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MARCH 2007 Update
My first in a series of what will - this
year - be monthly notes in update on the Borough's Kick Racism Out of
Football Programme, its development and delivery. I hope that you find
this and those that will follow useful in update on Steering Group plans
and progress through 2007, and would very much welcome your comments in
feedback, questions arising and new ideas as we work to evolve and
improve the work, its reach and impact for years hence.
Steering Group
I should first report that the Steering Group met in January to formally
'sign-off' the 2006 Evaluation Report (attached), review the proposal
for 2007 (appendix 1 of first attachment - indicative costings for
finally agreed activities, events and projects separate), advise and
guide on the formative work necessary from their point of view in
advance of this year's programme - with lessons from the past in mind.
It will re-convene the week after next, when I'm pleased to inform you
that the Leisure & Culture Trust's Sports Development Unit will be
represented for the first time and the Council's Hate Crime
Co-ordinator, Elliot Brown, will also join the core group bringing new
skills, knowledge and experience to the table.
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2006
Evaluation Report
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Budget
Proposal for 2007
Programme News
Unfortunately, faced with budget pressures and the need of difficult
decisions, Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust have decided that from core
budget they will be unable to support the Kick Racism Out of Football
programme this year. A bid has been invited to the Trust's Community
Investment Fund and the Chief Executive Rodney Hill has committed to
exploring again the prospect of support through Children & Young
People's Services, the Sport, Health and Physical Education
Strategy/Sport and Physical Activity Alliance Funding granted by Sport
England. However the request of assistance from CYPS has already been
turned down once and at my meeting with Nick Colledge (the Trust's Sport
and Health Manager) on 16th February he advised that funding allocation
work was underway through SPAA Board Sub-Groups and even at that point
it looked likely that project needs were far greater than available
resource. My belief is that Kick Racism could respond very well to the
'target groups' and 'community safety' priorities but whether we have
the opportunity of putting a bid together here remains to be seen.
Simply, at the time of writing there is a degree of uncertainty as to
what the Steering Group will be able to deliver this year which in view
of the high on which we finished last year and the very positive outlook
with which we approached this is disappointing. But looking on the
bright side we:
- have already supported colleagues
from Heritage Services in work towards and through two performances of
the Red Card Theatre Company's play Descent at the Derby Room in Leigh -
100 people of different ages and backgrounds being engaged in
constructive debate on the issues relevant to racism, homophobia and
attitudes to refugees raised
- have started to get donations through
further to the corporate appeal sent-out last month seeking assistance
in recognition of people's support for and hard work in the context of
the Kick Racism Out of Football Programme -
this letter [PDF] sent to businesses of major north west
employers (10 or so local/sub-regional employers being added on the
end). Heinz have given a hamper
- will still hopefully be able to
deliver the Women's World Cup with support from Community Safety given
that they were seeking only a contribution from the core Kick Racism
budget anyway
- have time on our side in terms of
finding funds for the WOW, Dance, Question of Race and Theatre Projects
set to feature in the latter part of the programme initially proposed -
question marks must now be put against the Curriculum Pack and
Song-Writing Project I think
- enjoy an improving working
relationship with Wigan Athletic and can hopefully add further support
to their work on Kick It Out's Race Equality Standard
Chris Dunbar, the Trust's Media and
Public Relations Manager, also remains committed to maximising the
positive public exposure our work generates.
It will unfortunately be a downsized programme this year but one we will
strive to make a real success of.
More to follow next month on this.
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Friends Together
Formerly known as the After School Activities for All/Inter-Cultural
Activity Programme for 5-11 year olds, this project was established in
September last year to:
- provide positive extra-curricular
experiences for and encourage interaction between children from
different ethnic backgrounds at Sacred Heart and Leigh Central
Primary Schools
- help grow cultural awareness and
understanding, fostering a common sense of community and
togetherness in the two schools
- support wider work towards the
development of language skills, friendships and informal peer
support networks
It is quite separate from but
complementary to the core Kick Racism Programme.
Supporting the Leigh Township Forum's Leigh Neighbours Project the
Friends Together Group has thus far utilised:
- rugby league-related
team-building activity through the Leigh Centurions' Community
Development Team
- dance workshops through Wigan
Leisure & Culture Trust's Fit2Dance Project
- creative play through the
Trust's Playin' Out Team
in work with more than forty
children over week-day lunchtimes towards these ends (after
school sessions having been decided against during this first
pilot year on account of families' cultural/faith-related
commitments out of school hours/often negative views towards
education, though it is hoped that through the encouragement of
increasing parental involvement and children's own positive
feedback they will become gradually more inclined to support
activity out of school hours - it is certainly the intention at
this early stage to offer options beyond 3.00/3.30 in 2007/8).
