East And West Housing Associations Help People Try For Jobs
A course that uses the game of rugby to teach participants crucial life lessons and core values is helping unemployed people find work in Scotland’s two largest cities.
Over 20 unemployed men and women completed an eight-week employability programme which uses the values of rugby to develop participants’ personal skills and improve their job prospects as well as their fitness.
Professional rugby coaches and players provide rugby and fitness coaching and other staff provide dedicated one to one personal and employability support.
The course teaches life skills such as self-discipline, motivation, teamwork, leadership and employment specific skills such as interview techniques and CV writing. At the end participants will have the opportunity to sit down with prospective local employers at a careers event.
The course is being run by ng homes, in partnership with School of Hard Knocks, a social inclusion charity featured annually on Sky Sports. It delivers contact sportsbased interventions to ‘hard-to-reach’ members of society to tackle issues associated with unemployment, crime and poor mental/physical health. The Edinburgh partners are Link Group Ltd and Port of Leith Housing Association.
In North Glasgow ng homes were the first housing association in the UK to partner with School of Hard Knocks and CEO Robert Tamburrini said: “We have been working with School of Hard Knocks for three years now and we have seen at first hand a number of success stories with participants finding work or going onto further education. I’m really pleased that people in Edinburgh will now have the same opportunity.”
The effect the course is having on participants can be summed up by David, a Muirhouse resident, who said: “The course is brilliant – it’s a release from the usual for me. Instead of sitting around the house, I am here meeting a different group of people, as well as learning new skills. It’s something new, and I am enjoying the coaching, and the staff are really friendly and helpful.”
The course is held each Monday and Tuesday from 9.45am to 3.00pm with two hours of rugby training and two hours of life skills and employability work.
Chairperson of ng homes John Fury said: “The saying a healthy body, a healthy mind certainly applies to this course and I’m sure the participants will all feel the benefits of having taken part and go on to make positive changes to their lives.”
Encouraging learning and integration
Using the power of sport and cultural activities to promote learning and integration for children, youths, asylum seekers and refugees particularly in North Glasgow, African Challenge Scotland’s (ACS) approach is focussed locally on the young people.
The broader aim of the organisation includes increasing and improving health, active lifestyles and cultural integration of the local community and BME communities. The project also promotes learning activities for young BME people, asylum seekers and refugees to have access to use local sport facilities and gain exposure to sport choices such as badminton, basketball, swimming or table tennis.
Founded in 2013 in preparation for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, African Challenge Scotland takes a completely different approach to community cohesion and integration.
Every Saturday from 11.30am to 2pm ACS offers free learning sessions for young people in basic science, language, arts, creativity and IT, team-work and participation skills, and assists with homework. From 2pm to 4:30pm the young people engage in sport and swimming activities. The programme is funded by youngstart and has received additional support from ng homes.
ng homes supported 4 adults from the group in partnership with the Big Lottery and they now carry out sports coaching each week.
Ronier Deumeni, President, African Challenge Scotland, said: “Sport is a huge attraction generally and we believe that using sport and cultural activities can enhance learning, engagement and promote community integration and cohesion especially for the migrant communities in Scotland, a large proportion of whom live in North Glasgow.”
Ahead of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games last year, ACS held the, The African Commonwealth Games Sport Event, which attracted hundreds of participants from and in around Glasgow and Edinburgh, and 14 mens football teams, women’s football teams. Two womens handball teams also took part on the competition day.
Last year, the participating teams included; Cali Thistle, TSK, Glasgow Afghan United, Eritrean Team, Malawi Team, Shawbridges Lions, Manchester, Poala Leeds, African Challenge Scotland womens and mens teams, Zim FC and Afro Scot.
Ronier added: “We have had interest from more teams mainly from groups from the BMEs communities in Scotland and we estimate the turnout for this year’s competition to be more than a thousand, especially on the Sports Day competition which is scheduled for Saturday 25 July 2015.”
Team registrations are ongoing and for contact information visit: www. africanchallengescotland.co.uk
This year’s event combines a whole week of activities which will end with a Prize Awards Ceremony and Gala Night in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow
Under the theme, “The Empowerment of the Black and Ethnic Minorities Week 2015”, this year’s programme for the week-long activities includes:
- Wednesday 22nd July 2015: Debate: Empowerment of the Black and Ethnic Minorities through Education, at Saracen House, 3pm to 7pm.
- Thursday 23rd July 2015: Heritage Workshop: African food classes’, African dresses display. Exhibitions at Saracen House, 2pm to 6pm.
- Friday 24th July 2015: Children Sports/Fun Day/Swimming at Springburn Sports Centre, 11am to 4pm.
- Saturday 25th July 2015: Competition Day, 9am to 6pm • Activities: Football (Men), Football (Women), Women Handball, Exhibitions at Glasgow Club Petershill Sport, 9am to 6pm.
- Saturday 25th July 2015: Prize Awards Ceremony and Gala Night in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 7pm to 1am.
For more information please send an email to [email protected] or contact Ronier Deumeni on 07958 062 528
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