Wigan Athletic Community Trust | Participant Journey

WORKING WITH WIGAN ATHLETIC TO: • IMPROVE HEALTH • ENHANCE LIFE CHANCES • CREATE STRONGER, SAFER COMMUNITIES

PARTICIPANT JOURNEY

SCHOOL READY Pre School (Under 5s) Kids on the Move • Enhancing the lives of children aged 3-5, improving coordination, social skills and prepare them for the transition into primary school.

• Work with hundreds of youngsters at Start well family centres and nurseries across the Wigan borough.

• Programme moved to a virtual offer in the COVID-19 pandemic through ‘Kids at Home’ with coordinator Craig Mahon and his two children offering families with ways to keep active at home – videos generated over 14,000 views on social media.

• 150 pre-school children and their families who had no access to internet were provided with Kids on the Move themed activity bags during the pandemic with themed resources.

Primary School (6-11) Premier League Primary Stars • Over 2000 pupils benefitted from high quality PE lessons over the past 12 months with staff delivering over 2500 hours of PE curriculum.

• Lessons improve the health and wellbeing of pupils through PE and PSHE lessons with lessons showcasing the importance of healthy eating alongside other topics including equality and diversity.

• Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the offer was adapted with virtual support provided in the absence of face to face delivery with staff producing weekly online videos that generated over 12,000 views.

• Nearly 600 virtual lessons were delivered by staff from home to partner schools with lessons including Maths, English and various PSHE topics including healthy eating, leadership and team work.

• Over 55 teachers have received CPD (Continuing Professional Development) support by staff with the aim of developing and increasing their knowledge and experience when teaching the subject.

FA Weetabix Wildcats

Holiday Hunger Camps

• Weekly free football sessions for girls aged 5-11 offering the chance to get involved in football, enjoy the game, have fun, make friends and create foundations for a lifelong love of the game.

• Free sports and crafts and a free meal offered through the Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) to hundreds of youngsters across the borough throughout the school holidays.

• Three sessions a week run across the borough with over 70 girls of all abilities attending each week.

• Over the last year staff have delivered 1000s of hours of physical activities.

• During summer 2021, the Community Trust will work with over 300 children a week on the camps.

LIFE READY

Secondary School (11-16) Premier League Inspires • Working with young people who are not reaching their full potential or with low commitment to school providing support including group mentoring, team work and social action projects.

• Past 12 months has seen over 170 pupils from seven secondary schools and two engagement centres receive face-to-face support with group mentoring and work on social action ideas.

• Support in schools has seen students take part in the Premier League Inspires Challenge with the task of developing ways to improve the mental health of fellow students.

• 2021 winners, Atherton High School have worked with staff to run an after school youth club for pupils to attend, socialise and provide a safe space. Over 50 young people have attended the first two sessions.

Young People (8-18) Premier League Kicks

Pathway 2 Participation

• Providing 1000s of young people aged 8-18 a year with free sport and football opportunities across five areas of the Wigan borough as well as running LGBTQ+ and disability specific sessions.

• Hundreds of young people aged 8-16 benefitted from the National Lottery funded project over the past 12 months.

• Alongside sports and football sessions, young people take part in workshops covering numerous topics including knife crime, youth violence, youth voice and equality and diversity.

• In the absence of sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual offer ran and continues to run through the programme’s Facebook page. Virtual shows ran by staff participants called Sport at 5 and Kicks at 6 have generated over 5000 views with special guests including referee Rebecca Welch, FA Cup winning captain Emmerson Boyce, former British Olympian Jenny Meadows and former Wigan Athletic players Joe Gelhardt and Joe Williams.

National Citizen Service (NCS)

• Project has improved the health, mental wellbeing and self-confidence throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Grant of £392,457 from the National Lottery has allowed vital support to be provided to young people with one-to-one mentoring, sports sessions at Wigan Youth Zone and outdoor activities at Scotsman’s Flash and Haigh Hall Woodland Park.

• During the last year 100% of young people have seen an improvement in confidence with 80% improving their physical health.

• 75% of young people said their mental health had improved since starting on the project.

• Over 40 Looked After Children were given additional support with their carers offered respite during the pandemic thanks to staff delivering daily sporting activities and mentoring at Wigan Youth Zone.

• Summer 2021 programme will see over 100 young people aged 16-17 take part in the programme.

Chances Project

• Programme offers hundreds of youngsters from Wigan and West Lancashire a week of physical activities and the chance to complete a social action project and give back to their local communities by supporting charitable schemes and organisations.

