our ReachOut! Academy in Hackney. For boys in particular, being a footballer is at the top of every kid’s list of priorities – ahead of getting top exam grades, going to university and getting a good job. We found that football wasn’t just a great way to engage kids in our work, it also enabled us to retain these hard to reach young people as they grew up.
This meant we got to work with them long term to raise their aspirations outside of the football pitch and to help them learn and achieve so they had a better chance of making those new dreams a reality. Being part of a football club also offered a powerful sense of belonging to young people, something that so often is missing in their lives, and one of the reasons gangs are so prevalent in the borough, and our amazing mentors are those much needed role models that help kids make better choices and succeed.