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Our Objectives
The joint partnership with Sunderland AFC Foundation is seen by Cestria as one of the most exciting projects ever to be delivered in the Chester-le-Street area. It encourages participation from all ages and all sexes and a wide range of stakeholders who will hopefully benefit from the work to be carried out.
This is the first time the Foundation has worked outside of the Sunderland boundaries so this is an exciting time for all of us. They have always worked with a loyal Sunderland Football Club fan base but are now working in an area that has a mixture of Newcastle and Sunderland fans that traditionally do not mix well but this has been used in a positive way by breaking down some of the barriers that exist between young people.
Cestria feel the project is innovate in the way in which it uses football and sporting activities to access so many other learning and development opportunities. From a Housing Association perspective we feel that the project takes Cestria out into the community to work with all age groups on a personal rather than just ‘business level’ ie rent arrears, eviction and show that we are interested in people not just properties.
The project has helped reduce the ASB in the area and provides the facilities asked for by young people in the ‘Have your say’ survey conducted by the Crime Reduction Partnership, it gives young people with a place to go and feel safe without costing anything. It provides families in the community a chance to learn and play together, something that is lacking in society today. Young people stated in a recent DVD that we have produced that it was ‘Great to play with and spend time with my Mam/Dad’. This can only help with our work in the community as these young people we work with are the tenants of the future. The families we engage with will be able to communicate and hopefully get the confidence to go onto further education.