ABOUT THIS PROGRAMME
Using football to tackle a variety of community social issues such as gender, disability, inclusion, education and health, Premier Skills combines the reach of the British Council with the global appeal of the Premier League using football to develop a brighter future for young people around the world.
The programme has already had a tremendous impact in 20 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Since 2007 Premier Skills has created training opportunities benefitting 2,300 grassroots coaches and referees who in turn have reached more than 400,000 young people.
OUR AIMS:
- to engage street children (including vulnerable children) in a range of constructive activities within a safe environment
- to create progression routes into education, training and livelihoods for street children and their communities
- to encourage young people, community coaches, youth leaders and others to volunteer for projects and support development within their communities
- integrate an English language component into community football, by providing positive learning experiences through the global appeal of Premier League football.
Premier Skills in Indonesia
Indonesia is focusing on the area of Premier Skills which links community projects run by Premier League clubs in other countries. In Indonesia Premier Skills followed the example of Kickz, which is similar project run in the United Kingdom.
Similar to this name the Indonesian project is called Gocekz (meaning 'dribble' in Bahasa Indonesia), which is a social inclusion project that uses football as a tool to engage with disadvantaged children.
Together, we are working with some of the most challenging and disadvantaged communities from across Jakarta. Many of the children have spent time living on the street and have been exposed to crime and unhealthy lifestyles. Currently, Gocekz provides support in three areas:
- Counselling: in collaboration with skilled social workers, from both the Ministry of Social Affairs and a number of local children's centres, we are helping young people to develop social skills and address some of the complex issues from their experiences living on the streets.
- Football Coaching: we have 35 talented coaches from the Jakarta State University, running sessions that focus on football skills, team work, friendship, respect and healthy living. Coaches are great role models for the children. Many of the children are inspired to improve their levels of health and continue their education so that they can study in university like their coaches.
- English: from 2013, we are bringing English language training to the Premier Skills project in Jakarta. Still in its pilot phase, we are already working with teachers and volunteers to adapt materials taken from Goal, the comic from Premier Skills in Bahasa Indonesian.
Impact
Since 2012, with strong support from our local partners, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Jakarta State University, Premier Skills Gocekz has changed the lives of more than 200 young people from children's centres and drop-in centres throughout the Jakarta area.
The greatest strength of the Gocekz project is that it aims to help children develop through an integrated approach covering both social and life skills. The programme has been praised by the Ministry of Social Affairs for changing the way the Ministry works with disadvantaged children.
We are about to embark on a third extension of Premier Skills with the Premier League, which will include a new partnership with Liverpool FC.