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[Community] Your Game festival reaches London this weekend

Friday 9 May 2008

Some of the world's top football freestylers will join young people from disadvantaged backgrounds across London this week for a project which Prime Minister Gordon Brown says can unite different cultures and help young people become leaders in their communities.

'Your Game' is a partnership between the BBC and the Football Foundation which uses football and music to address youth issues such as gang culture, sexual health awareness and social exclusion.
 
Between March and May, a series of festivals of football, music and urban culture have taken place, and they will conclude this week with Your Game London on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May.

Access
The festivals, which are presented by DJs L-Double, Ace and Invisible from BBC 1Xtra, provide 16-25 year olds from some of the most disadvantaged parts of the country the chance to access free training and funding for their communities.

Your Game London will also feature a football freestyle battle between of the world's top freestylers from across the planet, including world champion John Farnworth, Ireland's Nam the Man, Sweden’s Palle and freestyle superstar Billy Wingrove.

Projects that work with ex-offenders, young single parents and refugees and asylum seekers from across the capital will be among those taking part in a street-football tournament with the winners going through to face teams from all over the country in the Your Game national final in Birmingham on May 19th.
  
Positive voice
The BBC will also be giving a chance to aspiring MCs, DJs, reporters, photographers and urban artists as the project aims to give young people from underserved communities a positive voice in the media and society. Urban music stars Bashy and Tor will be at the events to give a masterclass to aspiring young artists and advise them on how to progress in the music industry, as well as performing live.

One young person from the region will also be selected to be one of the Your Game 2008 'All Stars', and will get the chance to travel to Switzerland in June during the European Championship as guests of the Swiss Embassy in the UK. The All Stars are selected for their outstanding contribution to improving their community using sport or music and will take part in social inclusion projects with young people in Switzerland.
  
The Prime Minister Gordon Brown said "Your Game is a fantastic way of showing young people from all backgrounds what they can achieve in life and to help them become leaders in their communities. The Your Game festivals show how sport and music can unite people from different areas and cultures.
 
Turning point
"Your Game has been the turning point for many young people" says Terence, a community worker from inner-city Birmingham. "Youths in our city are predominantly associated with crime, drugs and gangs and though this does exist there is more to us than that.
 
"Your Game has helped to show the good that comes out of inner-city areas and that positive people are working in these communities. We have used Your Game to tackle gang culture in Birmingham, and to date we have managed to form three teams made of different affiliated gang members".

Aston Villa captain Nigel Reo-Coker says "I love football but I'm also a big fan of music and the two work together well in my life. When you combine the two with the freestyle side of it - who knows what can happen".

For more information, visit the Your Game website