Click here for the final league table.

This year’s five-a-side league was a three-horse race until the season saw the clash of the titans in the last few remaining games—and believe me all three teams were in it to win it. Badger Court had an excellent game against St Basils. They were winning 4—1 at half time. However, St Basils did not give up and put themselves back in the game, Badger Court were winning 9—8 and with one minute remaining on the clock, St Basils were awarded a penalty that they converted. Sadly a draw against St Basils meant that Badger Court’s title race had ended.

The final game of the season between Ravenhurst Cottages and St Basils meant the winner would walk away with the title. Ravenhurst started the brightest and found themselves leading 4 –3 at half time. During the second half St Basils took a 7 –5 lead but Ravenhurst Cottages showed that they too had a certain amount of mental toughness and football skills to take the lead again. It was 7—6 with a few minutes remaining and St Basils were finishing strong and had several shots. Their shots were hitting the post and in the dying moments of the game Ravenhursts’ keeper had to make the save of the match that helped them win the game. Ravenhurst Cottages were this year’s winners of the West Midland’s Foyer Federation Five-A-Side Football League.

St Basils only needed a draw to win the title on goal difference but sadly they too like Badger Court were beaten by the mighty Ravenhurst Cottages. This was St Basils first season and they showed that they have the ability. St Basils will be determined to win next season’s title along with Badger Court. However, last year’s winners Heantun Foyer are returning back to the league as well as Focus Foyer who won the Foyer Federation tournament and Redditch who have won a trophy or two in other tournaments.

Needless to say that YMCA Worcester have had a great season finishing fourth in the league, Dave and the boys are delighted with their performance this season and will challenge the winners next season. YMCA West Bromwich have also shown improvement this season and I hope Mike and his team will be in for a shout to win the title next season.

This season has been a great season not only in terms of the league increasing in numbers from last season but it has been very competitive. All the teams have shown that football can bring young people together and see that all the foyers have things in common but also see that their lifestyles are also somewhat different. Our young people seem to benefit from sharing these experiences. Football has been the vehicle for promoting positives things: physical activity for healthy lifestyle, team building and confidence for personal development, and applying numeracy and literacy when communicating with your team mates and making decisions on the pitch. All these transferable skills young people are developing when playing a game of football.

I hope other regions can start a football league so these young people can also benefit. It would be great to challenge other regions for a champion league title.

We are all looking forward to our presentation day, when we also have a tournament as a pre-season warm up. Everybody is looking forward to Wednesday 8^th August 2007.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the players and members of staff who have shown their dedication and made this season a fantastic one. Well done Ravenhurst!

Kevan Ward, Badger Court

Congratulations to Ravenhurst Cottages Foyer (pictured) for winning the 2007 West Midlands Foyer 5-a-side league!

For a full story and the final league table, click here.

 

 

An arts-based Youth Engagement Project in Sandwell, West Midlands, has dramatically reduced prolonged incidents of anti-social behaviour in Rowley Regis. Working in partnership with Trident, one of the Midlands’ major charitable housing associations, the project has recruited local young people who were identified as at risk of carrying out anti-social behaviour. The programme enables the youngsters to explore issues they may have with themselves as young people in the community. Dominic Bradley, Trident’s Project Co-ordinator explained:

 

‘The project is linked to Trident’s Foyer - an innovative approach to combining training and housing. By taking the lead in their own programme of arts-based activities, young people in Rowley Regis find a way to give their own views on the community. This means they have a much bigger stake in their own neighbourhood’.

The project team is working in partnership with other agencies, including Sandwell Council, which helps fund the scheme, to complement existing youth services in the area and to promote their use. As part of the programme young people have created video diaries, paintings and photographic exhibitions that are displayed around the community. One of the most public results of the programme was a silk sculpture that was created by the young people of the project and displayed in the Riddins Mound Training and Enterprise Centre.

Every youngster in the project receives ASDAN accreditation for their learning.

MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT:

The RIDDINS MOUND Youth-Engagement Active Community Project is funded by Sandwell Council. It is run in conjunction with Trident Housing’s Foyer scheme, which give assisted housing opportunities to young people aged 18-25. Sandwell Council’s Rowley Regis Town Team appointed Birmingham-based Dynamics Arts to devise the project, with the aim of getting more young people to take advantage of the services available to them in the area. Since the project began, the incidence of trouble in the community has been significantly reduced. Highlights of the project have included:

Film Night

Foyer residents involved in the project felt it was easy to feel isolated in high rise flats. Playing music, practicing instruments and ‘DJing’ within their flat were common ways of dealing with the feelings of boredom and isolation. The lack of informal opportunities to socialise with other Foyer residents was identified as a factor that can lead to behaviour that could be perceived as anti-social by other residents. One solution was to hold a weekly film night in the resident’s community room. With support, two residents lead a 10 week film programme. The project provided a DVD player and the finance to rent films. Each of the films explored the issue of anti-social behaviour in a community. After each film a discussion took place, based on what the residents had seen in the film.

Young and Active Sports Photography

Foyer residents felt they were misunderstood by the wider body of residents on the Riddins Mound estate. To improve their image on the estate they decided to look at each individual’s favourite sports activity and to create a photographic exhibition of individuals taking part in their sport. The exhibition continues to be exhibited throughout the community.

Comedy Night

Personal circumstances of residents are often difficult, depressing and can consume a person’s daily life. This, in turn can impact on general thinking and behaviour. As a result, the young resident’s relationship with the community can be affected. It can be all too easy not to develop the skills and techniques to draw on the lighter side of daily life. Residents thought it would be good to create artwork which employed humour as a vehicle to highlight pro-social issues locally and to enter a dialog with residents. As part of this element of work the ‘Glee’ comedy club, in the heart of Birmingham, are sponsoring residents with a free night out at the club.

OK 2 Play: Music Development

Residents ‘DJing’ or practicing a musical instrument in their flats often felt frustrated at not being able turn up the volume on their music because of the neighbours. One resident, who plays his drum kit in his flat and often has issues with his neighbour, said he could practice his drums in the community room and would be interested in teaching others to play the drums. Another resident who plays his DJ decks in his flat thought he too would benefit from practicing within the community flat as it would enable him to play his music louder than he would otherwise. The project enabled residents to pool their equipment within the community flat and to hold a learning music night. The project team is also providing a DJ setup within the community flat for 8 weeks on the basis that the DJ will provide learning opportunities to other residents once a week.

Graffiti Art

Many residents expressed an interest in create artwork on one of the walls in the community room, making it more youth friendly. As a result, two graffiti art workshops were held to decorate the internal wall. The Foyer Coordinator supported the work. Many residents took part in decorating the room, which is now vibrant and colourful.

Silk Sculpture

Residents felt that they wanted to find a way of dramatically showing to the wider community their commitment to playing an active role into the life of Riddins Mound. Residents decided to create an element of temporary public art, whilst also taking into consideration the limitations of the programme. They created a silk sculpture for the centre space of the Riddins Mound Training and Enterprise Centre, which rises through five floors. A Dutch artist Francine Schokker; together with Birmingham Artist Bonnie Styles, worked with residents to create a dramatic and dynamic 12ft long silk sculpture.

Community Documentary Video

This music video gives the viewer a picture of ‘A day in the life of Riddins Mound’ through the eyes of a Foyer resident. The resident’s personal living spaces and surrounding communal areas across the estate provide the backdrop for the music video. In effect residents have employed the creation of their music video as a platform to express their views on local community life and on being a Foyer resident.

Through this project it has proven that anti social behaviour has dramatically reduced on the estate, which has been acknowledged by the local anti social behaviour tasking team, and was brought to the attention of our local MP Silvia Heal who paid us a visit and commended the young people and Trident for the work within the local community.