Rotherham United Community Sports Trust say Levelling the Playing Field and Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund have been “massive” in enabling them to engage with local ethnically diverse communities.
RUCST are one of our South Yorkshire specialist partners and run two weekly Levelling the Playing Field sessions for ethnically diverse children in Rotherham; a football session in the suburb of Eastwood and a boxing class for girls at Rotherham United’s New York Stadium.
RUCST were one of the recipients of the Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF) which was secured for many LtPF specialist partners by the Alliance of Sport.
Ant Bayou, RUCST’s Inclusion Manager, summed up the impact it has made: “Levelling the Playing Field and TIF have really enabled us to target the diverse areas of the town where support is needed the most.
“We have two communities just a stone’s throw from the stadium which we have found difficult to engage with due to all the funding pots not really backing that agenda. Levelling the Playing Field and TIF are really focused on targeting ethnic minorities. Your ethos and values echo what we’re trying to do as a trust.”
RUCST have made great inroads, linking up their engagement work in local schools with their provision in the community so they make connections with children in both environments.
As well as football practice and matches, RUCST run education workshops covering issues like hate crime, knife crime, child sexual exploitation, health and nutrition as well as simply checking in on their participants’ welfare through one-to-one conversations.
The LtPF football session at a new floodlit five-a-side facility in Eastwood has high proportions of children from Czech, Roma and Slovak communities, between whom tension can be high.
Ant says: “In places like Eastwood and Ferham, people live in segregated communities and can feel unsafe, but they want to access provision. It’s absolutely incredible to be able to give them that and have you guys backing us. Your CPD also helps us find the right approach and format of delivery as well.
"Parents tell us our sessions are the highlight of their children’s week. They see them behaving a bit better at school and wanting to take part in football or other sports more regularly so there’s a knock-on effect.”
Meanwhile, RUCST are set to resurrect their Millers Youth Forum after it had to take a back seat during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The forum taps into young people’s experiences, opinions and knowledge, creating youth-led sports and community activities, charity fundraisers, support for awareness days and more.
“Listening to the youth voice has been at the bottom of everyone’s agenda through lockdown,” says Ant. “Some sections of society were looked after but I don’t think young people were. They went through two years of being out of their natural environment which led to a lot of issues around mental health and behaviour.
“Our Millers Youth Forum is all about inclusivity and cohesion, bringing young people together under the badge of Rotherham United. It is such an honourable thing for these young people to be a part of. We have individuals involved from Yemeni, Roma Slovak and other communities, girls, people disabilities and people from affluent areas.
“It’s not just about ticking the boxes, it’s giving the youth a voice and seeing what they can achieve. We always talk about exit strategies and the Youth Forum is one of those.”
Refugees are another section of society that RUCST have recently begun supporting. Over lockdown, staff visited local hotels housing up to 80 refugees to support their mental wellbeing through face-to-face chats, fitness sessions and a walking group to help familiarise them with their local area.
For several years, RUCST have organised a United 4 Communities football team for refugees, people with special needs, disabilities and mental health issues. They have arranged friendlies with local grassroots clubs and provided them with football boots and kit.
“On a personal level, my passion lies with working with these diverse communities,” summarises Ant. “It’s a privilege to do what we do.”