Funding from gbpartnerships foundation and FES Group is enabling pupils from Brownhill Learning Community to access free of charge taster sessions in football and physical activity, delivered by Youth Performance Pathway and Will Ferry Soccer School.
Youth Performance Pathway (YPP) is an athletic development centre based in Rochdale for kids aged 12-17 years. Their aim is to make kids stronger, faster, more agile, and harder to injure. YPP received funding from gbpartnerships foundation and FES Group at the end of last year to enable more young people will be able to access their services – free of charge. Brownhill Learning Community comprises of Brownhill School and Rochdale Pupil Referral Service. They provide educational provision for pupils who are out of mainstream schools for a variety of reasons that include exclusion, emotional and behavioural difficulties, medical reasons, pregnancy and young mothers. YPP and Will Ferry Soccer School (WFSS) have been collaborating with Brownhill Learning Community to provide pupils with taster sessions in football and physical activity. The older pupils took part in YPP sessions at Trident Health and Performance centre, giving them an understanding of physical activity and fitness programmes and experience delivery within a professional gym environment, all part of broadening horizons and awareness of post school career options. The younger children took part in supervised WFSS sessions in school with Head Coach, Tom Feighan, receiving professional input and having fun whilst learning some sharp football skills.
For many of the young people taking part in the sessions, the soccer school and gym environment is completly new to them. We were able to deliver this free to the school/kids with the help of FES's and gbp foundation funding.
