Beautiful aim for street football programme

THE beautiful game is being used to help support people in need in Carmarthenshire.

A street football initiative has been launched in Llanelli and Ammanford which aims to support individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by using sport to improve their physical, mental and social health.

Organisations, including housing advisors and mental health charities, will be in attendance to help individuals who need it. Sessions will aim to create a supportive and inclusive space, where participants can become more active by playing football, improving their overall health, while simultaneously benefiting from the expertise of housing advisors.

The Actif Sport and Leisure initiative also serves as an avenue for housing advisors to maintain regular contact with at-risk individuals on a weekly basis, allowing for ongoing support and guidance when supporting them on their journey towards stable housing. Beyond this, the initiative will provide an additional layer of support by offering a cooked meal for participants.

Sessions occur weekly, and have begun at Llanelli Leisure Centre on Fridays at noon and at Ammanford Leisure Centre on Wednesdays at 4.30pm.

Cllr Hazel Evans, Carmarthenshire Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, leisure, culture and tourism, said: “The work Actif is doing will help to ensure that individuals who are experiencing homelessness or those who are at risk of homelessness have a place they can go where they can not only enjoy an all-inclusive environment facilitated through sport but can also have access to the right kind of services that will help them.”

For more information about how the Street Football initiative is being implemented, visit their website: www.streetfootballwales. com/