As part of the ongoing ‘Prevent and Deter’ model developed in the area, the four players who have been with the team since its initiation in 2011, were identified as positive peer mentors for up and coming players from Limestone United Juniors. Arsenal Community Hub have become excellent partners to Limestone United, and delivered a fantastic programme to help in the development of the participants.
As part of the ongoing crime prevention work, a senior youth worker from the North Belfast BELB area project also attended to develop relationships with the team, and use the benefits of the Limestone Model to assist in positive youth intervention using mentors from their local community . The visit included
- A talk with a survivor of the Holocaust who made a compelling impact with his positive message on hate, and how to strive to make a positive impact in your community no matter how small the action;
- Indoor football match against Young people from North London who have come through the criminal Justice system and are making efforts through sport to change their lives in a positive way. Limestone won a tough but enjoyable session with a last minute goal from Dean Blair;
- Planning session with Arsenal as to potential progress for the Limestone Model as it is being rolled out with prevent and deter throughout Northern Ireland. Honest and frank conversations took place with clear objectives outlined for forthcoming 12 months;
- Night time visits to 2 projects in area so we could witness projects chat to young people and leaders in attendance. This was an excellent learning opportunity and we saw at first-hand how use of local pitches could reduce ASB in hot-spots areas if used in an imaginative way with motivated leaders to support young people hanging around the streets.
For further information on the Limestone United programme, or if you are interested in using football in your area to tackle anti social behaviour, contact Claire Adams Claire.adams@irishfa.com