The Active Essex Foundation is proudly celebrating its 10-year anniversary, marking a decade of using sport and physical activity to change lives, strengthen communities and tackle the inequalities faced by some of Greater Essex’s most vulnerable young people.
Founded in 2016, the Foundation was established to address the deep-rooted inequalities across the county. The charity set out a clear purpose to use sport as a powerful tool to reach the under-represented groups, improve community cohesion and enable every resident to fulfil their potential.
Bob McLintock, one of the charities founders, and now Chairman said: “The Active Essex Foundation’s mission has remained consistent for 10 years. We have worked hard to inspire communities to be more active, raise aspirations, confidence and skills, strengthen community cohesion and showcase the power of sport and physical activity in relation to reducing anti-social behaviour, exploitation and poor mental health. There is still more to be done of course, but I am proud to have been on this journey.
Sport has proven time and again to be a powerful catalyst for hope, connection and positive change. Our focus now is to build on this momentum, ensuring that every young person, no matter their circumstances, has the opportunity to thrive.”
Since 2016, the charity has successfully secured over £4million in funding to make a difference in communities. The funding has been distributed to partners and neighbourhood projects enabling impactful interventions and long-term partnerships with over 200 locally trusted organisations to deliver sport and physical activity in local neighbourhoods. Working with agencies to secure additional resources, they have been able to support networks of local organisations to share knowledge and resources in this space.
Teachers have commented on the impact of the Active Essex Foundation involvement saying: “students are happier in school and more confident that I have ever known them to be, attending regularly and engaging in lessons” and local deliverers added: “the programme has engaged vulnerable secondary-aged young people at risk of anti-social behaviour, strengthening peer relationships, showing a willingness to try new activities and engaged regularly.”
Youth violence has been increasing significantly in Essex, especially the involvement of a weapon in youth offending. In Essex, 89% of the youth violence is attributable to just 10% of all police suspects, although anti-social behaviour rates have recently fell by over 13%. The Foundation have been able to provide a strong evidence base to demonstrate the power of sport on reducing youth offending.
In the past three years alone, the Foundation’s targeted youth work has supported more than 6,000 young people at risk of crime, exploitation or exclusion, prevented an estimated 2,000 potential youth convictions, provided training, resources and capacity-building to over 100 community organisations and supported almost 1,000 young people struggling with their mental wellbeing.
1 in 5 young people in Essex are facing mental health issues and the charity also work hard to offer safe spaces and training for local activity providers, to meet young people’s mental health needs. Physical activity and sport are playing a key role in improving mental health, reducing stress and boosting self-esteem.
Through cross-sector partnerships with Essex Police, the Youth Justice Service, Probation, Health, Education and community physical activity providers, Active Essex Foundation have demonstrated the proven role sport can play in reducing violence, preventing anti-social behaviour and improving life outcomes for vulnerable young people.
Roger Hirst, the Essex Police Fire Crime Commissioner has been pivotal in the charities relationship with the Essex Police, and said: “It is a really powerful partnership(….) and it is through working together and providing the support for young people across the county that we are really making a difference.”
Young people such as George, who attended Active Essex Foundation Colchester BoxSmart club, added: “BoxSmart has been somewhere I got accepted. Coming here has helped me to get away from friends who were making things worse for me. I now want to help people because it’s hard to ask for help.”
As the Foundation looks ahead to its next decade, the ambition is clear. To create the conditions to tackle inequalities through sport and physical activity by strengthening community-led initiatives and continuing to champion equity and health inequalities across Greater Essex.
