The Queen’s Award-Winning Balls to Poverty Programme (2004 – to present)

The Balls to Poverty Programme was launched in 2004 by Founder Joe Sargison, a professional football coach, who bought a ball for a group of children who were playing with a bunch of rags in a South African Township.  Returning in 2005 with 16 teenagers from South Nottingham College, the programme has enjoyed considerable success over the past 8 years.  The programme has been recognised by the Queen’s Anniversary Award (2012) for World-Class Innovation in Education.  It has also been acknowledged by the AOC Beacon Award (2008) for Innovation in Education.  A number of personal awards for staff and students have also been presented over the past 8 years.  The Programme is a registered International Sports Charity, with its roots based firmly in South Nottingham College and the sports department.  The Programme engages students for up to 12 months of the year in extensive community sport coaching and teaching in around 26 – 30 different primary schools across the city of Nottingham.  In addition students fund-raise to generate revenue to purchase footballs, rugby balls and other sports equipment that they then use in the delivery of coaching clinics in Townships across South Africa and in “slum” communities across Uganda.  Using sports coaching as a powerful tool to help steer young people away from issues such as crime, gangster culture, HIV/Aids risk and drug abuse.  The Programme leaves the equipment with community leaders in these countries to support their continued growth.

 

Over 180 students and 25 staff from the sports department have travelled to South Africa and Uganda since 2005.  Over 35,000 young African children have received coaching, and 26,000 footballs and rugby balls have been distributed.  Coach Education Workshops have been conducted for over 600 South African and Ugandan coaches and teachers in this time.  Over 16,000 young people from across Nottingham have received regular coaching sessions from these sports students and over 90% of these students have either continued their education at South Nottingham College and/or have progressed onto degrees and Masters programmes at Universities across UK and USA.

 

In 2012-13, students from the sports department at Leeds Metropolitan University will team up with undergraduate students from a series of Universities across UK as the first Balls to Poverty University Programme is launched.

 

Having been selected to represent my University on The Balls to Poverty University Programme in South Africa over Easter 2013, I am fund-raising to make a personal contribution to the development of the Programme.  My target is £500 and the money raised will purchase footballs/ rugby balls (that will be distributed to young South Africans in deprived townships), building materials (e.g. paints, brushes etc…as we will be painting Primary schools in these deprived areas) and any surplus will help cover my own cost of getting to South Africa.  In addition to my international work, I will also be coaching and teaching in Primary schools across the United Kingdom throughout the year to share my experiences with young people and to hopefully inspire them to channel their efforts in a positive way.

 Thank you for your support