OnTarget Sheffield

By Cam Terry One could argue that Sheffield’s footballing history is one of the longest in the world. The Steel City is the birthplace of the beautiful game and has a long list of firsts associated with the development of the modern game. Sheffield were pioneers in giving the world its most popular spectator sport as well as the worlds first football club, Sheffield FC, in 1857. Sheffield’s ability to pioneer was also seen in the development of the first set of rules, which influenced the rules which are in use today, such as free kicks and throw ins, 11-a-aside teams and the length of the game being 90. Sheffield was home to the first local ‘derby’ after the establishment of the world’s second oldest football club, Hallam FC, in 1860. Furthermore, Sheffield boasts the oldest major professional football ground in the world, Bramall Lane which hosted the first flood lit match in 1862, and the first game to be heard on radio in 1927. Sheffield currently has two major clubs, Sheffield uni...

By Kristie Rodgers Local Need I’m Kristie and I was the project leader for OnTarget when it was just an idea. One of our Directors at the time wanted to tackle youth offending in Sheffield and challenged our team to create a social enterprise that could have a real impact on young people at risk of offending throughout Sheffield. Our team set about speaking to local organisations that tackle youth offending and reoffending, academics working in this area, and ex-offenders that were dedicated to tackling youth offending in a variety of different ways. Through our research we found links between youth offending, exclusion, homelessness and re-offending. We spoke to people tackling all aspects of these challenges and gained insight into the process for tackling reoffending in Sheffield and we found a gap. Currently, and rightly so, resources are directed at resolving criminal behaviour before a young person receives a conviction. However, due to limited resources on schools and support s...

People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s also a powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges, supported by plenty of evidence. Taking part in physical activity can have a substantial positive impact on mental wellbeing by improving mood, decreasing the chance of depression and anxiety, ADHD, and boosts your overall mood. You don’t need to be the fittest person around to reap the benefits, research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a noticeable difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better. The mental health improvements from engaging in sports aren't exclusive to when sport is carried out by oneself, it can come in group contexts too. There are even indications t...

From research from Child Trends, a nonprofit research body that conducts research on children, children's families, child well-being, and factors affecting children's lives, amongst other research bodies, claim that one-to-one mentoring is a ‘promising strategy for youth development’. Evaluations made of various mentoring programmes, studied the impact on three major areas that are critical to young people’s success in life: educational achievement; health and safety; and social and emotional development. It was found that mentored youth are likely to have fewer absences from school, better attitudes towards school, fewer incidents of hitting others, less drug and alcohol use, more positive attitudes toward their elders and toward helping in general, and improved relationships with their parents. Research from the Blue Heart Foundation supports these findings. Evidence suggests that stronger relationships are built as a result of setting healthy boundaries with the mentor to b...

Mental Health Awareness Week By Ellie Marlow The 18th to the 24th May saw the Mental Health Foundation promote Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme of kindness. The campaign encourages people to drive conversations about mental health to reduce stigma and create permanent change. This is an incredibly important cause to OnTarget. Our school programme aims to use relatable mentors and work placements to help students gain important life skills that boosts their confidence and self-worth, helping to improve their mental health. The widespread encouragement of open discussions on mental health is vital in providing methods for people to cope with mental health issues and publicising resources that can help. The campaign has been running since 2001 but has assumed special significance this year considering the strain of the coronavirus pandemic and associated challenges. Mind has launched their #speakyourmind campaign as part of this week, encouraging people to reach out to friends ...

By Ellie Marlow The Situation The global pandemic has altered how everyone conducts their lives, and this is no different for OnTarget. Unable to send mentors into school to deliver our usual service, we explored alternative routes to ensure we could continue to provide benefits to the local and wider community. As has often occurred during this time of change and adaptation, social media emerged as a key resource. Its ability to connect people regardless of location has proved invaluable during this period of distance and isolation. Drawing on this powerful attribute, OnTarget adapted its operation to ensure our key aim of improving mental wellbeing and employability prospects, using student role models, was achieved. The Solution This began with us noticing a gap in support for parents and guardians having to teach their children at home due to school closures. We wanted to address this. Considering the multitude of students now without studies and more available time, we constructe...