Self-expression and social cohesion are the buzz words at Young Minds Together in Rotherham where girls from diverse local communities enjoy dance, acting, singing and poetry.
The organisation was founded in 2016 and has proven to be a free outlet for young people to discover performing arts and finding refuge from issues such as bullying, marginalisation and exploitation.
Young Minds Together has become a Local Delivery Partner for Levelling the Playing Field and will be empowered by our mentoring training which will provide increased support for their participants.
In return, their participation data will form part of our evidence base to show policy makers how powerful sport and physical activity can be in tackling over-representation in the Youth Justice System.
“Dance brings out something special in them. It enables them to express themselves,” says founder Sithule Mguni. “After two hours of continuous dance they really feel good.
The organisation was founded in 2016 and has proven to be a free outlet for young people to discover performing arts and finding refuge from issues such as bullying, marginalisation and exploitation.
Young Minds Together has become a Local Delivery Partner for Levelling the Playing Field and will be empowered by our mentoring training which will provide increased support for their participants.
In return, their participation data will form part of our evidence base to show policy makers how powerful sport and physical activity can be in tackling over-representation in the Youth Justice System.
“Dance brings out something special in them. It enables them to express themselves,” says founder Sithule Mguni. “After two hours of continuous dance they really feel good.
“Sometimes we have to chuck them out and say ‘go home’ because they want to continue all night. It’s good for their health and fitness and ridding themselves of any negative feelings they might have had.”
Those negative feelings come in many forms, principally from being ostracised from mainstream society and suffering bullying and discrimination.
“Our young people are mainly of African heritage,” says Sithule. “When they come to us they feel like they don’t belong. They want a place where they feel welcome and part of a majority. That’s what we can provide.
“Our participants might lack self-confidence and end up being isolated and that makes them vulnerable to exploitation. This project is to try and get them out there, raise their self-esteem and reduce that isolation.”
Statistics show that nationally children are becoming more active, but Rotherham is falling further behind in terms of children's inactivity. 36.6% of children in Rotherham were getting less than 30mins per day of physical activity in 2018/19, which is a 5% increase from 2017/18.
As well as boosting participation in physical activity, Young Minds Together’s work can help address social issues facing the girls too. With the dangers of crime all around them, dance acts not just as a diversionary tool, but as a ‘hook’ to educate girls about ‘red flags’ that make them vulnerable, such as travelling on buses alone and being approached by adults.
Those negative feelings come in many forms, principally from being ostracised from mainstream society and suffering bullying and discrimination.
“Our young people are mainly of African heritage,” says Sithule. “When they come to us they feel like they don’t belong. They want a place where they feel welcome and part of a majority. That’s what we can provide.
“Our participants might lack self-confidence and end up being isolated and that makes them vulnerable to exploitation. This project is to try and get them out there, raise their self-esteem and reduce that isolation.”
Statistics show that nationally children are becoming more active, but Rotherham is falling further behind in terms of children's inactivity. 36.6% of children in Rotherham were getting less than 30mins per day of physical activity in 2018/19, which is a 5% increase from 2017/18.
As well as boosting participation in physical activity, Young Minds Together’s work can help address social issues facing the girls too. With the dangers of crime all around them, dance acts not just as a diversionary tool, but as a ‘hook’ to educate girls about ‘red flags’ that make them vulnerable, such as travelling on buses alone and being approached by adults.
“That can be where they get groomed and manipulated,” explains Sithule. “We teach them how to protect themselves and how to identify people who are not good.
“If young people feel like an outsider, it makes them much easier to manipulate. That’s partly why many in our minority communities get into drugs. Our programme seeks to give them something positive where they feel wanted and feel like they belong.
“They make friends, teach each other dance moves and we encourage them to come up with dance moves themselves. If they’re spending most of their time dancing then they won’t be hanging around on the streets.”
Young Minds Together train selected girls to be anti-bullying ambassadors so they can look out for their peers in school. The organisation has good links with teachers in local schools and they monitor pupils’ progress, highlighting incidents of discrimination and helping ostracised individuals to fit in.
Dance performances are a regular highlight. High-profile community shows during half-time at Rotherham United home games, at the Mayor’s inauguration and the Rotherham Show increase feelings of community cohesion and integration.
“If young people feel like an outsider, it makes them much easier to manipulate. That’s partly why many in our minority communities get into drugs. Our programme seeks to give them something positive where they feel wanted and feel like they belong.
“They make friends, teach each other dance moves and we encourage them to come up with dance moves themselves. If they’re spending most of their time dancing then they won’t be hanging around on the streets.”
Young Minds Together train selected girls to be anti-bullying ambassadors so they can look out for their peers in school. The organisation has good links with teachers in local schools and they monitor pupils’ progress, highlighting incidents of discrimination and helping ostracised individuals to fit in.
Dance performances are a regular highlight. High-profile community shows during half-time at Rotherham United home games, at the Mayor’s inauguration and the Rotherham Show increase feelings of community cohesion and integration.
Funding from REMA (Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance) has allowed online dance classes to continue through the Covid-19 lockdown, but participation levels are difficult to sustain in normal circumstances, let alone without face-to-face contact.
Sport England’s Active Lives survey shows Asian and Black children have the highest number of less active girls and lower levels of active girls compared to other ethnicities. However, Black girls are more likely to feel confident, competent and knowledgeable with regards to participating in sport than their female counterparts from other ethnicities.
This data highlights cultural differences and the importance of providing opportunities and support which reflects these individual needs, which is precisely the sweet spot Young Minds Together tries to hit.
This targeted engagement will help participants stay active, engage them in positive activity and keep them off the streets. Sithule feels the partnership with Levelling the Playing Field will strengthen their capacity to support even more young people.
“We see a lot of young people from Black and Asian communities in Rotherham ending up in the Criminal Justice System but when we try to engage them in anything positive they are reluctant to take part. To have the opportunity to be part of this big research project is exciting so we can find routes to solving these issues.
“We’re hoping to learn more and expand our support for young people thanks to Levelling the Playing Field’s mentoring training. That should give us the skills to operate on a larger scale.”
Sport England’s Active Lives survey shows Asian and Black children have the highest number of less active girls and lower levels of active girls compared to other ethnicities. However, Black girls are more likely to feel confident, competent and knowledgeable with regards to participating in sport than their female counterparts from other ethnicities.
This data highlights cultural differences and the importance of providing opportunities and support which reflects these individual needs, which is precisely the sweet spot Young Minds Together tries to hit.
This targeted engagement will help participants stay active, engage them in positive activity and keep them off the streets. Sithule feels the partnership with Levelling the Playing Field will strengthen their capacity to support even more young people.
“We see a lot of young people from Black and Asian communities in Rotherham ending up in the Criminal Justice System but when we try to engage them in anything positive they are reluctant to take part. To have the opportunity to be part of this big research project is exciting so we can find routes to solving these issues.
“We’re hoping to learn more and expand our support for young people thanks to Levelling the Playing Field’s mentoring training. That should give us the skills to operate on a larger scale.”