Active Fusion Empowers South Yorkshire Youth with Grant to Transform Lives Through Sport
Young people in South Yorkshire are Moving On Up thanks to an investment of almost £300,000 by the region’s largest local grant giving charity.
A new report shows £299,004 has been awarded to 24 groups and organisations across the region as part of SYCF’s three-year Moving On Up (MOU) Young People and Employment Grants Programme.
The innovative project was developed by SYCF in response to findings from its Vital Signs research – carried out every three years to respond to the needs of the communities across South Yorkshire.
Vital Signs is the culmination of surveys and face to face consultations with groups in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield to identify the most pressing current needs in the community. The 2021 survey highlighted young people pre-employability opportunities and skills as a priority area for young people in the region.
Recently presented The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, Active Fusion is a charity which collaborates with other organisations, coaches and young people to deliver sports and physical activities to young people. Based at The Hub, Doncaster College, the charity offers programmes to improve the physical and mental wellbeing and social mobility of young people in deprived communities.
Active Fusion was awarded a grant of £15,000 to design and deliver a 12-week intervention programme specifically tailored to meet the diverse needs of each young person referred to its project. A total of 33 participants engaged in a variety of activities, including group and one-on-one sessions, creative thinking exercises, reflective practices and leadership training.
Dave McLeavy, Head of People and Partnerships for Active Fusion, said: “This personalised approach helped us to understand the participants’ holistic needs, enhancing engagement and progress.”
“We are so grateful to South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation. The Moving On Up funding created a safe space for young people to engage in sports, helping educators understand their social, vocational, emotional and mental health needs.”
“Some of the young people who took part had attachment difficulties or have suffered trauma so these sessions were incredibly valuable in terms of providing opportunities for growth, trust building and emotional management in a supportive environment.”
Michelle Dickinson, head of philanthropy and programmes for SYCF helped develop MOU. She said: “Moving On Up is a wonderful example of how we are making a positive difference in South Yorkshire’s communities by improving the life skills, education, enterprise and employability of those aged 14 to 30.”
“The findings from our 2021 Vital Signs research project showed supporting young people with pre-employability opportunities and skills was a priority area for young people in the region. By listening carefully to the needs of our community groups, we have been able to develop tailored and relevant solutions. The funding provided to these organisations through the Moving On Up programme is acting as a catalyst for change in the areas which matter the most.”
The latest data from the Vital Signs 2024 survey was revealed at a special event in October.
Michelle added: “We’d like to thank everybody who contributed to Vital Signs 2024, either by completing our survey or holding a consultation event. The results will be used to help shape future investment in the region and identify the priorities for grant giving in local communities.”
Discover more about the Fusion Transition programme here.