Start Again

Website: www.start-again.co.uk

Launched by Mark Peters, a Birmingham based sports instructor and community youth worker, Start Again is a social enterprise providing a variety of services to young people to support their personal development.

The organisation works directly with young people, parents, carers, and professionals to help develop the young person's aspirations and goals. It also provides a way for Primary Care Trust mental health services, housing associations and others to work effectively with young people through physical activity, using a mixture of football and specialist worker sessions to engage their audience of 13-30 year olds.

These sessions are used as a tool to engage young people in living healthier lifestyles. They are normally undertaken over a 6-12 week period, with each session lasting 2-4 hours, including a football coaching session and a session with a specialist worker. The specialist worker sessions consist of informal question and goal setting, designed to inform young people of relevant issues around health, nutrition, drugs, alcohol and sexual health.

In May 2010 Start Again launched its first pilot programme, working in partnership with Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust on a football project for young people referred from Early Intervention teams. The aim of the programme was to foster relationships, build self-esteem and improve participants' physical and mental state. As a result, 75% of programme participants are now engaged in further education.