The successful Football Frenzy project, a partnership initiative started in 2006, has been chosen as a finalist in the Chartered Institute of Housing UK Housing Awards.
Principal Resident Involvement Officer at Gosport Borough Council, Sue Davis, nominated the project for the Making Neighbourhoods Safer category, which recognises that housing organisations play a key role in the reduction of crime & disorder and anti-social behaviour in the neighbourhoods in which they work.
The Award Ceremony itself will take place on Thursday 8 November 2007 at the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, London, and on hand to collect the award, if successful, will be Sergeant Knowles for the Police and Sam Mitchell for the Council.
The final award winner will work with local communities to deliver positive outcomes against the governments RESPECT agenda and/or the commitments in the Respect Standard for Housing Management.
It is thanks to the strong partnership working between Gosport’s excellent inter-departmental team with Hampshire Constabulary and Pompey in the Community, that Football Frenzy has gone from strength to strength and, that its success has been noted and identified for a national social inclusion programme.
The Kickz Initiative is a national programme funded by central government, which aims to create safer, stronger communities through the power of football and professional football clubs.
The scheme will initially operate for one year with Free and Open Access sessions for young people aged 11-19. It will be delivered by the Pompey in the Community coaches and supported by the Neighbourhood Policing Team and operate three times per week for 51 weeks of the year. One essential requirement is that one of the sessions is a non-football activity.
The initiative is being part funded by the Kicz scheme, via Portsmouth Football Club, with the remainder being secured from external sources identified by Gosport’s Community Development Officer for Housing Services and the Sergeant of the Bridge Neighbourhood Policing Team.
