As part of Levelling the Playing Field’s women and girls month in October, we spoke to Reggie Al-Haddi, chairman of our specialist partners Newport Yemeni Community Association who have innovated to engage girls in the ethnically diverse community of Pillgwenlly (known locally as ‘Pill’). 

There are many issues in the hugely diverse community of Pillgwenlly in Newport, but Levelling the Playing Field’s specialist partners Newport Yemeni Community Association (NYCA) prefer to “focus on the solutions, not the problems.” 

NYCA put on sporting activities for children from a hugely diverse range of ethnicities and backgrounds in the community including girls-only football and cricket sessions. 

The organisation runs mixed sports and activity sessions, but the girls-only sessions cater for females of a certain age, many of whose families don’t want them to mix with boys for cultural reasons.  

In response to this, NYCA partnered with Cricket Wales, who have provided a local female coach to lead sessions on Wednesday evenings in winter and summer. The girls’ mums are heavily involved and they all went to Test cricket venue Sophia Gardens in Cardiff in the summer to watch a NatWest Blast Twenty20 match between Glamorgan and Essex. 

NYCA chairman Reggie Al-Haddi explained: “People have their cultural beliefs which is totally fine, but they do make it a bit more difficult for girls to get equal opportunities. 

“We focused on a solution for these girls to enable them to have a physical and mental release, connect with friends and have fun. It gives them a bit of freedom; their own space and time which they wouldn’t have at home. 

“I’ve grown up in this area and unfortunately, I’ve seen good friends die or go to prison – and that’s the biggest reason why we do what we do, to stop that cycle. We want to see the next generation given more opportunities. 

“Pill has a very influential drugs market and it’s so easy for our young people to get sucked into that world. We just want to try and do something about it by giving them alternative positive opportunities from an early age where they have access to sport, friends, mentoring and a wider world view.” 

Those aims mean NYCA perfectly align with Levelling the Playing Field's common goals:

• Increase the number of ethnically diverse children taking part in sport and physical activity
• Prevent and divert ethnically diverse children from becoming involved in the Criminal Justice System

NYCA secured funding from the Gwent PCC, who spotted the organisation’s potential for positively engaging children and young people who may otherwise be at risk of engaging in crime or anti-social behaviour. 

At their sessions, children are given clear boundaries and discipline with swearing and fighting not tolerated. They work in partnership with fellow LtPF delivery partners Positive Futures, referring children to each other’s sessions and taking part in wider community events like the Newport Inclusion Cohesion Shield football tournament.   

“The PCC are so willing to fund grassroots organisations like ours because it gives back to the community and, down the road, it will reduce anti-social behaviour and divert children down a more positive path. It makes their jobs a little bit easier – together we truly are stronger,” says Reggie. 

“The children just want to know that somebody cares. That’s where we come in. We give them that place where they can build that trust and they come to us when they need stuff.” 

In the summer, there was a great example of NCYA being led by young people’s needs. At a football session, some participants said they needed somewhere they could revise for their GCSEs. “I said to them, ‘We can do better than that!’” recalls Reggie. “We got them a tutor, then a few weeks later they said to me, ‘The question in the exam was the same question we did in our tutor revision session!’ They were over the moon.” 

The girls’ cricket sessions lasted all summer and after a two-week break they are set to resume shortly indoors every Wednesday until the end of April. “It has just grown and grown, with mums and girls absolutely loving it,” says Reggie. 

For more info on our specialist partners NYCA follow them on Instagram or Twitter.