Football is being used to support at-risk young people in Wiltshire

Wiltshire FA harnesses the power of sport to engage with young people

Young people in Wiltshire who are at risk of offending are being supported by a football scheme with Wiltshire FA.

The FA headquarters in Devizes recently became one of the newest locations for a knife bin as part of Scepter – a week which focuses on tackling knife crime in the South West.

“We want to use football in a positive way to make positive change,” said Wiltshire FA chief executive Simon Russell.

Change can be around mental or physical health, but also about deterring crime.

They achieve this through the Roots and Shoots scheme, where young people, who the police and other services know are at risk of going down the wrong path, can use football as a means to engage in a way they no longer have done so far.

“The experience only happens if the coaches turn up, if the kit and equipment is here and it’s respected,” Mr Russell said.

He added that he hopes the players will quickly understand the need to respect their coaches and teammates in order to enjoy their football.

It also provides a platform for young people to communicate with support services – including the police and youth workers.

“They can start having a proper conversation with people who can sign the post or help them. in terms of some of the choices they make and how we can improve those choices they make,” Mr Russell said.

It shows the difference sport can make, with Mr Russell saying football, as a team sport, builds a sense of responsibility with team mates.

He added: “There’s enormous power for us as individuals, you know, in terms of our mental well-being, our physical well-being, but also in terms of our societal cohesion and things like that.”

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