Living in a disadvantaged area hampers young people's development: area-based deprivation is strongly related to higher crime, poorer educational achievement, health problems and high levels of disability. These factors have a knock on effect on the local environment and community spirit, with residents in poor areas experiencing roughly four times more social and environmental problems than residents in more affluent areas. Sport and outdoor physical activity can have a positive impact on young people's lives, yet youngsters living in disadvantaged areas face many barriers to participation.
So why focus on sport?
Sport makes a significant difference to young lives: it contributes to young people's health and, therefore, their development; it involves engaging with other young people in a positive way, thereby helping to avoid trouble; and it encourages concentration, motivation and other learning skills that help their education. However, young people living in disadvantaged areas face many barriers to participating in sport.
1) Poor health among low income households inhibits exercise, with parental ill health impacting directly on children's levels of physical activity.
2) Few free sporting opportunities exist outside school, and charges are often unaffordable.
3) Only a limited range of sports is available and some sports are expensive.
4) Lack of safe spaces in which to play deters parents and children, so street play becomes less safe and attractive.
5) Poorer local environments have fewer open spaces and lower controls over conditions.
I set up the Thornaby Youth Zone to enable young people living in Thornaby to participate in sporting activities. Areas with greater poverty need cheaper provision and so my aim is to host sporting activities at little or no cost to the family. In the eyes of parents - and many young people - public spaces are not sufficiently supervised and there is very little on offer to attract them to our parks and open spaces.
Local authority cuts have taken a toll on affordable activities and with authorities getting a smaller slice of the cake in future, sporting activities will become more expensive and out of reach for many local residents and young people.
Where possible I will keep the Youth Zone going and the plan is to create a weekly timetable of activities for the young people of Thornaby to engage in sport and start to break down those barriers.
So why focus on sport?
Sport makes a significant difference to young lives: it contributes to young people's health and, therefore, their development; it involves engaging with other young people in a positive way, thereby helping to avoid trouble; and it encourages concentration, motivation and other learning skills that help their education. However, young people living in disadvantaged areas face many barriers to participating in sport.
1) Poor health among low income households inhibits exercise, with parental ill health impacting directly on children's levels of physical activity.
2) Few free sporting opportunities exist outside school, and charges are often unaffordable.
3) Only a limited range of sports is available and some sports are expensive.
4) Lack of safe spaces in which to play deters parents and children, so street play becomes less safe and attractive.
5) Poorer local environments have fewer open spaces and lower controls over conditions.
I set up the Thornaby Youth Zone to enable young people living in Thornaby to participate in sporting activities. Areas with greater poverty need cheaper provision and so my aim is to host sporting activities at little or no cost to the family. In the eyes of parents - and many young people - public spaces are not sufficiently supervised and there is very little on offer to attract them to our parks and open spaces.
Local authority cuts have taken a toll on affordable activities and with authorities getting a smaller slice of the cake in future, sporting activities will become more expensive and out of reach for many local residents and young people.
Where possible I will keep the Youth Zone going and the plan is to create a weekly timetable of activities for the young people of Thornaby to engage in sport and start to break down those barriers.
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