YMCA YISP Project
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Youth Inclusion and Support Panels (YISPs) are multi-agency planning groups that seek to prevent offending and anti-social behaviour by offering voluntary support services to high-risk 5 to 13-year-olds and their families. |
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There are two YISP panels operating in Cambridgeshire and managed by the YMCA. One panel is based in Cambridge City and the other is based in Wisbech. YISP is funded through the Children's Fund and managed by the YMCA. |
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The YMCA Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and FITC have been working together for some time now. Every Friday evening in term time FITC coaches provide football coaching sessions at The Thomas Clarkson Technology College in Wisbech.
The aim of the sessions is to allow the young people to be able to particpate in some positive activities. Through the sessions not only the children learn to develop there football skills, but also they learn how to work as part of a team and enhance there personal skills and help build self confidence and self-esteem.
The session has proved an alternative to anti social and offending behaviour with the sessions being on a Friday evening. Some of the children that participate at present have been attending the session from when it started back around 3 years ago.
The success of these sessions has been immense. The confidence of the young people that have particpated has been very noticable and there all round character has improved. We not only monitor success in the development of there football skills but more importantly there social skills and the respect they show for their fellow team mates and the coaching staff. Some of the older children have now become peer mentors for the rest of the group and help out the coaching team with running the sessions.
We have provided the F.A. Soccerstar courses for the children to enable them to attain some kind of accrediataion through the football sessions. The results have been fantastic with every child attaining something, and they have been able to have another go at the award in months to come to monitor any progress. The children have found it fun and given them some focus on achieving an award through football.
FITC have even provided the YISP Project with School holiday courses for the youngsters in and around the Wisbech area as part of the YISP School holiday programmes.
For more information on the YMCA Cambridgeshire and Peterborough please click here