UK-based charity, The Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice, has revealed how it is helping to deliver the Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention (SYCP) Initiative, a groundbreaking new programme which aims to build safer and more resilient communities through sport.

Initiated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Agence française de développement (AFD), the SYCP Initiative is being delivered in collaboration with a wide network of national, regional and international organisations in four Southeast Asia nations - Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

RESILIENT

The implementation of the programme is being supported by a consortium co-ordinated by the Alliance of Sport, led by Bristol-based CEO James Mapstone.

At the inaugural SYCP Conference held in Bangkok in November, it was announced that more than one million Euros has been assigned to 11 organisations across the four countries to advance sport-based projects aimed at supporting building safer and more resilient communities. Read about seven key commitments made at the conference which was held in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Following the conference, the SYCP Initiative was also officially endorsed as part of the community legacy of the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games which took place in Thailand in December. James presented on the Initiative at the SEA Games Federation Council Meeting held on the eve of the Games.

As well as working internationally, the Alliance of Sport plays a leading role in advocating for how sport can help to reduce crime in the UK. It acts as secretariat for the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sport and Physical Activity in the Criminal Justice System, and in December published the official report from the APPG’s independent inquiry into physical activity and sport across the Children and Young People Secure Estate (CYPSE), and the Adult Custodial Estate in England and Wales.

Reflecting on the Alliance of Sport’s growing influence both in the UK and overseas, James (pictured above left) commented: “We create the conditions for change.

ACCOUNTABILITY

"When you look at crime prevention through sport, many of the challenges are the same – regardless of where it is being delivered. We see siloed programmes, fragmented and short-term funding, too many KPIs pulling in different directions, and often limited cross-government data sharing. In other words, we are not set up as a system, but a system of systems developed independently.

"To support change, we need leadership from justice and sport, and this doesn’t necessarily have to mean another layer of bureaucracy. From our experience, a co-owned governance spine with a light but firm structure can often be mobilised. It can provide accountability and direction, and build momentum.”

In this article, he adds: “We know the importance of community organisations taking the lead in how they respond to local challenges. Our role is to ensure that activities and impact are mapped to a common indicator framework.

“We adopt a similar approach when partnering with governments across countries. Our role is often to help them build cross-sector networks, but it’s their network, and we always invite them to lead it. In many cases, they actively welcome additional support and want us to drive the process alongside them. That means we often need to be deeply involved at the start, but also know when it comes to step back and let them shape the direction that’s right for their context. Ultimately it’s about understanding what the balance looks like and how we can bring people together.”

To find out more visit allianceofsport.org

Pic credit: Football For All Vietnam, Alliance of Sport.

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