Leeds Rhinos Foundation has received funding from the Safer Communities Fund for a new project that will see them work with current inmates at HMP Leeds.
The ‘Onside’ project will use sport and the engaging values of sport to cover a range of areas including responsibility, motivation, teamwork, respect and discipline. These values will be linked to real life skills such as healthy living, employability and being a champion citizen.
The programme will be delivered by Leeds Rhinos Foundation staff in partnership with Tempus Novo, an award-winning charity that helps ex-offenders into employment and is reducing reoffending rates by more than 90%.
The project will see Leeds Rhinos Foundation staff work in the prison with the inmates to deliver two hour sessions over a nine-week period. The sessions will involve classroom based workshops looking at areas such as communication, aspiration and lifestyle choices and this will be combined with physical activity in the gym.
One of the aims of the project is to find opportunities for ex-offenders once they have been released and so the charity will continue to provide support for those who have completed the course with support following their release and will be signposted to Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s existing adult learning programmes which take place at the inspirational Headingley Carnegie Stadium.
Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s partnership manager, Dan Busfield said: “This is an exciting new project which we are proud to be involved with. Along with Tempus Novo we will be working with offenders who have a desire to engage with the police, the prison service and partner agencies and move away from a life of crime.
“The cost of crime is estimated at £11 billion annually and these high crime levels contribute to making communities decline and can erode a community’s sense of cohesiveness, as well as having a huge financial impact. With this new project and through working in partnership with the Police, Prison Service and partners we aim to use sport as a vehicle for social inclusion, with the intention to reduce levels of crime, and the threat, harm and risk of crime being committed against communities.”
The Safer Communities Fund, was launched by Mark Burns-Williamson, Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire, to help voluntary, community groups, charities and partners make their communities safer and feel safer. The Safer Communities Fund is financed from monies recovered by West Yorkshire Police under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA). Grants are awarded in line with the priorities set out in the Police and Crime plan. To find out more about the plan, its priorities and how they were decided please click here.
Steve Freer, CEO and Founder of Tempus Novo added: “Tempus Novo are delighted to be working in partnership with Leeds Rhinos, Leeds Prison and West Yorkshire Police. Further developing an already solid relationship which is working towards a common goal, reducing crime and alleviating poverty in our community. Through this initiative we will be able to teach offenders some basic skills which will hopefully equip them better to move away from crime and into jobs.”
For more information on the Onside Project contact dan.busfield@leedsrhinosfoundation.org