Thriving Communities Scoops National Youth Work Award

South Ayrshire Council - Thriving Communities funded initiative recently won the 'Inclusion and Prevention Award' at the National Youth Work Awards, in recognition of  the 'Friday Night Fitba' programme.

The award, sponsored by the national initiative, 'No Knives Better Lives', celebrates the work undertaken to ensure young people understand the consequences of negative behaviour and how it impacts others.

'Friday Night Fitba' was first established in 2021 through the Community Safety Partnership alongside Girvan Football Club; Police Scotland; Community Sports Hub; and Girvan Youth Trust, in response to an increase in antisocial behaviour taking place within the stadium at Girvan Football Club.

A preventative approach was taken, by providing young people involved in antisocial behaviour with a sense of community and purpose, in the form of a football club. As antisocial behaviour was identified to be at its highest on Friday nights between 7pm-9pm, the initiative was piloted during these times over the winter months of October 2021 - March 2022.

Thriving Communities provided a coach and youth worker, whilst partners were granted access to Girvan Football Clubs' facilities to provide refreshments to young people involved in the programme and those who came into the football grounds.

Since its inception, the programme has seen average nightly attendances of 25 young people and a decrease in youth related antisocial behaviour in the area by 22%. As a result of the success, the partnership also reinvigorated the annual Summer Cup Football Tournament, held at the end of June as part of the Girvan's Civic Week celebrations, with many of the young people involved in the team.

South Ayrshire Council's Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Culture and Rural Affairs, Councillor Alec Clark said: "The 'Friday Night Fitba' initiative is a fantastic approach to preventing antisocial behaviour in the local area. Sport, particularly football, is something that many people enjoy and providing young people with a club environment can bring about a great sense of community.

"The work of all partners involved is invaluable and I'm delighted that their hard work and dedication has been recognised. The success of the programme would not have been possible without the strong, positive relationships that have been formed between staff involved and young people, building feelings of trust and belonging, which is often crucial in helping to change negative attitudes."

South Ayrshire Council's Portfolio Holder for Sport and Leisure, Councillor Brian Connolly said: "Sport is very inclusive and shown to have positive effects on emotional, physical and mental health. The 'Friday Night Fitba' initiative is something that has managed to achieve all of these elements for the young people involved in the programme, demonstrated by the fantastic results so far.

"Everyone deserves opportunities to change their path and the commitment of all partners involved has rightly been recognised."