Football Journeys (FJ) brings together young people (aged 13-18, male and female) from disadvantaged areas and diverse backgrounds to build relationships, understanding and communication through the common language of football and the medium of filmmaking. FJ is committed to enable young people to realise their potential and find their voice in a society that is increasingly noisy with misinformation, fear and urban stereotyping. We work proactively with community groups and schools to connect and develop young people in a way that is meaningful to them.
FJ is breaking ground, changing behaviour and building impactful relationships between youth organisations. Using the language of football to attract and engage them, our young people develop skills, positive relationships and learn to appreciate one another and the places where they live.
At FJ we combat negative stereotypes of young people and their communities by taking participants to different parts of London to build positive links with their peers – other young Londoners. We’re working to break down barriers between young people in London. By playing football together in each other’s ‘home’ ground, London becomes more accessible and the things they share become obvious.
In terms of activities, each FJ group film each other and create a video through a participatory approach, about who they are, their community and love of football. This involves communicating with local people (often of a different age), exploration of their own identity and developing skills in presenting, camera-work, interviewing, storyboarding and directing.
Their short films are then screened to the other groups, so they can learn about who they will be meeting, what the other groups are interested in and where they will be going.
Groups then meet at inter-community football exchanges. The aim of the exchanges are for participants to interact with each other, step out of their comfort zones, learn about a new community, host a group in their area and develop positive relationships with people they may have negative stereotypes about.
The exchanges are full of action, interaction and fun, they bring together the young people’s work already achieved and help to secure lasting friendships across urban borders and cultures; it is a wonderfully dynamic and transformative event.
After the exchanges, participants develop public speaking skills, through delivering presentations about their experiences and achievements to the wider community.
At the end of activities, some participants volunteer to become FJ Ambassadors to support facilitation of the next round of video and football programmes, introduce FJ to new youth groups, and input on organisational programmes and strategy. Acting as Ambassadors for FJ, these young people pass on their skills to new participants, access further leadership opportunities, and promote integration between communities. This is a big step up and many new skills are acquired in the process including leadership, administration, team-work and planning, along with a greater awareness of societal and community issues.
