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Kadry, Ahmed and Duddin, Keely
(2023).
Abstract
The Manchester United Foundation (MUF) serves as the charity arm of Manchester United Football Club (MUFC). Part of its stated aims is to use football as a platform to engage and inspire young people to build a better life for themselves and unite the communities in which they live.
Between 2012-2014, there was a wave of young people in South Manchester under the age of 18 who had received a Threats to Life (TTL) notice from Greater Manchester Police (GMP), due to a credible threat obtained through GMP’s intelligence network. Many of these young people, according to GMP data, also had associations with organised crime groups in the area, with some also having crimes against their nominal as both victims and offenders.
As a result, in 2015, The Manchester United Foundation, in partnership with GMP, set up the GOAL programme to provide avenues for young people to steer away from their associations with organised crime groups and reduce the possibility of them receiving a TTL in the future. The GOAL programme utilised staff mentors and volunteers at MUF to pilot possible ways in working with young people who had received a TTL. This included inviting them to Street Reds, where free footballing sessions are offered, as well as opportunities to learn new skills and gain qualifications in a supportive and positive environment.
In 2019, an evaluation of the GOAL project began, which through interviews and surveys at different intervals, the following paper presents the findings from an action research perspective on how activities were viewed by participants as they experienced them. In addition, this paper will also reveal findings on participant experience on the GOAL programme overall, where this paper reveals their attitudes towards their personal wellbeing, skill development, employability, and their perceptions of their of local community.
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