The Change Foundation - Our Impact - Changing Young Lives thru Sport & Dance

01 CEO message03 Our purpose04 Our work08 Our impact12 Our programmes14 Our stories21 The year ahead22 Join us23 Our partners

Transforming young lives…

In 2016, The Change Foundation will have been a leader in youth-led social innovation for 35 years. As a cricket coach who helped to start the charity at the time of the Brixton Riots in 1981, I never dreamt that we would grow into an organisation run by the graduates of our work and to have set up sport for development programmes in 27 different countries.

In 2015, The Change Foundation continued to attract international attention by delivering a pioneering disability cricket project in Mumbai in partnership with our friends, Magic Bus. Similarly, in partnership with Farm 4 Life, we trained youth leaders in Accra, Ghana to deliver disability sport to the most marginalised young people in a country described as the ‘the world’s worst place to be disabled’ in a BBC documentary aired in July 2015. Equally, our achievements in the UK have enhanced our targeted portfolio of programmes at home. Around 40% of our projects now target young women and girls and nearly 50% of our participants have a disability. This underlines our approach of focusing on the most isolated young people using inspirational role models with lived experience of the challenges facing the young people we are aiming to help.

I am hugely excited about the future of The Change Foundation, particularly following the announcement of the Government’s new sports strategy, ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’, which puts sport for development at the heart of its goals. This recognises the expertise of charities such as ours - which we hope will enhance partnerships and create a united approach to social change in our communities.

Finally, I would like to thank and congratulate our corporate partners, our charity partners, funding partners, donors, trustees and of course our delivery team and young people. The success of another year is because you trusted us and believed in our mission. Thank you.

Andy Sellins, CEO

[email protected]

Impact 2015 01

To change the lives of young people through sport and dance.

To inspire generations of young people to be better prepared to lead fulfilling lives.

Innovative FastInclusive FunInspirational Flexible

Our purpose...

02 Impact 2015

Mission

Vision

Values

Impact 2015 03

The Change Foundation is an award-winning UK-based charity that uses sport and dance to

create transformational change in young people.

DeliverWe deliver targeted

programmes in London for the most vulnerable

people using coach mentors with lived

experience.

InnovateWe co-design bespoke

programmes with charities and corporate partners that demonstrate a high return

on their investment. InspireWe train sport

for development organisations, giving them new skills with which to

deliver sustainable social change.

What isThe ChangeFoundation?

Impact 2015 0504 Impact 2015

Our work...

EngageWe use sport and dance to

empower young people to believe more is possible.

TrustCoaches build confidence and motivation through group and

one-to-one coaching.

AchieveWe support young people to pursue their aspirations and make positive transitions. Transform

Young people demonstrate sustained change in themselves, towards others and their community.

06 Impact 2015 Impact 2015 07

THE

CH

AN

GE FOUNDATIONCYCLE OF C

HA

NGE

£1.7mReturn oninvestment

The Change Foundation programmes provided opportunities for 2,922 marginalised and at-risk young people in the UK, Jamaica, India and Ghana during 2015.

62% of young people that graduated from The Change Foundation training-for-work programmes gained employment. These young people had either been in care, were involved with gangs or had multiple disabilities.

40% of The Change Foundation programmes targeted the most at-risk and vulnerable girls and young women in 2015.

Over 60% of The Change Foundation programmes were delivered between 4pm and 9pm - the time of the highest rates of anti-social behaviour - to ensure our interventions had maximum impact.

Employability skills Mentoring from inspirational coaches

Fundamental life skills

Qualifications and accreditation

Sport and dance

The Change Foundation engaged and inspired 1,386 young people with a disability through sport in 2015, increasing their independent mobility, life skills and aspirations.

Our impact

35%

30%

15%

10%

10%


The Sportworks* tool shows that The Change Foundation made a social cost-saving of over £1.7m by preventing crime and anti-social behaviour and promoting wellbeing through sport and dance to 768 at-risk young people in London. The Change Foundation targeted interventions for these young people cost £1,225 per participant showing a return on investment of 180%.

*Sportworks is a ground-breaking impact tool developed by Sported to access the social value and financial impact of sport for development projects.

sported.org.uk/what-we-do/sportworks

SAVED

• Public speaking

• Time management

• Teamwork

• Problem-solving

• Decision-making

• Conflict resolution

• Independence

• Leadership

• Budgeting

• Health and wellbeing awareness

Skills gained by young people

COACHING A

CTIV

ITIES

10 Impact 2015

The Change Foundation coaches provided workshops for 26 teachers and teaching assistants in special schools and pupil referral units, equipping them with new skills of engagement through sport for the most challenging and vulnerable

young people.

