MDHC ARCHERY PROJECT
Malvern Hills District Council
OVERVIEW
On Friday the 13th of January 2017 Active Youth Outreach Services began a 6 week Sportivate funded archery project located at Sport Martley leisure centre, The project was aimed at targeting inactive young people to increase their level of physical activity on a regular basis. AYOS worked with Malvern Hills District Council, Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire and Freedom Leisure to achieve this.
SESSION
AYOS were approached to lead the project by Malvern Hills Early Help as a result of us already delivering many programmes and courses for children and young people. The sessions ran from 4:15pm-5:15pm each Friday evening for 6 weeks, we were keen to cultivate a sense of ownership for the sessions so that young people could feel at ease and comfortable in the new surroundings when trying a new activity.
We set up full safety netting and used real target bosses. Our qualified staff engaged with around 14 young people each week. All the YP received full safety briefings and were coached across the weeks with regards to stance, body angle, correct technique and aiming in order for them to improve and gain success. Staff were on hand to promote health and well-being throughout and o er advice and support to those young people who required it.
RESULTS
Throughout the project we had we managed to fill over 60 spaces across the 6 weeks, and all the young people said they enjoyed trying something new and would like to continue. All the young people rated their experience at a (4) Very Good or (5) Excellent.
We had some great feedback from the project;
“The coaches were great and the kids were enjoying the activity, which was great to see”
Harry Robinson – MHDC Community Services.
CONCLUSION
As a result of the positive feedback we are now hoping to run similar sports outreach sessions across the county to promote physical activity and health and well-being for children and young people.
We are also utilising our youth outreach mobile to tackle an social behaviour in areas of highest need, working closely with community safety partnerships and local policing teams across all districts using the medium of sport as means of engagement for children and young people.