Babergh District Council officers will be championing award-winning project Be Active when they take part in a national exhibition in London this week.
Chris Foti, Head of Community Development, Alison Spalding, Senior Policy Officer, Greg Cooper, Community Development Officer (Be Active Leisure Inclusion Officer) and Cllr Sue Wigglesworth will be taking part in a Beacon Learning Exchange event on July 13.
The one-day event, which is being run by Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), is a chance for councils from across the country to get together and share experiences and tips about running Beacon projects in culture and sport.
Babergh's Be Active project scooped the Council its latest award for 2006-2007 in Culture and Sport for Hard to Reach Groups and has been hailed a huge success in getting young, vulnerable and disabled people involved in sport and the community.
The Be Active Project began in 2002 and has provided more than 50 courses for both residents with disabilities and youngsters who may be at risk of sliding into anti-social behaviour and crime.
The overall aim of each of the courses is to help participants gain new confidence, learn new skills and channel their energies and enthusiasm in a positive direction.
To take part in the learning event, Babergh has produced an exhibition stand with brochures and leaflets explaining just how Be Active can be used to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in a district’s less affluent areas.
A role-play sketch will also be performed at the event to illustrate – through drama – just how effective the Project has been.
A professional actor takes on the role of a disaffected youth before taking part in Be Active, and then as an adult after achieving a coaching qualification as part of the Project, showing how it helped turn his life around.
Greg Cooper, who heads up the Project, added: "The event will be an ideal way for Babergh to spread the message to other councils and sporting bodies as to how they can improve the life chances of residents and contribute to reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
“The day is open to all authorities and is aimed at practitioners who want to see if what we have achieved can be replicated in their authorities.”
Babergh will be following the event with its own Be Active open day, planned for February 2007. ENDS
More information on Babergh's Beacon Award.
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