Sports coach lands major award
ALITTLEBOROUGH SPORTS coach who has been running activities for youngsters for the past two years has been honoured with a top award.
Link4Life coach Matthew Howells, 23, received the national Outstanding Work in Community Safety award from the Street Games charity in recognition of his efforts.
Matthew has been running sports activities for youngsters in Darnhill, including tennis, football and golf with soft balls, while carrying out other work which addresses anti-social behaviour.
The big Rochdale FC supporter and former Hollingworth High School and Oldham Sixth Form College student joined Link4Life after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire.
Matthew said: “I’m delighted to win this award which recognises all the hard work we’re doing at Link4Life.
“I’ll be taking this award to Darnhill because it’s the people living there who have really made this programme a success.”
The Darnhill scheme was originally one of seven Home Office and Police and Crime Commissioner projects chosen to establish effective ways to use the power of sport to reduce youth crime.
The main goal is to achieve a reduction in anti-social behaviour. Darnhill was chosen after consultation with former Heywood and Middleton police Inspector Steve Hanlon and the community.
Darnhill’s boxing club was burned down a few years ago and it has no indoor venues for children and young people, other than a library.
There had also been friction between some local shop keepers, residents and youngsters who were hanging around at night.
Matthew and the youth service put on activities on a kick-pitch behind the shops.
The first challenge was to fix some of the broken lights above the pitch. Then Matthew put on tennis, football and street golf with soft balls.
At first there were some raised eyebrows from shopkeepers when they saw youngsters carrying golf clubs and wearing ‘balaclavas’. In fact, the balaclavas were snoods to keep the youngsters warm and the golf clubs were being used for an adapted game of golf.