Freestyle Bristol CIC are providing safe spaces for local Bristol youth communities during ‘Football Fridays’ an initiative that wants to get young men aged 14-18 off the streets and away from gang violence and drugs.
Freestyle Bristol is an organisation dedicated to helping the young people of Bristol and “a digital platform curated by young people, for young people”.
Managing Director Delroy Hibbert says, “we provide projects that support young people in Bristol from an age of 10 up until 30.”
Freestyle Bristol CIC helps and supports them via working on the website, attending a youth project or, “it could be attending one of our wellbeing sessions like football Friday.”
The Initiative ‘Football Fridays’ takes place in the evening at a low cost and has done since January 2022, pulling in large crowds of up to 50-80 people per week and is overseen by four qualified coaches.
Mr. Hibbert feels it’s, “really important to provide safe spaces.”
Continuing, “we know that there is conflict out there, between young people on the streets and providing a positive and healthy activity in a safe environment, with our coaches, really does provide this very important aspect for these young people.”
Freestyle Bristol CIC has launched an appeal for donations in hopes of making enough money to keep sessions running after closing over September/October 2023.
Mr. Hibbert said, “we had some funding, just some post COVID funding to get activities going again, and that, ran out last year and we have continued to fund it ourselves, and getting donations from various sources, but unfortunately we did have to stop in September/October because we ran out.”
With the appeal, Freestyle Bristol CIC is hoping to gain enough donations to keep the sessions running whilst also keeping an eye on the future in hopes to, “expand our services because we know there is a demand for sessions like this in Bristol.”
The requested funds will go directly to the Friday football initiative in hopes that they, “really secure its long-term future and to avoid us having to cancel a session again”.
Mr. Hibbert speaks about its impact on the community and how it has helped two refugees, “their English wasn’t great, but they were really interested in football.”
Continuing “football, is an international language so, we were able to invite them into our sessions and they’ve been able to join and become a part of it, develop friendships amongst other young men that are out there.”
