Wolves Aid Help Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour With Youth Football Funding

Last year Wolves Aid, part of Wolves Community Trust, donated almost £2000 to an initiative run by The Youth Inclusion and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Reduction Team at Shrewsbury Police Station, to help them establish free coaching sessions for young people in the area.

The money helped maintain the sessions and pay for professional coaching until PC Scott Smither, who masterminded the scheme, and other officers became FA qualified coaches.

Eight of the town’s Police and Community Support Officers (CSO) are now qualified and hold regular weekly sessions with young people aged between 11 and 14 years to discourage them from becoming involved in anti-social behaviour.

CSO Bryant, who helps to run the sessions, said, “The coaching sessions are run by the local policing teams, in conjunction with the Youth Inclusion and Anti-Social Behaviour Reduction Team from Shrewsbury, and have proved both popular and successful.

“The idea behind projects like this is to give young people something else to do instead of hanging around on the streets and potentially getting involved in anti-social behaviour.”

The local police have noted a marked improvement in behaviour since the inception of the scheme and complainant calls to police have dropped when the soccer sessions are running.

The feedback from the young people attending has been very positive; the sessions have also helped to reduce the fear of crime as residents see their local young people engaged in positive, organised activities.

The project has now gone from strength to strength and dozens of local young people are now engaged in the programme, which is now up and running across five separate policing areas.

PC Smither has also told Wolves Aid about recent expansions: “The project recently became too big for us (the police) to manage alone and so I approached the FA with a grant application in conjunction with Shrewsbury Town FC and the Local Sports development team from Shropshire Council.

“We were successful to the sum of £11,000 which will see us sustained for at least another year with a possibility of a three year extension of funds. The money will pay for facilities and professional coaches to enhance the kids’ skills.”

“This is all as a result of the initial boost from Wolves Aid and so I am extremely grateful for what they have done for us, and thank them, on behalf of all of us, for their support”.