The Leeds United Foundation will be working with a number of key partners as they launch a new Primary Choices programme from October 2021.
In partnership with Leeds City Council, fibre broadband provider Hyperoptic, the Premier League and the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), the club’s official charity will be offering a new initiative, fully funded, to support every Year Six pupil in Leeds.
The project will run over the next three years, with spotlight workshops being delivered each year to classes of young students throughout the city, covering a variety of themes around decision making, support for youngsters and the pressures they are facing with regards to online and social media challenges, whilst also reflecting on important topics such as anti-social behaviours, knife crime and gang affiliation.
There is also the chance for intensive six-week programmes for selected pupils and schools, based on the needs of each school. These sessions will be made available to support individuals that have been identified as requiring extra support and may be presenting risk factors associated with behavioral problems and challenges with attendance and attainment.
The Leeds United Foundation ‘Choice Makers’ who will be delivering the sessions, will follow the PSHE framework during the spotlight sessions and by engaging with this new programme, local schools will also be left with curriculum, materials and educational themes to support with additional delivery.
John Mallalieu, CEO at the Leeds United Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be launching this exciting new programme that is fully funded and is available to every Primary School across Leeds.
“We can all see how difficult it can be for young people growing up today, most recently with how the pandemic has impacted students but also generally with how society is evolving. Primary Choices will offer students a key network of support that will hopefully help youngsters to make the right choices in any difficult circumstances they may find themselves in.
“Our partners Leeds City Council, Hyperoptic, the Premier League and PFA have been magnificent in supporting this initiative. By working together, the aim is to provide opportunities for young people to experience success, aid children in moving away from negative influences and help them learn about themselves, improving their motivation and self-esteem.”
Charles Davies, the MD ISP at Hyperoptic, added: “We first started rolling out our hyperfast full fibre network back in Leeds in 2015. Since then, we have strived to give back to the communities we were serving via connecting community hubs for free and offering families free broadband during the lockdowns.
“We are thrilled to be going a step further today by supporting the Primary Choices programme, which will make a real difference to young children across the whole of Leeds.”
For anyone that would like to learn more about the Primary Choices programme, please contact [email protected].
