Day 2: sports star Adam Leighton

16 days of young achievements continues with Adam’s story. He’s the winner of a Sports Award in the 16-19s category.

Adam was a troubled youth and was known to the police and the authorities. He fell back at school and was always in trouble. Through his school, he was put on a volunteer programme and started by working with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. He then got involved with the 896 Youth Project and a project ran by the BYS, the crime reduction charity Nacro and Dorset police. The project uses football to engage young people with the local community and cut crime. He has grown with the project and contributed massively to it which is how he came to be nominated for the Young Achievers Award.

It was here that some of the specialist workers that supported him noticed his love of football. They also noticed his other positive traits like his maturity, his willpower and his ability to interact with his peers. To them he came across a leader and a good team player

Adam took on the big responsibility for his Bos Vegas football team of applying to the Youth Opportunity Fund and Football Foundation Junior Kit scheme in order to acquire football strips and portable floodlights for the project. The application was successful and they now have what they need. The floodlights are used during the winter and the strips have given the team a sense of identity. The work he has been doing coaching the young people has enabled them to represent the 896 Youth Project as well as build their confidence and show them that there are other ways to engage with the community they live in.

To date, Adam has successfully completed his FA 1 and is currently undertaking his FA 2 coaching qualifications which will help him with getting a job in future.

Adam has come a long way in three years and as he’s developed, so has the 869 Youth Project. He now volunteers at a Football social inclusion project led by Nacro and Safer and Stronger Communities in Boscombe where he also coaches young people between the ages of 8-12 years. He is a positive role model for them and can offer guidance and a listening ear as some of them are in a similar situation he was in three years ago.

Julian Cadwallader, the local Police Community Support Officer, who has worked with Adam, said: “This position of responsibility has impacted very positively on Adam and has helped him mature into a fine young man and a great example to other young people that they do not have to follow negative paths.”

Since becoming involved with the project, Adam now realises that there are more positive and productive methods for engaging with young people who are at risk of being excluded from society due to personal, economic and social issues. He is most proud of his FA qualifications and seeing the young people he works with, develop and doing positive activities. He has managed to completely turn his life around and has achieved a lot both for himself and also for the project.

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