Cestria in partnership with Sunderland Foundation

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 to break down some of the barriers that exist between young people.

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 the project takes Cestria out into the community to work with all age groups on a personal rather than a business level 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 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 we 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 are the tenants of the future. We hope that the families we work with are able to further develop their confidence and lead them to future education opportunities.