RIVERVIEW Charitable Trust in Purfleet has been awarded £24k from the 2023/24 Violence and Vulnerability community grant fund to run a street football after-school club for primary and secondary age pupils in Purfleet.
The Thursday night after-school club runs from 4pm to 5pm for eight- to eleven-year-olds, and then from 5pm to 6pm for secondary school children. The primary school children all come from Purfleet Primary School who have been supportive in letting Riverview use their grounds and facilities. The secondary school children find their way to the street football sessions via the Riverview Charitable Trust youth club and through the Active Park holiday sessions the team run in the local parks.
The children mainly live on the two nearby housing estates with the project workers noting if they weren’t at the after-school club, they would either be hanging round the estate, at the skatepark, or simply at home as their parents don’t think it is safe for them to be out.
For two hours, up to 80 young people get to play football, let off steam, chat to the youth workers and mentors and have the opportunity and support to work towards AQA qualifications.
The street football and active park sessions are responding to the needs of local young people who, in the recent Essex Youth Voices report, stated the things that would make them feel safe in the local community would be: more safer spaces for them to go to, places with lots of sporting activities and somewhere they could find someone to talk to if they were in trouble.
The street football after-school club is more than just young people playing football. Chatting to the youth workers they told us how: “The sport project identifies those young people at risk and gives us the chance to build up the relationship with the young people and help introduce them to other provision.”
Roger Hirst, PFCC for Essex and Chair of the Violence and Vulnerability Partnership said: “In a time when we know young people want more trusted adults in their lives, it is fantastic to see a local organisation responding to that need. Research shows the power of sport as a positive diversionary activity, combining this with access to mentoring, youth workers, and help and advice means we can support more vulnerable young people at a time and place they are comfortable and willing to engage.”
Cllr George Coxshall, Thurrock Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Community and Public Protection, said: “It’s great to see initiatives like this one! They not only provide young people with a place to meet with friends and play football, but they also give them the chance to get to know youth workers and receive targeted help and support if they need or want it.”
The active park project sessions take the after-school activities into local parks during the school holidays and will be running this August.
From 2 August to 24 August on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons Riverview will be in various Purfleet parks delivering a variety of sports for everyone to try and get involved with. The youth workers will all be on hand, ready for a chat and to support those who need a bit of extra help or advice.
To see what is happening when, follow Purfleet Youth Club on social media which will be updated with information throughout the summer. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/purfleetyouthclub/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/purfleetyouthclub/.