• Creating new opportunities and using the power of sport to enhance the lives of disadvantaged youngsters aged 8-17.

• Social action projects over the past year have seen support to local foodbanks and running virtual coffee mornings to care homes and hospices with the aim of tackling loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Working with those who have an offending record and/or low school attendance, the programme is empowering young people to get active and re-engage with education and achieve their full potential.

• Initiative improving the health, mental wellbeing and confidence through offering sport and physical activities.

CAREER READY

Training and Skills (16-24) Level 2 and 3 Football and Education

Traineeship

• One and two year courses for 16-18 year olds looking to pursue a career in sports coaching with young people given the chance to gain industry recognised qualifications and take on work placements on a variety of Community Trust programmes.

• 12-week programme for 16-24 year olds looking to get back into work and take the next steps in their careers.

• As well as classroom based lessons, learners will also represent Wigan Athletic in the Community and Education Football Alliance League.

Kickstart • Helping out-of-work young people get back on their feet and back into employment through a variety of work placements within the Community Trust.

• Creating job opportunities for 16-24 year olds who have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic with roles including sports coaching and in the day to day running of the organisation.

• Providing the opportunity to gain work experience, develop skills in the work place and allow them to take the next steps in their careers.

Moving On • Supporting young people not in education, employment or training with the aims of producing positive outcomes and finding potential routes into work.

• Through work placements with local businesses, attending employability workshops alongside being provided with job application support, young people on the programme are given the best opportunity to secure work.

• Work placements include media, hospitality, business management and sports coaching.

• Traineeship has supported over 15 young people in the past 12 months.

University of South Wales Two Year Foundation Degree • Delivered in partnership with the University of South Wales and EFL Trust, courses are designed for individuals wanting to attain a university qualification and passionate about pursuing a career in the sports industry.

• Through classroom-based lectures and practical placements through Community Trust programmes, students are able to develop their skills and coaching techniques.

• 100% of students graduated from the Community Football Coaching and Development degree.

• 15 students are their studies on the Foundation Degree from Year 1 to Year 2.

LIVING WELL

Adults 24-55 Fit Latics

Football 4 Forces

• Improving the health and wellbeing of men and women aged 35-65.

• Improving the physical health, mental wellbeing and helping veterans feeling less socially isolated with football sessions, lifestyle workshops and the opportunity to complete coaching qualifications.

• 12-week programme helps with long-term improvement in weight loss, diet management and general wellbeing through a range of physical activities and nutritional advice from staff.

• Activities include running up and down the stairs at the DW Stadium, circuit training in the concourse areas with advice provided through workshops in the dressing rooms.

• Programme has so far seen participants lose over 150kg of weight.

Training 4 Forces • Supporting ex-servicemen and women from the local armed forces community with the training and skills to help them get back into employment and thrive in society.

• Working alongside the Armed Forces Community HQ in Wigan and thanks to funding from the Ministry of Defence, bespoke programme will bring them closer to work with Wigan having one of the largest groups of ex-service people in the North West.

• Improvement of health and wellbeing through weekly physical activity sessions.

Every Player Counts • Offering adults with disabilities the chance to get involved in football through weekly sessions.

• Working with over 60 adults alongside an adult and junior side providing the opportunity to represent Wigan Athletic in the Greater Manchester Ability Counts League.

Women’s Recreational Football • Part of Wigan and Leigh’s Euro 2022 legacy to increase female participation in the game through different activities.

• Activities on offer include Walking Football, Soccercise as well as the chance to volunteer and help deliver sessions.

AGEING WELL

Aged 55+ Extra Time Hub

• Providing an opportunity for people who are retired and semiretired to meet and socialise with each other.

• Offers those at risk of loneliness and social isolation somewhere safe to come and meet likeminded people and to keep themselves physically and mentally active.

• Over 100 members have attended two weekly sessions at the DW Stadium and Leigh Miners Welfare Institute, taking part in activities such as table tennis, quizzes, dance plus much more.

• Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, members have been supported with over 50 online Zoom sessions, over 300 phone calls and the delivery of 100s of goody bags containing ways to keep physically and mentally active at home.

• With the easing of restrictions, walking groups, socially distanced picnics in the park and other outdoor activities including crazy golf and crown green bowls have been running alongside the continuation of the online offer.

Wigan Athletic Community Trust Call: 01942 318090 Email: community@wiganathletic.com wiganathletic.com

@LaticsCommunity Registered Charity Number 1120745