During the Beyond Sport conference, we led workshops and panel debates in rugby as a rehabilitation tool and innovative impact measurement and evaluation techniques. We also provided a site visit for delegates to participate in a blind cricket session.

The Change Foundation and charity partners Magic Bus developed and delivered the first ever grassroots disability cricket tournament for children in Mumbai and broadened the understanding of both parents and teachers of the opportunities available to their children through sport.

The Change Foundation launched the first ever blind rugby programme in the UK, developing a touch version of the game and creating two clubs for young people and adults with a range of visual impairments.

The Change Foundation spoke at the ‘Third Sector High Impact’ conference in London in November 2015, sharing our know-how on the integration of impact into the culture of the charity with more than 200 delegates.

The Change Foundation Head of Development and England Blind cricketer, Si Ledwith, was selected for the Ashes tour to Australia in January 2016.

On 17 June at the Houses of Parliament, The Change Foundation launched the STORM project with the support of Sports Minister Tracey Crouch. The programme provides weekly wellbeing sessions for young women and girls leaving care, who are also matched up with a female corporate mentor. England boxers Stacey Copeland and Rachel Bower are ambassadors for the programme.

The Change Foundation provided disability awareness training for 52 coaches in Accra, Ghana, providing them with engagement, youth work and inclusive coaching skills. The coaches involved went on to work with 518 children with disabilities in their local communities. Ghana became the 28th country in which The Change Foundation has delivered programmes.

2015 - key achievements

Impact 2015 11

Training

BlindRugby

Women & Girls

Highimpact

BeyondSport

Ghana

India The Ashes

Street Elite mentored 84 young people aged 16 – 24 in London on the edge of gangs and crime through a multi-sport training-for-work programme. 70% are now in employment, education or training.

69 unaccompanied young refugees attended the Refugee Cricket Project in Croydon which provides cricket sessions and gives them access to a Refugee Council adviser. Over 250 face-to-face advice sessions were undertaken at the project and participants were accompanied and supported at more than 50 additional legal and welfare appointments.

Dance4Change empowered 17 young women aged 13 – 21 at risk of anti-social behaviour in Peckham through dance and one-to-one mentoring sessions. Coaches’ observations showed that 80% of the group learned to express their feelings and aspirations through choreography and movement

The STORM project engaged 17 young women aged 16 – 22 from the care services in Sutton through weekly fitness and wellbeing sessions. The project engaged 21 female mentors from a professional and corporate background to become the STORM project women’s network, providing mentoring support in career development.

Rugby4Change trained 24 young male ex-offenders in HM Youth Offenders Institution Isis, using rugby to imbed the rehabilitation process in the following pathways to reduce reoffending:

• Attitudes, thinking and behaviour• Education, training and employment• Health

The Rugby4Change programme has a proven success rate of 80% in preventing reoffending within 12 months of release from a custodial sentence.

Hit the Top worked with 786 young people and young adults with a disability aged 8 – 25 in London, developing their independence, confidence and social skills through sport. This was achieved through the four stages of the programme:

Hit the Top Active engaged 315 children with a disability in primary schools to imbed sport and physical activity as regular behaviour.

Hit the Top Inspire provided specialist sports clubs for 448 young people aged 11 – 18 with visual impairments, physical disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and learning difficulties. Impact evaluations showed that 90% of young people had experienced a significant increase in confidence.

Hit the Top Futures mentored 18 young adults with a disability not in employment, education or training (NEET), building their employability skills through sport. 89% are now in employment or further education.

Hit the Top Heroes trained and empowered five young leaders with a disability from the Hit the Top programme to inspire other young people to take part in sport. They did this through 18 school assemblies in special and mainstream schools, six sports festivals engaging hundreds of children with a disability and two disability sports coaching workshops for teachers in special and mainstream schools.

London and JamaicaThe Chris Gayle Academy coached 38 disadvantaged young males aged 16 – 24 in London and Kingston, Jamaica to become role models in their communities using cricket. These role models from two different communities empowered over 300 at-risk children in schools, teaching them to apply the Chris Gayle ‘Big 6’ (making good choices, understanding consequences and actions, working hard, setting goals, looking after yourself and respecting others).

