Everybody knows Safiya Saeed in the Sheffield community of Burngreave. She is deeply embedded and highly respected in the area – and that is key to her impact on children at the organisation she founded, Reach Up Youth.
Reach Up Youth run sport-based community youth projects called Big Brother Burngreave (for up to 24 boys) and Sisterhood (for up to 15 girls), based at the Verdon Recreation Centre. Both are specialist partners of Levelling the Playing Field. Great emphasis is placed on leadership, with boys earning coveted blue, red, grey and black t-shirts which represent their ascending status as mentors and role models to younger participants.
Burngreave is an ethnically diverse area, with over 25 languages spoken within its small radius. It can also be tough. Safiya's tight connections with hundreds of families across the area enable her to exert a strong, positive influence on the children who come through Reach Up Youth’s doors.
“In this job, I encounter issues every day,” Safiya says. “My number one priority is making sure I have some sort of relationship with their parents. That way, I find out if they can be part of the solution – or sometimes if they are part of the problem! Either way, you’ve got to know what’s going on.
“You’ve got to understand that no matter what that child says to you, it is only their perspective and there will always be another side to the coin. It’s about calming that young person down, saying, ‘Let’s find out what’s going on’ and making sure they know you have their back – but then finding out the adult perspective too.
“Have a three-way conversation so everything is transparent. Don’t react the minute you hear a story. You need to use your intuition. You must have a good relationship with the child and the parent, in order to be able to offer any help. It doesn’t work if you only have one’s trust but not the other’s.”
Safiya recently became a local councillor for Burngreave ward and sees her job as “to fight for young people and families to access education, equality and a healthy lifestyle.”
Her community leader role is greatly helped by speaking several languages, which helps her relate to local families. “When I ask, ‘Have there been any recent changes in the house?’ that could potentially embarrass those proud parents, so saying it in Pakistani or Somali is very helpful – as well as respecting confidentiality,” explains Safiya.
Whichever language she’s speaking, it’s fair to say that Safiya loves to chat! Her beaming smile and engaging personality ensures she is warmly welcomed into local homes and any tension over concerns and issues is diffused.
‘BE A FRIENDLY CROCODILE!’
“My advice is not to step on anyone’s toes but understand where that child is coming from. Make sure they come to you; don’t go round chasing anyone. When they are ready, they will come to you. I need to be a friendly crocodile under the water so I can catch those kids who fall in the water!
“You have to be very transparent and say what you can and can’t do. If you feel like your child is disrespecting their parents, you’ve got to put a lot of boundaries around. It is very important the you are respected within the community otherwise those boundaries would be meaningless – they wouldn’t stay within them.
“It’s very important that young people and families know that you are ready to commit your time. I will give 110% for them. If they are in a safe house in Nottingham, I’ll go and pick them up. The parents are very often limited in terms of knowledge and resources, so you have to fill that void.
“You’ve got to be there, come what may. You can’t say, ‘Don’t call me after 6pm’. That person might be in serious trouble and you’re their lifeline at 4 o’clock in the morning.”
Recently, Safiya was dealing with a participant who was hanging out with the wrong crowd and using drugs. She invited him to some climbing sessions that Reach Up Youth are running with Levelling the Playing Field delivery partner Rachel Climb Unity. There, Safiya engaged him gently in conversation.
“We danced around the issue. I reminded him what a beautiful person he is and told him how he’s so funny and always making me laugh. I advised him to take control of his life a bit more. I said I want him to become one of our next leaders and would invest time in him.
“I approached his father. Together we came up with a plan to help his son find his own identity, discover a focus and give him emotional support. It was a good example of how those close relationships with a young person and their family can bring about good solutions - finding volunteering opportunities, qualifications, jobs, friendship groups and connecting to local networks.”
‘LTPF LIKE A SECOND FAMILY’
All this work has recently been underpinned by funding from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund, which Reach Up Youth received via an application made on behalf of many Levelling the Playing Field specialist partners by the Alliance of Sport.
“The TIF money has helped us develop more opportunities for young people, breeding aspiration and confidence,” says Safiya. “It has paid for training in things like safeguarding and mental health and resources which will be a real boost to our young people. Our sustainability is so important because it maintains consistency which is vital to building trust.
“I feel like I have gained a family from being part of Levelling the Playing Field. It feels empowering and protective. We could never have hoped to reach the likes of Sport England otherwise. It’s a massive bridge between grassroots organisations and big funders and governing bodies out there.”