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December 1, 2023
Manchester City FC’s charity, City in the Community (CITC), has unveiled a new mentoring program to support young adults in the HMP Hindley prison in Manchester, UK. “City Ready” will provide a combination of classroom-based workshops and outdoor physical activity sessions to educate on areas such as mental wellbeing and employability. The effort builds on the belief that if used alongside educational resources, young adults can view a path beyond criminal behavior, learn about employment opportunities and how to positively contribut to their communities.
The peak age for criminal convictions in the UK is 21-25 for men. Hindley holds men aged 18 and over. According to non-profit Street Games, sport has the potential to act as a diversionary activity by removing individuals from potentially negative situations, peer contacts and routines, helping to prevent involvement in youth offending. It can also act as a form of intervention or rehabilitation as it gives young adults a purpose, discipline and routine, which helps support mental and physical wellbeing.
City Ready uses a non-judgmental approach to help build strong and trusted relationships with young adult offenders. Alongside weekly sessions inside the prison, participants are also offered 12-weeks of customized mentoring upon release to support their reintegration across Greater Manchester. Mentors support individuals with re-settling into the community, as well as guidance on employment opportunities, providing a platform to build on.
Following programming in Hindley, CITC reported that 98% of City Ready participants improved their physical wellbeing and 91% improved their mental wellbeing. So far, the program has supported three cohorts of young participants both in and outside of prison. “We are extremely passionate about this program because we understand the power football can have. We hope that, by leveraging the inmates’ interest in sport, we can help to empower them towards a healthier life and reduce the risk of reoffending,” said Community Mentoring Manager, Jason El-Kaleh.
One benefitting participant had been in Hindley since 2020 and was recently released. He took part in sessions designed to help manage negative behaviors and attitudes stating, “since being out, CITC has supported me a lot and made me realize that even though I have been to prison anything is possible. I know where I want to go in the future and it’s opened my eyes to possibilities that I didn’t think were possible.”
Founded in 1986, CITC supports people across Greater Manchester by empowering healthier lives through football. Its youth-focused programs place physical and mental wellbeing at the core, while creating healthy futures and communities. The City Ready initiative sits under CITC’s Healthy Communities pillar, alongside programs supporting female empowerment, disability provision, underserved youth, young people at risk of offending and military veterans.
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