In communities across Stoke-on-Trent, funding cuts to youth services over recent years have had a big impact - but in Meir, one social enterprise has been providing young people with the space and encouragement to thrive. Alex Charlton reports for ConnectSport.

More than 15 years ago, Ben Gibson was working in the sport and leisure department for the local authority. At that time, there was a comprehensive youth service and outreach programme in place, offering structured activities, support networks and safe spaces for young people, but over time, cutbacks led to a decline in those services.

The result has seen a profound shift: fewer youth clubs, fewer opportunities and fewer places for young people to go.

However, Gibson, who was born and raised in Meir, took matters into his own hands and set up In2 Health & Wellbeing CIC, a community project designed to give young people a safe, positive environment and keep them engaged through sport and physical activity.

OPPORTUNITIES

“I set up In2 because there was a lack of safe spaces for young people,” he explains.

“I've seen the power of sport and physical activity first hand, getting young people back on the right track and connecting them to something positive.”

Indeed, the need for projects like In2 in Stoke-on-Trent is obvious, with statistics painting a clear picture of the issues facing young people. The city is ranked within the top 7% of most deprived areas in England, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Furthermore, more than two in five children are overweight or obese by year six, which is one of the highest rates in the country.

“It isn’t rocket science,” Ben continues. “You take away opportunities for young people to engage in safe spaces, positive activities and trusted adults, and what you see now is the fall-out of that.”

He points to a rise in serious societal challenges, from anti-social behaviour and youth crime to lower educational attainment and increasing numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Since its inception in 2017, In2 has been serving young people in the heart of Meir by providing them with a hub where they can cook, exercise and receive mentorship to set them up for success. “We’re just getting them to be the best version of themselves, really,” says Ben.

In2 has helped just under 1,000 young people already, but the journey does not stop when they become adults, as there are opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community.

For one young participant, who wished to remain anonymous, the project has been transformative - not just as somewhere to go, but as a pathway into new opportunities.

QUALIFICATIONS

“I’ve been doing admin, helping out with sessions, and even painting the yard, which is now part of the health and wellbeing space,” she says. “It’s given me a chance to see everything that goes on here.”

Through her involvement, she has already gained several qualifications, including a Level 2 food hygiene certificate, a child trauma awareness qualification and first aid training, with more in the pipeline.

However, beyond formal qualifications, she says the experience has helped her develop important life skills that many young people are missing in Stoke-on-Trent.

“It’s taught me patience, especially working with children, and how to understand behaviour,” she explains. “Once you get to know them, you can read them, you know what they’re like and how to help.”

“You build a bond with them. You’re not their parent, but you feel like a relative, someone they can trust,” she said. “You try to guide them, challenge their behaviour and keep them away from trouble.”

Having moved to the area at a young age, she echoed Ben’s concerns about the challenges facing young people in the area.

“There’s a lot of anti-social behaviour, and if you’ve got nothing to do, you can easily get caught up in it,” she says. “Places like this give you a first point of call, somewhere to go instead of being out on the streets.”

While the outlook can sometimes appear bleak when growing up in communities, she believes there is an obvious solution to tackle such issues.

DIFFERENCE

“If there were more sessions and more things for kids to do, it would make a big difference,” she adds. “It gives them something positive to focus on.”

And while the wider issues facing communities like those in Stoke-on-Trent remain complex, initiatives driven by local people are proving that change is still possible.

For Ben, the mission is simple but urgent: to ensure that young people have the opportunities, support and safe spaces they need to thrive, something he believes should never have been lost in the first place.

Visit the In2 Health & Wellbeing CIC page on the ConnectSport directory.

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