NFL Foundation UK's New London Charity Partners
BARNET COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Barnet Community Projects exists to facilitate long-term social improvement in deprived areas of the North London Borough of Barnet. They operate a small community hub on the Dollis Valley Estate that delivers residents engagement, empowering them to deliver projects that make a difference to the local community. They run youth activities, a community cafe, food bank, skatepark sessions, reparation projects, mentoring programmes, sports sessions and activities to address disadvantages. Barnet Community Projects already deliver American Football sessions for young people from their community and are excited to expand this offering through their partnership with the NFL Foundation UK.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC COMMUNITY TRUST (CACT)
CACT was established in 1992 and, in 2003, become a registered charity. CACT has a track record and established reputation for working at the heart of the community, engaging with over 25,000 people in 2020-21 across South-East London and Kent. CACT's vision is to empower communities and change lives. Based on the needs of the local community, they are experienced in working in partnership with funders and local authorities to deliver high-quality programmes with a lasting impact. They have a particular focus on 3 key outcomes: improving education and employment, improving health and reducing crime.
Dallaglio RugbyWorks focus on delivering services for young people who have been excluded from school or are at risk of exclusion. They provide interventions aimed at developing life skills, increasing employer interactions and preparing young people for the workplace. DRW believe that all young people deserve the same opportunities in life, independent of their circumstances or backgrounds. Their RugbyWorks initiative uses rugby as an engagement tool to build trusted adult relationships and, alongside bespoke learning sessions, individualised coaching and mentoring and employability opportunities, helping to increase a young person's likelihood of being in employment, education, or training post-18.
ML Community Enterprise delivers activities from the Marcus Lipton Community Centre in Lambeth, supporting vulnerable and disengaged areas of the Coldharbour Ward, including Loughborough, Moorlands and Angell Town estates which rank in the top 3% wards for deprivation in the UK. These communities are suffering severe marginalisation and economic disadvantage, along with multiple correlating issues including high rates of youth and gang violence, criminality, poor attainment, unemployment, poor mental and physical health. A large focus of their work is supporting at-risk young people aged 12 to 19 (up to 25 with SEND), offering skills building and employment readiness work, open access youth club provision, safe places to go, Information, Advice and Guidance, therapeutic counselling, key-worker support, sports, leisure and wellbeing activities and outcomes-focused programmes.
MUSLIMAH SPORTS ASSOCIATION (MSA)
MSA aims to offer women and girls from the Muslim community a safe and positive environment to participate in a number of different sports. MSA provides an outlet for like-minded women and creates a place where women are free to participate in sports without compromising their religious or cultural beliefs. They have engaged over 1000 women and girls from ethnically diverse backgrounds to participate in a variety of sports, often not associated with females from this background. MSA upskill participants to become volunteers or become coaches to become role models for the wider community.
NEWHAM ALL-STAR SPORTS ACADEMY (NASSA)
Since 2006, NASSA has continuously had to compete with gangs for the attention of young people. They have systematically created activities to dismantle the allure of drugs and gang culture in the local Newham community. NASSA is an innovative charity that implements developmental approaches to provide technical assistance to widen horizons, raise aspirations and provide opportunities to achieve realistic goals for young people across East London. They use sport as a catalyst for social change and their approach is to advance and build the capacity of young people through community-driven activities. Basketball is used as an immediate diversionary activity, distracting young people from violent and criminal activities to create opportunities for achieving wider goals such as increasing their sports participation, furthering their education or finding employment.
The mission and purpose of Phoenix Community Care is to offer care, education and training within an environment which empowers and supports - providing best practice, quality and safe care which is person-centred. Phoenix Community Care has been delivering projects since 2002 for young refugees and asylum-seeking children across Haringey and Enfield. PCC have supported them with their personal wellbeing, provided life skills support & personal development. In recent years they have developed a sports programme for this community of young people combined with mentoring sessions to promote integration into the Tottenham area and more positive outcomes for participants overall.
EXISTING CHARITY PARTNERS:
BADU COMMUNITY CIC
Based on the Olympic Park in East London, BADU Community CIC use sport and mentoring to support young people from some of the most underserved communities in London. Its youth-led programme supports participants to become qualified sports practitioners, providing opportunities to shadow BADU coaches teaching Flag, helping them to develop valuable employability skills that open up new career possibilities.
BIGKID Foundation is a multi-award-winning charity for young people at risk of social exclusion and youth violence. The charity will use its existing experience delivering Flag to expand its girls programme to additional local schools and will share its expertise and support with other partner organisations.
THE CHANGE FOUNDATION
The Change Foundation is an award-winning charity that uses sport to change the lives of marginalised young people, particularly those with disabilities. They will deliver a youth-led programme that will engage vulnerable young people in NFL Flag activities through weekly sessions and community festival events.
CONNECT STARS
Originally established to engage the recently settled Somali population in North West London, Connect Stars focuses on diverting local young people away from crime and youth violence through sport. Its Flag programme will offer informal education, mentoring and skills development alongside the sport.
DEPTFORD LIONESSES
Deptford Lionesses uses football and boxing to engage young girls from the local South East London community, offering free and low-cost sessions to families from one of the most deprived areas of the city. It will be introducing NFL Flag organisation-wide and train female coaches to deliver the sport and provide role models for younger girls.
HR SPORTS ACADEMY
HR Sports Academy runs a variety of multi-sport projects in Tottenham, North East London. Building on the success of its 2021 girls’ Flag programme, it will engage even more youth through local schools and community sessions by offering the sport alongside personal development activities.
SINGLE HOMELESS PROJECT
Single Homeless Project works to tackle homelessness through its network of London hostels. Its award-winning Sport and Health Project for older adults showcases the benefits of sport and exercise to improve the quality of life in people experiencing homelessness. Through this partnership, it will introduce NFL Flag and multisport activities to its youth hostels, supporting 15–20-year-olds to become more active and gain confidence through movement.
SOUTHALL COMMUNITY ALLIANCE
Southall Community Alliance is a network organisation that supports members of the socially and economically disadvantaged population of Southall, West London. Its “Touchdown Southall” project will bring NFL Flag activities and health workshops to young people, predominately of Indian, Pakistani, Afghani and Somali origin who are at risk of involvement in gangs and crime.