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News

Teenagers and Police Make Football the Focus

Six teams of teenagers from across Poole recently took part in a football tournament at Ashdown Leisure Centre. The tournament was the culmination of a project known as Focus Football that ran throughout the autumn and has seen Community Beat Officers from Poole Police, along with volunteer helpers, organise and coach the teams at youth centres and recreation grounds across the borough.

As part of the build up to the tournament all the teams participated in a community project of their choice which saw youngsters improving their communities in a variety of ways from bulb planting and shrub clearing to goal post painting.

The team from Upton Youth Club ran out the winners of the tournament with Bourne Valley YC coming a close second. Branksome pipped the Limelights centre for third place after a play off. The team representing the Town Centre were awarded the Fair Play Award and Waterloo YC also contributed well to the day.

Colin Dutfield, Senior Youth Worker, Pupil, Parent & Youth Services, Borough of Poole, said: "Another highlight of the tournament was a game between representatives from all the participating teams and a team of young people with additional needs. All the players involved played the game in an excellent spirit and really helped create an inclusive feel to the day."

Cllr Tony Woodcock, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children's Services, Borough of Poole, said: "This was an excellent project that focussed the minds of young people into taking an interest in their local community as well as having fun. I am delighted the Council was able to work in partnership with other agencies to achieve this."

One of the aims of Focus Football, jointly organised by Dorset Police, Borough of Poole and Nacro Football4All, was to develop more positive relationships between young people and the police. When asked if the project met those aims one of the players from Limelights, said: "It keeps us out of trouble doing this and when we see the police in the street we are all really friendly to each other and we talk about football."

Colin Dutfield, Senior Youth Worker, Pupil, Parent & Youth Services, Borough of Poole tel 01202 262281