02/08/2007
CENTRAL YMCA SCORE WITH FOOTBALL FOUNDATION
GRANT
A ground-breaking project incorporating a touring
theatre production, coaching programmes and research
into young people’s attitudes towards football
will go ahead today following a £127,089 award
to Central YMCA by the Football Foundation,
the UK’s largest sports charity.
The funding will enable Central YMCA, in partnership
with The Football Association (FA) and The Women’s
Sports and Fitness Foundation (WSFF), to deliver ‘Up
Front’, a project which will engage young people
in an informed debate about the current youth culture
surrounding football. The project aims to challenge
underlying attitudes related to racism, sexism and
homophobia, and to widen access to the game, particularly
among girls and Asian communities.
Central YMCA’s award-winning Y Touring
Theatre Company will tour a specially commissioned
play for twelve weeks, to schools in six different
regions. The production will be followed by an audience
debate and will be accompanied by online support
materials.
The FA will also be delivering a School Club Link
coaching programme which will help to support young
people, particularly girls and potential players from
Asian communities, move from a school to a club environment.
The WSFF will be evaluating the project and will publish
a written report of their findings.
The Football Foundation is dedicated to revitalising
the grass roots of the game, constructing modern football
facilities, developing football as a force for social
cohesion and as a vehicle for education in communities
throughout the country. Funded by the Premier League,
The Football Association, Sport England and the Government,
the Football Foundation is the nation’s largest
sports charity with a £45m budget going straight
into the heart of football.
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation,
said:
“We warmly congratulate Central YMCA,
the FA and the WSFF for their hard work and dedication
in securing this award.
“Sport is playing a central role in
helping people to stay fit, strengthen communities
and promote responsibility amongst young people.
I am delighted that Football Foundation investment
is opening up access to sport in the UK and encourage
other organisations to apply to us.”
Nigel Townsend, Artistic Director for Y Touring Theatre
Company, said:
“We are delighted to have the opportunity
to work alongside the FA and WSF to use theatre,
drama and innovative coaching techniques to help
break down some of the barriers to participation
in Football.
“The grant from the Football Foundation
enables us to engage young people - of both
sexes and all races - in a healthy debate about the
current youth culture surrounding the beautiful game.”
ENDS
For further information contact Rory Carroll 0845
345 4555 ext. 4280 or go to www.footballfoundation.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
Y Touring Theatre Company is an operation
of Central YMCA, the world’s first YMCA. Over
2 million people to date have seen a Y Touring performance
since its launch in 1989. This would be in settings
ranging from: theatres, schools and colleges to community
and arts centres. Productions have also been staged
in prisons, youth offenders’ centres, science
events, company training days and YMCA centres. For
further information on Y Touring, please visit: www.ytouring.org.uk.
The Women’s Sports and Fitness Foundation (WSF),
founded in 1984, exists to make sport and fitness work
for women and girls. It is our job to understand the
ways in which women and girls are taking part in physical
activity, or, if they are not, to understand why not.
The WSF use that insight to help sport, PE and fitness
providers find innovative ways to appeal to women and
girls, encourage them to take part, stay active, and
reach their potential. WSF also work with policy-makers,
opinion formers and the media to keep women's and girl's
needs high on the sporting agenda.
The
Football Association (FA) was founded in
1863 as the governing body of the game in England.
The FA is responsible for all regulatory aspects
of the game of football in England. The FA promotes
the development of the game amongst all ages, backgrounds
and abilities in terms of participation and quality.
This also involves promoting the availability of
the sport to the greatest possible number of people.
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For
further information about this project, email our
Tour Producer David Jackson |
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