Christmas charity appeal: how Street League gives hope using football | David Conn

Football is at work in the streets of the league, team building and leadership of a lost generation. Click here to donate

in a sparkling gym in Stockton-on-Tees Durham University campus, a dozen young men - and women - are absorbed into a football mock: control, fly a pass, run three cones in place, put the ball again. All eyes are down and focus, before you start sweating, sinking into the hard work and about the coaches call the voice of encouragement: "Well done good and continues to work again"

These players

helpful, positive, are not, however, a group of intellectuals at the university, which is the center of rowing on this site. This is the place of young local black unemployment in Teesside, who have never found a regular job since leaving school, and as described in the discussion outspoken with their coaches, as a "lost generation" .

Richard Thompson, 22, of Middlesbrough, is typical. Since leaving school at 16, his work has not been paid for four months at Kentucky Fried Chicken, an experiment of short duration, do not forget nostalgia. Since then, it was nothing. He lives with his mother with a disability, spends the day playing computer games. Asked how many years of his youth was, he said. "This is a personal nightmare"

The course provides soccer Thompson and others with a reason to get up in the morning is organized by the League of the street, which is dedicated to providing sport as a lifeline to the positive unemployment qualification "spiral of despair." Street League was founded in 2000 by Damian Hatton, then a medical resident in East London, which, by treating the same scruffy homeless in the emergency department, began organizing football for them at night. He saw the good that they did, and soon set about creating the organization to do so systematically. Street League has been chosen by The Guardian as one of eight charities to help disadvantaged youth and young adults who will benefit from the appeal of Christmas 2011.

Thompson heard of Street League entry-level open-air two hours weekly, appeared for several months, then moved to the more intensive "academy", which runs from Monday through Thursday for eight weeks. With jobs in football wanted Street League is working in the programs of the class, confidence, resume writing and other life skills.

"It helped me be more confident to talk to people," says Thompson, "and the game helps to develop teamwork, leadership and other skills that I think will m help get a better opportunity to get a job. "

Dean Cartwright, a football coach and employee advice coordinator of the street as the progress of the league, says he sees young people as arriving Thompson retired, lack of trust or Courage then covered with visibly more proud because they have football and are drawn on personal development.

"A very important part of it is the only only time will come," said Cartwright. "Many have no one to really listen, and start saying what is really happening to them. We do a session entitled "Why work? and money is rarely high on the list is -. respect and self-respect"

Street League has already concluded agreements with local authorities, agencies and the Probation Service and Jobcentre Plus, and universities - Durham is to provide excellent facilities here at no charge. Classes are held in London, Glasgow, Manchester and north-east and planned to expand the presence of Street League in eight cities. The General Manager, Matt Stevenson-Dodd, says there is "great demand" given the current increase in serious youth unemployment, which has exceeded one million for the year 16-24. Results of the Street League has shown that despite the terrible economic situation, 72% of young people who have "graduated" from the Academy have been a. Education, training or work

the heart of this vital work, the football itself: incredibly simple, but the transformation. The parents of most of the participants in the League of the street never worked after the collapse of industries that used to provide almost full employment in Teesside. For many young lives blighted by poverty, low expectations, often family breakdown, drink, drugs, crime and especially the endless boredom, sport, football, gets stripped of his magic primary. It is the joy of running and kicking a ball, teamwork and lack of camaraderie in the lives of lonely unemployed, feeling good that comes from exercise, and the ability of the complex game.

• "I worked with young people aged 20 years and have never seen anything as powerful as the game to make a difference," said Stevenson-Dodd. "It's phenomenal. People take for so enthusiastically because they like it, and workers are able to bond with them very quickly. Life changed little, the positive results from this base. "

Teesside Among young people, said Cartwright saw themselves as a lost generation is Urara Haji, 22, originally from Tanzania. The work, as they are in the Price Community Sport Leadership, a coaching qualification entry level, Urara takes the session, running the line, shouting "Bravo's it boys, go"

importantly, Cartwright said, the stimulus is a natural for the participants, but need a little education to be positive, a life lesson. When your planned exercises are carried out, Pat Urara boys in the back and say it was his best session so far. Then he sits down to tell his extraordinary story. At 17, he left Tanzania, walking and driving two weeks in Cape Town, where it put on a boat.

"I did not know that the boat was," he said. "I had a little bread, biscuits and a bottle of two liters of water. When I discovered After eight days was almost dead. "

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