The Inner City World Cup cricket tournament engaged 68 young Londoners aged 14 – 18 who represented the country of their parents’ birth (Afghanistan, India, West Indies, Bangladesh, Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka). The competition encouraged integration by enabling them to learn about different cultures and develop new friendships.

Our programmes...


Improved decision making… ‘Before I joined the Street Elite programme all I was doing was hanging around on the streets, not doing anything and not going anywhere. My brother was on the programme at the time and I kept telling him to ‘sack it off, it won’t do anything for you, it’s all talk’, I didn’t have any faith in it. Then he got a job at the end of it and I thought, ok, it changed my mind and it inspired me to join the programme the next year. I wanted to be in a good job as well.

I had to wait a long time and be patient but I knew something was coming up for me. I listened to the coaches, stayed on track and made it through the programme. I had to work hard and when I was given the opportunity, I took it and I’m still here a year later. It’s not a bad job, it’s stressful, as I’m up at 6.30am and don’t get back till 6.30pm so I spend 12 hours of my day committed to work. But it’s good. Now I’m trying to carry on and work my way up.

There are not many programmes like Street Elite, I don’t see any programmes that offer you an actual job, yeah, you have to work for it but it’s there, you just don’t see it happening. It’s a big help for us (young people), we don’t get opportunities, we’re just seen as young people causing trouble on the street.

Personally, it don’t bother me what stereotype people put on young people, because everyone does stupid things when they’re young, things they shouldn’t do. So you can’t try and categorise our generation as bad or whatever, it don’t matter, were the same. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes make bad choices, even the people that are writing about us (young people). No stereotype needed, maybe just a bit of understanding…both ways.’

Charlie, age 22, Street Elite programme


Improved self-confidence… ‘When I was younger, I was going through a rough time because I felt so different to everyone else because of my sight. Then I heard about this local thing going on in my community centre, so I went down and actually played a couple of sports and met James the coach. I was 9 at the time. James completely understood where I was coming from, didn’t judge me and has literally transformed me! I mean it. My confidence has built from there with James’ help.

But it’s not even about cricket, it’s about me. Now, every time I go out and meet people, I’m not afraid to say ‘Listen, I’m VI (visually impaired), is that a problem?’ I’m so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to meet other people in the same situation as me and we can help each other to get through whatever problems we have, I want to thank the charity for that.

Right now I’m doing my GCSE’s and I’m acing them! But I’m also fundraising to go on a trip to Ecuador in 2017 for six weeks; I’ve got £300 so far. Over there we will be living the lifestyle of people with no water and little food to try to understand what it feels like and then after that we will be helping to improve the community by building wells, toilets and teaching in schools.

As for the future, I used to think I would have to do a boring job locked away, the only thing that VI people would get, and that’s how it’s going to be forever. But now, I want to be an actor! I can get any job that I want and I don’t need special treatment, because I understand that if I try hard I can get somewhere in my life. I can travel independently to different countries and work on TV. I will never say no to any opportunity, there’s nothing to lose.’

Theo, age 14, Hit the Top Inspire programme

Our stories...

Greater sense of integration… ‘When I come to this country I was 13, I started playing cricket at the refugee council with a tennis ball that had been taped up. The refugee council took me to Refugee Cricket Project at The Change Foundation where I learned to play hard ball cricket. This is something I never have thought I would have been able to do coming here. The facilities were something I really liked and had never seen before.

When I first came to the project I thought it was just about getting better at cricket. I soon realised that it was more than that, there were people there to help me out. They helped me get support about immigration problems, also problems with getting into a school and college. Being at the Refugee Cricket Project also helped me face the difficulties I was having being in a new country.

I have joined a cricket club and had county trials; this was something I never thought would have happened. The help I got at the project helped me get status to stay in this country. I have become so much more settled because of coming to the project. I think if I didn’t have cricket I would have been less settled. Cricket has also helped me understand more about England and I have seen different parts of the UK. I have also seen different types of people whilst playing cricket.

In six months, I would like to finish college with a good grade and keep playing cricket for a local club. But in the future, I would like to go to Uni and complete a course. I would like to find a good job after leaving Uni. I would also like to be married within the next 5 years. But my big dream would be to continue to look at becoming a professional cricketer because I now know dreams can happen.’

