DEVELOPING SOCIAL INCLUSION AND THE SPORT OF AMATEUR BOXING;

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1 DEVELOPING SOCIAL INCLUSION AND THE SPORT OF AMATEUR BOXING; The Context Combatting Social Exclusion is a key element of government policy and the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) together with a number of other Governing Bodies of Sport, have sought to establish partnerships to develop sport in this context. In doing so the ABAE is seeking to follow the recommendations of the Government's Sport Strategy, 'The Game Plan' and its Policy Action Team 10 which set out an agenda for action for sport in encouraging social inclusion. The ABAE have adopted the following Policy as our sport's contribution to encouraging Social Inclusion as part of it's commitment to achieve Equality of Opportunity in Amateur Boxing, whether as a participant, coach, official or spectator. The Policy Statement The Amateur Boxing Association of England will support initiatives to achieve inclusion through the medium of our sport. It will work to ensure that the initiatives are workable, sustainable and transferrable and will ensure that they offer practical assistance to those who are excluded or at risk of exclusion. The ABAE will ensure that these initiatives do not conflict with the principles which underpin the development of the sport of boxing which is a club based sport, dependent on a skilled and committed volunteer base. Developing Sport in Communities and Communities through Sport To this end the ABAE, through its network of clubs, its development staff and coaches is already involved with partners in a number of initiatives within the contexts of: * Urban Regeneration * Community Safety * Personal and Social Development for young people * School Community Links * Healthy and Active Lifestyles * Education to Employment

2 The ABAE will continue to seek out such partnerships through which to promote Social Inclusion and to realise individual potential at its member clubs and within its coaching and developmental structures. The ABAE will actively encourage the sharing of best practice within its own Membership and with other similar bodies engaged in encouraging Social Inclusion through sport. Background to the Policy; What is Social Exclusion? The Cabinet Office (2001) define social exclusion as: "a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown". The critical issue is that these ( and other) factors are linked and mutually reinforcing and can combine to create a fast moving and complex vicious cycle. Social inclusion and social exclusion are relatively new terms developed in response to criticisms of the term poverty. But poverty and deprivation are not new and remain, in these progressive times, a major issue for many communities. Social exclusion describes the process that leads to individuals or groups being wholly or partly excluded from normal exchanges, practices and rights of modern society and, therefore, full participation in that society. 'Social inclusion is the process by which efforts are made to ensure that everyone, regardless of their experiences and circumstances, can achieve their potential in life. An inclusive society is characterised by a striving for reduced inequality, a balance between individuals rights and duties and increased social cohesion'. (Inclusion, 2002) There are many issues and dimensions involved in becoming an inclusive society. The definition of what exactly is meant by social inclusion reflect this diversity. Percy-Smith (2000). identifies the issues or dimensions and suggests indicators. Economic long term unemployment and economic inactivity job insecurity workless households, income poverty

3 Social Breakdown of traditional households, unwanted teenage pregnancies, crime, disaffected and disengaged young people and homelessness Political Disempowerment, low levels of community activity, alienation/lack of confidence in the political process, social disturbance/disorder Locality environmental degradation, decaying housing stock, withdrawal of local services, collapse of support networks, concentration/marginalisation of vulnerable groups Individual Factors educational underachievement, low skills, low self esteem and confidence, mental and physical ill health. Social Inclusion is more likely to be achieved when individuals or areas do not suffer from the negative effects of unemployment, poor skills, low income, poor housing, crime, bad health, family problems, limited access to services isolation and high costs, how do we reach this? (1) A Cross Departmental Strategy There are a variety of national policy strategies and initiatives working towards achieving social inclusion in the UK, encompassing both economic and social policy areas. Initiatives range from tax credits implemented by the Treasury, to welfare-to-work programmes (managed by the Department for Work and Pensions) to the Connexions Service for young people being (managed by the Department for Education and Skills) and the Positive Futures Programme, (initiated by the Home Office but now managed by Crime Concern). Social inclusion is a crossdepartmental strategy that encompasses many of the government s policy areas and as the ABAE Policy Statement makes clear, any attempt to become a 'player' in the drive towards social inclusion through the medium of sport means working with a new and often unfamiliar set of partners. (2) Not Just Government But it s not just about what governments can do, what can real people do? If some of the causes of social exclusion are around mental and physical ill health, crime, disaffected, disengaged youth, low levels of community activity, social disturbance and disorder, low self esteem and self confidence then these will not be tackled simply by offering an individual tax credits! Something deeper, at the core of a person or group of people needs to change. So an alternative question might be what can a community, and groups of people who come together with a shared passion, do to tackle social exclusion?

