Programme supports young people at risk of homelessness through activity and mentoring
GreaterSport have been working with partners to improve the health and wellbeing of young people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Greater Manchester.
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Thanks to funding from London Marathon Charitable Trust, distributed by Active Partnerships Network to North England and Scotland organisations, around 100 young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness have been able to access physical activity and mentoring opportunities through the Young People Forward programme.
In Greater Manchester, boroughs with the highest rates of youth homelessness were prioritised. Each borough had autonomy in designing a programme that suited their young people, putting their voice at the forefront of design. The boroughs included were Bury, Manchester, Salford and Wigan.
The project also included holistic mentoring to allow young people to enjoy physical activity, and learn about next steps, skills and leadership. The youth consultation allowed young people to co-design mentoring that benefits them, their learning, and areas of need.
Promoting a place-based approach, and empowering youth voice throughout the design, has led to each borough creating projects with their own individual and impactful results, in engaging young people in moving more.
View the Young People Forward programme update in Greater Manchester to read about the partners involved, what they did and the difference the programme is making.
One of the examples includes an individual who had faced gender identity challenges, which had caused her to leave home. She’d often struggled with group activities due to experiencing micro-aggressions, such as being accidentally mis-gendered. However, her coach encouraged her to come along to Pathfinder’s yoga session.
The young person really enjoyed the yoga classes. She said she slept incredibly well that night after just one session and continued to engage. The yoga teacher also sent her some resources about mindfulness and better sleep. Thanks to the comfortable sessions and the benefit gained, she is now keen to get involved in similar group sport opportunities, as well as boxing.
If you are an organisation working with children and young people in Greater Manchester who could benefit from the inclusion of activity into your offer please email [email protected].
Read about the Young People Forward programme and the case studies from the sessions here.
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