They will soon start on a programme towards showcase
presentations at Hilton Park (on the occasion of Leigh's match
against Batley Bulldogs on Sunday 8th July) and Haigh Country
Park (on Sunday 22nd July when the annual celebration of visual
and performing arts across the Borough is due to take place).
The Carnival Chaos project will involve craft activity,
costume-making and dance workshops on a green conservation theme
with the future of 'our world' and aspirations of reaching wider
audiences with positive messages about togetherness and capacity
to impact/achieve as one in focus. Drumcroon Arts Centre are
supporting the Playin' Out Team in their leadership on this and
currently considering how they might support the Leigh Mela on
Saturday 28th July with which there is a presently a difficulty
in staffing/transport terms. It may be that parents/carers could
assist but this prospect is currently being explored and a final
decision on the feasibility of a presence at this new
multi-cultural event in celebration of cultural diversity in
Leigh will be made soon. It would be a real shame to miss out
but regardless the Friends Together Group will have made a good
contribution to the Neighbours Project - wholly on the basis of
partners' in-kind assistance - this year and they are deserving
of positive recognition and credit for this: Anne Kay at Sacred
Heart and Kathy Cotter at Leigh Central being due special thanks
for their hard work, efforts above and beyond.
Child-centred evaluation, the compilation of a photographic
diary and discussions of film-making in review of the Friends
Together Group's year are underway, and in the weeks up and
coming teachers' will be involved in review of their baseline
referrals to further add to the qualitative/quantitative data
mix from which we have to work in composing a programme and
writing a funding strategy for next year. The Cultural Voluntary
Sector Funding Officer is already on board with this and
confident in the prospects of achieving grant aid to build on
and work toward longer-term sustainability of the work.
For information I have attached copy presentations below from
the two over-arching Leigh Neighbours Project Seminars to date.
Together they set a context for where this schools' work fits
and give some insight into the case that will be made for
external funding with the school year 2007/8 in mind.
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Leigh Neighbours Project June 2006
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Leigh Neighbours Project June 2006 (Buffet Fill)
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Leigh Neighbours Project - Black & Ethnic Minorities
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Leigh Neighbours Project June 2006 Seminar 2
Thankfully the difficulties
and racist incidents at the two schools with which Friends
Together was started have significantly subsided but still
positive perspectives need to be developed and complacency must
always be guarded against given the wider climate and
inter-cultural tensions in the town of Leigh.
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And Finally…
… a bit of a round-up.
News that Wigan Athletic have achieved the Preliminary Level in
their work on the Race Equality Standard was received early
February and on Sunday 25th representatives of those that
participated in the 2006 programme attended the Premiership game
against Newcastle United at the JJB Stadium. Adult colleagues,
children and young people that had helped initiate/achieve
success through Kick Racism Out of Football Song-Writing
Project; development work on the Many Different Colours, One
Beautiful Game Exhibition (recently hosted at Robin Park Indoor
Sports Centre as a part of the Hate Crime Awareness Week
programme and set to return in the Autumn); the Wigan World Cup;
the Multicultural Craft and Football Project that culminated in
the arts display and mini-world cup at Haigh on the occasion of
Arts for All last year were all represented thanks to the club's
donation of more than 130 complimentary tickets. Sharing in the
half-time presentation and photographs on the pitch, featuring
in the programme and noted over the tannoy their support and
that of other partners in the club's anti-racist stance was
gratefully acknowledged. (As soon as I have photographs to share
I will circulate a selection.)
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Racial
Equality Standards for Professional Football Clubs
Much as we look forward to further
strengthening our working relationship with Wigan Athletic this coming
year though, developing and improving our Kick Racism work locally - as
far as possible within budget constraints - others continue to forge
ahead and provide much food for thought on the exploration of
prospective opportunities in our own Borough. In January for example,
Bolton Wanderers announced that they had appointed the Club's first
Community Cohesion Officer (with a mix of public and private funding) as
part of their 'Unity and Diversity' initiative/on-going efforts to
promote harmony within the many different communities that live together
in the town - using football as a medium. Early last month Bradford City
also appointed a Community Cohesion Officer in a joint venture between
the City Council's Sport and Leisure Service and the club - their aim
being to bring people together in the most disadvantaged areas of the
city, providing activity and recreational opportunity for all in
positive encouragement of new awareness, understanding and friendship
across the divides of ethnicity and social class. What opportunities in
Wigan one might ask? - and well seek to discuss with the club soon.
Much on which to reflect here as we look
to continue evolving our local work.
John Hesketh
Community Regeneration Manager (Youth & Community Development)
Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust
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