This article by Beth McCowen is part of our partnership with Reach Plc, the UK's largest commercial, national and regional news publisher, and was originally published in the Coventry Telegraph. To find out more and how your organisation can benefit, please contact hello@connectsport.co.uk

When Mushtaq Dawod and Safwan Ahmed were growing up in Coventry, their local youth clubs were a lifeline. After-school sessions, football tournaments and boxing classes at Positive Youth Foundation (PYF) gave them a safe space, a sense of belonging, and - without them realising at the time - the blueprint for something much bigger.

Today, the pair are at the heart of Creed, their own Community Interest Company (CIC). The friends set up the organisation to bring that same energy back to the neighbourhoods they grew up in - areas where youth clubs have vanished, parks lie empty, and young people are too often left with nowhere to go.

SELF-DISCIPLINE

Creed aims to educate young people of Coventry on the benefits of boxing and fitness training. With a focus on confidence-building, fostering friendships, instilling self-discipline and enhancing overall physical and mental wellbeing, Creed creates a safe and supportive environment where young people can learn and grow whilst staying active. 

Through a community built on strength, belief and the power to act, Mush and Saf are on a mission to show the youth of Hillfields that there is a brighter future. 

Both men first came across PYF when they were teenagers. Saf remembers football tournaments and summer camps where staff felt like mini parents, keeping them disciplined while encouraging them to dream bigger. Mush recalls boxing sessions and youth clubs that kept him off the streets.

But over time, they saw those spaces disappear. “That youth club I used to go to has turned into a nursery,” Saf says. “The park we spent every weekend at just became an empty field. There was nothing there anymore.”

So when Mush suggested setting up something new, something local, the decision was easy. “We said, let’s keep it in our park, let’s rebuild it where we grew up,” Mush explains.

Across the city, cuts to youth services have left a vacuum, and that’s why Rashid Bhayat founded PYF in 1997. Rashid recalls how his journey started on the very same sports pitch that Mush and Saf’s did. It all began with just a bag of footballs.

“When we started, there were youth clubs everywhere, but often the young people who needed them most weren’t even allowed through the doors,” Rashid says. “We wanted to make sure no-one was left outside.”

CONFIDENCE

Now, PYF supports more than 3,000 young people each year across five strands of work - from education and training to health, mentoring and sport. Rashid describes it as “a good old-fashioned youth club”, only one that also tackles some of modern society’s biggest challenges like inequality and exploitation.

For Mush and Saf, that ethos was the launchpad for Creed. “PYF gave us confidence,” says Mush. “We went to them saying we wanted to start our own thing and they didn’t question it. They said ‘Okay, have you got your safeguarding in place? Do you need contacts? We’ll help’. Without them, it would have felt like no-man’s land.”

In just a couple of years, Creed has created a community of its own. Saf describes how children who barely spoke in their first sessions are now laughing, making friends and finding confidence. “You see them come out of their shell. That’s the reward,” he says.

One pleasant surprise has been the number of girls taking part. “Nearly 40% of our group are female,” Mush notes. “That’s huge, because in our community especially, sport was always seen as ‘for the boys’. But now you’ve got girls boxing, playing football — and believing they can do as much as the guys.”

The sessions do not just give young people a safe outlet. They give Mush and Saf something back too. “Our days are hectic - work, clients, family - but those two hours with the kids bring us back to life. They remind us of our own childhood,” says Saf.

While many community organisations are forced to chase grants to survive, Mush and Saf are determined to stay true to their purpose. “From day one we said: funding or no funding, we’ll still do this,” says Mush. “We’ve run sessions with nothing but a ball in the park. If we get funding, it’s a bonus - more equipment, more options. But the kids come first.”

CONSISTENCY

That consistency has become their trademark. “Whether it’s five kids or 40, we’ll be there,” Saf says. “Because for them, knowing there’s something to look forward to every Wednesday or Saturday can be the difference between drifting away or staying on track.”

The long-term vision is to keep growing - from outdoor park sessions to, eventually, a dedicated community space. But for now, it’s about steady progress. “If we can be 1% better than last year, that’s success,” Mush adds.

Rashid believes their journey shows the true value of youth work: its ripple effect. “PYF inspired them, and now they are inspiring the next generation. That’s how change happens,” he says.

For Mush and Saf, it’s simple. “We had people who believed in us when we were kids,” Saf says. “Now it’s our turn to do the same.” 

Read more about Positive Youth Foundation. For more information, contact info@positiveyouthfoundation.org

Watch short video about Creed. For more information, contact contact@creedcommunity.co.uk

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