4 (3) Why our sport? History teaches us that for those that are socially excluded, and have a talent and a commitment, sport has always offered a way out, an alternative. It seems clear that sport and in particular boxing can play an important role in having an impact in these areas, especially as it now embraces this as a goal an intention underpinned by the ABAE Policy Statement. The on-going evaluations of the Positive Futures programme (carried out by Dr Tim Crabbe for the Home Office) are very clear that sport has a key role in helping young people develop their potential and the fact that a number of Amateur Boxing Clubs are involved in delivering Positive Futures is a great launch pad for increased involvement. Boxing in recent times may have held a controversial place in the sporting world, largely because of a confusion between the business of professional boxing and the sport of amateur boxing, but the benefits, especially in terms of goal direction, building relationships, health, discipline, drug/substance and alcohol free activity are clear. (1) We can develop the potential of individuals and communities - building self confidence, competence, life and social skills, health and well being and allowing real achievement through competitive success or qualification in coaching and leadership. (2) We can develop community identity and encourage collective effort by Organising Around Enthusiasm for our sport. This is especially important in areas where the social and environmental infrastructure has decayed and where many of our clubs are located. We can help develop Community Pride and help achieve Community Cohesion. (3) We can develop positive links with the wider community - connecting with the mainstream which we are encouraged to do by PAT 10. This may be through the Positive Futures programme initiated by the Home Office and now managed by the national charity, Crime Concern, which is targeted at the most deprived wards in the country - just where many of our clubs are based. (4) We can link with the Education sector through our programmes at Hopwood Hall, Houghal and Durham or in partnerships with the national network of Specialist Sports Colleges through programmes like the Youth Sport Trust 'Living for Sport'. Funding opportunities also exist through the Learning and Skills Councils where the context of Amateur Boxing can be used to offer support in acquiring basic skills to young people who are Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET)

5 (5) Sport, including our own, is associated with rapidly growing industries. Employment and entrepreneurial opportunities exist as well as rewarding volunteering opportunities - for young people as well as adults. Links with Community Enterprise for young people through vehicles like the Prince's Trust can be important. (6) Our sport can lead to a lifetime commitment where a variety of roles and levels of involvement can be adopted, from active participation through to coaching, officiating and administration. Volunteering is at the heart of Amateur Boxing and we need to value our volunteers, support them and offer them what they need in order for them to be able to play a full part in developing Inclusion. An Agenda for Action Developing Amateur Boxing and increasing Social Inclusion The Policy Action Team principles, which were set out to guide sport and the arts in promoting social inclusion, are a good way of to develop increased social relevance AND competitive success based on a bigger participation base. PAT10 Principles: 1. Valuing Diversity - we have real ethnic and social diversity in Amateur Boxing. We need to build on this and celebrate it in marketing Amateur Boxing to a wide variety of communities and promoting equality of opportunity. 2. Embedding Local Control - we need to give our clubs the expertise and help them gather the resources to control their own destiny. A network of Development Officers and the new ABA Web Site will be crucial tools in helping clubs to access financial and other support. 3. Supporting Local Communities - we need to make sure that we are an integral part of the communities where our clubs are located. Schools and Community Groups can benefit from our 'product'. 4. Promoting Equitable Partnerships - we need to make sure that any partnership in which we, or our clubs, are involved is a fair and honest one. Our invaluable voluntary workforce are not there to be exploited for someone else's short term objective.

6 5. Defining Common Objectives in relation to ACTUAL Need - we need to make sure that our partnerships are based on the hard reality of local conditions as well as shared objectives at national and local level. The objectives need to be explicit from the outset and to fit with our ethos - and the benefits must be mutual! 6. Working Flexibly with Change - traditional ways of doing things may be past their 'sell by' date BUT we need to manage change effectively and sensitively. We need to value our volunteers and ensure that 'professionalism' and partnerships with outside agencies don't alienate our core membership. 7. Securing Sustainability - we need to avoid the 'Quick Fix' approach and any partnership on which we embark needs to have an exit route planned in from the start. Projects should have sustainable effects not necessarily sustainable mechanisms. We need to become more and more self sufficient and although we will benefit from having Development Personnel 'on the ground' we have to recognise that we are always going to be a volunteer based sport. The club is the foundation of the sport. 8. Pursuing quality - anything we do needs to be based on professional 'best practice' and on the National (or Industry) Standard where relevant, as in Coach Education and coach deployment. 9. Connecting with the mainstream - we need to be aware of where social policies in health, education and community safety are going, find 'best fit' with our core objectives and help our clubs to get access to mainstream resources (as well as helping the 'mainstream' achieve its objectives by using our 'product'!).