Babar, age 18, Refugee Cricket Project

Reduced isolation… ‘When I joined the STORM project, I really didn’t have much going on. I thought I’d join so I could do something with a bit of activity and get healthy again. It was something I could go to every week and maybe make new friends.

Someone like me who suffers from anxiety and depression finds it really hard to socialise and make friendships with new people because there’s just so much stuff going on. At the project we sit down, we talk, we do activities, we do sports and it’s something to look forward to in the week, we don’t have much to look forward to. There’s a small minority of young people that are lazy that don’t want to achieve, but I’m not one of them. I find it hard because of health barriers not because I’m avoiding hard work.

I’m really trying to find myself at the moment, I have some goals like going travelling and I want to be a zoo keeper, I love animals. So the goals are there in my mind, it’s just the motivation to achieve them. The project is helping me get there, as we have role models and mentors. There are mentors that are interesting to me and that I can look up to.

But ultimately I really want to be able to be myself. I’ve been doing different jobs because I needed the money, so I want to try and do something I want to do, not what someone tells me I need to do. I just want more life experiences, I don’t want to be trapped in circumstances, I want to get out there. That’s why I’ve taken some steps this year by coming to the project because I want 2016 to be my year, I want to stop saying ‘I can’t do it’ but instead say ‘I’ve done it!’

Isabelle, age 21, STORM Project



Into employment… ‘‘After one of my closest friends got stabbed in front of my face, I knew I had to change my life. My friend Sulie saw I was struggling and told me about Street Elite, it’s for two hours a week in London Bridge, the training is for 3 months and then you coach sports on estates. It all felt like a dream to be honest, the way Sulie was describing it and Si the manager too.

At the end of the programme I got an email about a two week placement with Berkeley Group and I went for it. But I had to have an interview with the Director, I’d never had an interview in my life and I had no qualifications, but Si gave me some hope.

But it wasn’t easy, I didn’t show up for my placement for 3 days because I felt lazy and when the last day came, I thought I can’t mess this up, so I asked my Director if I could do those 3 days again, he was surprised but agreed. Then I had my final interview in Tower Bridge and my Director said to me ‘you have two or three weeks to have some fun as from 1 November 2012 you start your new job and your new life.’ I got my contract the next day.

Now 4 years later, I’m still at Berkeley, my personality has completely changed, I prioritise my work and I want stay in construction and keep moving up, keep progressing and keep learning. I now represent myself differently at home with my family and my community.

I never thought I’d get a professional job, I thought I’d just do labouring and get day to day money, but now I think of a career. Advice to the youth out there still in gangs and doing that stuff, it won’t lead anywhere only prison and death and I don’t mind saying I’m so happy that I’m not going through that anymore.’

Irfan, age 22, Street Elite programme

Increased independence… ‘I came to The Change Foundation on work experience from my school and from there I learned about all the programmes they offer and got involved in Hit the Top as a participant. The coaches said I had potential as a player and I got involved in volunteering and coaching.

Cricket drew me to it, I played mainstream cricket since the age of 10, it was my passion and through the links I made through the charity I was able to fulfil my passion. My coaches were a big inspiration, they believed in me, they understood me and understood my disability. They always believed that I could do anything if I just went for it.

I’m more independent now and confident around people. I’m a bit more reliable with times and my independent travel is a lot better. I seem to have made friends pretty quickly in the staff team while doing my apprenticeship in sport for development with The Change Foundation which is increasing my knowledge. It was awesome being recognised as Hit the Top Coach of the year in 2015 for the work I do with kids with disabilities in Sutton. I want to encourage the kids to try new things and be more independent and take opportunities.

In 2017 we have a big tour with the England Learning Disability Cricket team against South Africa and Australia here at home in England. It will mean the world to me to play in front of my family, my work mates and my friends. Hopefully we can build this version of the game, and get more people down to see it and become role models to other young people.’

Daniel, age 21, Hit the Top Futures programme

The year ahead... our five main priorities for 2016 are:

In 2016, we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of our disability programme, Hit the Top, with more than 10,000 young people with a disability having benefitted from the programme over this period. We will host a range of celebratory events, deliver UK-wide disability sports training and launch our #HitTheTop10yrs social media campaign to raise awareness of the power of disability sport.

We will grow our partnership with the Bryan Habana Foundation here in the UK and in South Africa to launch the ‘Team Habana’ youth leadership programme, which provides opportunities for young leaders to transform their communities.

