EDITOR’S LETTER Riots were a wake up call
while it’s obvious something’s wrong, putting a finger on what exactly it is will prove difficult and finding an effective and enduring solution is going to be even more of a challenge. But whatever the reasons – and there are doubtless many – no-one could argue that we were seeing a very
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Oscar Pistorius, Paralympic gold medalist
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large number of bored, directionless kids running amock and having – in their own minds – a great adventure, without any regard for the consequences whatsoever. In seeking to present a balanced picture of life in the areas worst affected by the riots, journalists have
looked for success stories as well as tales of desperation and it’s been interesting that all the case studies I’ve read have involved young people being saved by sport in some way. There have been stories from kids about how coaches have acted as mentors – and in some cases de facto parents – encouraging them to stay out of trouble and to take a positive direction in their lives, how the challenge of sport has provided a focus and given them structure and direction, and how the comradeship has given them an alternative to the gang. When I first started work in this industry in the early 80s these were all the messages we were promoting to
government and it was well acknowledged that investment in sport kept kids off street corners, contributing to community cohesion and providing an outlet and channel for the restless energy of youth. Yet somehow this message has been let slip and just isn’t championed enough any more. Maybe we started taking it for granted and feeling that it was ‘job done’ rather than being committed to welcoming each new generation into sport as they came along.
Legacy means sharing the benefits of sport as widely as possible. Preparing for London 2012 has inevitably meant a focus on elite sport, but have we overlooked community sport as a consequence?
And things have moved on since then, so although the message about the social benefits of sport is still
a sound one and must be re-acknowledged, there are new reasons for this focus today, because sport has become a major employer in a way we could only have dreamed about 30 years ago. Many of these kids can now make a living in the world of sport, as well as enjoying the exercise and engagement. I spoke to Florence Oban from SkillsActive yesterday. She’s championing a new initiative designed to get
young people from the Active Jobs Fund (AJF) out to work in the industry. Called
www.activegraduates.com, it’s a free online web portal where employers can search for and recruit young people who’ve been trained and are ready to work – and it’s a free service. It’s a terrible shame AJF was abandoned by this government, but at least we have the opportunity to welcome up to 1,500 graduates of the scheme into the industry, so I urge you to visit the website and see if you can find room in your organisation for one of them. As Oban said: “When these kids go to the Job Centre, they’re told about jobs at the supermarket, but rarely about jobs in sport and active leisure – yet these are the areas which can often provide the most satisfying, rewarding careers for them.” We need to see the riots as a major wake up call – it’s estimated they cost
£200m and while we couldn’t claim that sport can fix every problem, we need to look at the true cost benefit of engaging teenagers and keeping them healthy, motivated and living disciplined lives, both in and out of work.
Liz Terry, editor
lizterry@leisuremedia.com twitter: elizterry the leisure media company publishes
iots have rocked the nation and now that calm has been restored, the analysis begins and hopefully positive change will come. But decision-makers are putting forward analyses and solutions which tie in with their political persuasion, experience and personal views, meaning there’s little consensus, so
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