An innovative programme delivered by Stoke City Community Trust to help young people make positive changes in their lives has supported over 40 young people in its first year.
The RISE (Resilience, Identity and Self-Esteem) programme launched in September 2018, with funding from the Premier League, the Professional Footballers Association, Staffordshire Commissioner Matthew Ellis, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council and Stoke City Football Club.
RISE gives young people the opportunity to build positive relationships with trusted adult role models to make better choices.
At a celebration event held at Stoke City Football Club this week, young people who had successfully completed the programme shared their stories with Matthew Ellis, Stoke City player Bruno Martins Indi and representatives from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council, Staffordshire Police and local high schools.
A number of the young people referred to the programme were at risk of being excluded from school or becoming involved in risk-taking behaviour.
The RISE team focused on early intervention to reduce their risk of exploitation or isolation and help them develop coping strategies and problem-solving skills.
Using a combination of intensive one-to-one work and group sessions, regular social events and positive activities such as boxing, RISE’s mentors worked with the young people to help them improve them improve their lives and develop skills including respect for others, increased confidence, improved behaviour, better communication and greater self-esteem:
- Before ‘A’ joined RISE, he was heavily involved in crime and anti-social behaviour. With the support of his RISE mentor, his offending has stopped and he now wants to play more sport and has signed up for a course at a local college. Although this is just the start for A, and many challenges lie ahead, the programme has given him confidence and the space he needs to change his life.
- ‘B’ was at risk of being permanently excluded from school due to her disruptive, impulsive behaviour and poor attendance. She often got into fights and didn’t respond well to being challenged on her behaviour. Her RISE mentoring team helped her to understand what triggered her outbursts and deal with her anger, and as a result she was able to build healthier relationships with her family and friends and focus on her passing her GCSEs.
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime Matthew Ellis said: “These young people have worked hard to improve their opportunities in life and the RISE programme is helping to improve lives.
“The success of this programme demonstrates the importance of a joined-up approach from organisations to better support our young people.”
Tony Scholes, Stoke City’s Chief Executive, said: “Many young people are vulnerable to exploitation and isolation due to a lack of protective factors within their lives. The RISE programme uses the power of positive relationships to help them make and maintain change within their lives, through building their resilience, identity and self-esteem.”
County Councillor Mark Sutton, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “The programme has been invaluable in enabling children and young people to develop positive trusted relationships with adults, to help to keep them safe from exploitation and provide them with the skills and support they need to achieve positive outcomes. I am really pleased with what the programme has achieved to date and for the proactive engagement that has taken place with children, young people, schools and wider communities which has helped to make this such a success.”
Councillor Dave Evans, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, added: “The RISE project has been an inspiring initiative for vulnerable children in Stoke-on-Trent who have been involved. It has improved their outcomes for the future and truly changed their lives, sometimes when they’ve had particularly low aspirations. We want our young people to be able to access every opportunity to build a promising future and RISE certainly does this.”
The RISE programme began its pilot year in September 2018 and is part of a range of activities undertaken by Stoke City Community Trust to improve outcomes for young people.
The RISE team works closely with a number of schools across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire Moorlands to identify suitable young people with a range of personal circumstances who will benefit from additional support.
The programme works with 40 vulnerable young people each year, giving them personalised support and intensive mentoring to help them make positive changes in their lives.
The programme is currently funded until August 2021.
For more information, please contact Project Lead Dave Bartrum at david.bartrum@stokecityfc.com
Photo (L-R): Barbara Hine from Staffordshire County Council; Tracey Docksey from Stoke-on- Trent City Council; Tony Scholes, Stoke City Football Club Chief Executive; Stoke City player Bruno Martins Indi; Staffordshire Commissioner Matthew Ellis, John Hudson from the Professional Footballers Association; Adrian Hurst at Stoke City Community Trust and a selection of young people from schools who will benefit from the project.