September 2016 will see a group of fundraisers ride from Edinburgh to London to raise money for the Rugby4Change programme and, as importantly, to celebrate the life of our dear friend, Graeme Porteous, whom we sadly lost in 2015.

With the support of Comic Relief and the BT Supporters Club, we will expand our cricket for social change training in India, working with even more street children and designing bespoke CSR projects for new corporate partners in India.

We will launch our innovative blind rugby programme, bringing together the rugby community with a pioneering adaptation of the touch rugby game.


Greater sense of belonging… Leanne: ‘I first joined a Hit the Top club when I was 14. Then two years ago I did the Futures employability programme which really helped me with my confidence, if it wasn’t for that I would never have done this interview. It helped me meet new people, travel more independently, make new friendships and communicate with people easier.’

Lois: ‘I attended an event for people with visual impairments (VI) to try different sports and a Change Foundation coach told me to come along to the regular Monday session, I was 11 then. I wasn’t confident in mainstream environments and Hit the Top provided a secure place, I felt safe and it was somewhere I could relax. I was able to really get to know myself, as well as other people with visual impairments and talk to them about how they cope.’

Leanne: ‘Now I’m working on walking to my friend’s house round the corner by myself, because I don’t go out on my own. But in the long term I want to be an accountant because I like numbers, I know it will be hard, but I’m aiming for it definitely.’Lois: ‘It’s made such a massive difference getting to know other VI girls, gives us role models and friendships. I speak up more, my confidence has grown and I feel I make better choices. The apprenticeship has made me feel secure rather than doubting the future all the time. Hit the Top is much more than cricket; I live on my own so it’s like having a family around.’

Lois and Leanne: ‘The biggest highlight was representing the UK in Nepal and going to play against Nepal in the first ever VI girls international cricket match. It was amazing, to see how they live and work, how different it is to us. We’ll never forget it.

Leanne, age 22, Hit the Top Futures programme and Lois, age 18, Hit the Top Heroes programme

The Cricket Foundation, Spartan, Garfield Weston, Royal London Society for Blind People, Greater London Fund for the Blind, The Primary Club, HMYOI ISIS, Virtual Learning UK, Refugee Council, The James Trust, Sutton Community Fund, Sutton NEET Forum, Sutton Education and Business Partnership, Mayor of Sutton, Tom Brake MP, The Fairstead Trust, The Ironmongers Company, The Baily Thomas Charitable Fund, Ajahma Charitable Trust, A-Star, Ealing Council, Southwark Council, Omniserv, Alone in London, REAch2 Academy Trust, Farm 4 Life, Dallaglio Foundation, Metlife, Prospect House, Graham Evans and the Porteous family and friends.All friends, families, teachers, schools, volunteers, trustees and individual donors.

Without your support our programmes would not be possible.

Thank you.

Our partners...


Join us... Together we can change more lives:

Sign upSubscribe to our newsletter on our website and keep up to date with our work and events.

GiveTo set up regular donations which will help us to continue reaching out and unlocking hidden potential in disadvantaged young people, please contact [email protected].

FundraiseOur fundraisers make a real difference. Why not take part in an individual or team challenge, hold an event in your local community or come up with your own ideas to help fund our life-changing programmes. To kick start your fundraising please contact [email protected].

Donate your skillsMake a long-lasting impact on a young person’s life by offering mentoring support, work experience placements, internships or CV writing and interview skills. Please email [email protected] to help a young person plan their next step into the working world.

SponsorYour money will go directly back into the development of our young people:

• Sponsor a young person through a training for work programme, improving their employability.

• Sponsor a mentor to provide young people with a regular and reliable role model who will inspire them to make positive life decisions.

• Sponsor a programme to enable The Change Foundation to continue delivering award-winning work and partnerships.

To find out more about sponsorship email [email protected].

#IAmChange

Contact:

The Cricket Centre, Plough Lane, Wallington, Surrey SM6 8JQ

thechangefoundation.org.uk

020 8669 2177

@ChangeFdn

facebook.com/thechangefoundationuk

Registered charity number: 1046047

AuthorHead of Programmes and Impact [email protected]

DesignFerguson Creative [email protected]

PhotosSimon Winson [email protected]

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The Change Foundation - Our Impact - Changing Young Lives thru Sport & Dance