Barnsley FC Community Trust

The purpose of this project is to increase participation of young people in evening Kicks sessions, with a specific focus on engaging girls and promoting gender equality; and increase knowledge and awareness of community safety, anti-social behaviour, violence prevention, and mental health support through educational workshops.

This will be achieved through the delivery of weekly evening Kicks sessions that are open and accessible to all, with specific sessions for girls only, as well as mixed sessions. These sessions focus on developing social, emotional, and physical wellbeing, through the means of football/multi-sport. They will also work in partnership with organisations such as South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, and Spectrum Healthcare to deliver educational workshops around community safety, anti-social behaviour, female violence, and drug and alcohol misuse during these evening sessions.

Additionally, during the project they will work with the local Youth Offending Team (YOT) to deliver workshops on toxic masculinity, sexual behaviours, and multi-sport sessions. They will also provide support to signpost young people to mental health services. They will utilise their partnerships with local schools, delivering interventions to pupils identified by their school, with classroom activities focusing on the above key topics.

They will also offer a volunteering programme throughout the project. This will give young people the opportunity to shadow coaches, help them to gain experience, and provide support to upskill to their desired pathway, should it be appropriate.

The name Goals! references the power of football, but is also a play on words in terms of setting goals for young people within the Barnsley community.