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NCFA Newsletter
August 2015

Welcome to this FREE v FREE edition of the NCFA newsletter.  As the world of professional football takes a quick breath before the circus kicks off again, the NCFA provide the world of children’s football a platform to have ‘Games Without Frontiers’. 

National Children’s Football Week’s FREE v FREE gets the International thumbs up in Chile, India and Uganda. Our very own National Projects Director, Paul Cooper provides the details along with games happening on the home front.  

The NCFA would like to welcome on board the La Manga Club as International Children’s Football Alliance stakholders. An inspiring interview with Juan Pedro talks about La Manga’s Peace Field Project and how it will break down football barriers.

Is playground football about to be resurrected! Tony Pearce looks into the children’s game in an evironment without managers, referees, scouts and brands.      

Variations on football are many, in this edition Daniel Yeo touches on some of the choices accessible in a country often tied down by association football.

F C Unity and the One World Play Project have joined the International Children’s Football Alliance; we are delighted to be working with two likeminded and innovative organisations seeking to protect childhood through play.  

Finally, we wish you all a happy National Children’s Football Week and spread the FREE v FREE game where ever you are.

EDITOR

In this issue

Free V Free.

La Manga Club Peace Field. 

Playground Football.

Variations on Football. 

FC Unity.

Social Nutrition. 


www.thecfa.co.uk

Free v Free

FREE v FREE this month; children from many different backgrounds and walks of life from the UK, India, Uganda and Chile will be playing football for fun. What they all have in common and what unites them is they will be playing for free. Paul Cooper reminds us that playing football should not be consumed by brands and associations. 

Click here for more information. 

La Manga Club Peace Field

La Manga Club, is a high performacne football centre which serves the elite in a sport that demands the best in term of facilities and sports science. So why do they want to designate a football pitch as a peace field. NCFA’s Ernie Brennan was invited to the club (which prides itself on working with International football clubs and football players) to talk to the charismatic head coach Juan Pedro.

Click here to read article

Playground Football

A programme called Working With Others draws information from grass roots football coach Tony Pearce and his work at Hertford Junior School, Brighton.  The article is an interesting observation of the behaviour of children playing football on a playground. Teachers across the country will identify with many of Tony’s findings but will the adults that coach children take notes?

Case study here.

Variations in Football

How to get involved,  Daniel Yeo writes, ‘ For many years, barriers like gender, disabilities and limited niche leagues have prevented children taking up anything other than eleven-a-side football, but other options are becoming more widespread. So what are some of the alternatives to the standard kick-about, and how do youngsters get involved?  

 Read update here

FC Unity

FC Unity is a London-based International not-for-profit organisation which aims to provide a platform for development and education through a series of football-based programmes. FC Unity promotes unity, cross-cultural acceptance and understanding, community cohesion and ultimately a more peaceful co-existence through developing youth leaders….

Download report here.

Social Nutrition

One World Play Project Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Tim Jahnigen states that, ‘there is nothing more essential than play; it is in our DNA – a need as important as food, medicine and shelter. ‘It’s an intrinsic part of our lives, regardless of geography or culture,  play heals and rebuilds communities devasted by war, disaster, disease and poverty’.

Click here for more details
Funding!!! If your organisation or company is interested in supporting any aspect of the NCFA please get in touch with Brendan Hanlon brendanhanlon@thecfa.co.uk  NCFA Jobs Page

“The world cup wasn’t won (1966) on the playing fields of England. It was won on the streets” Bobby Charlton
 
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NCFA Newsletter
July 2015

Welcome to this edition of the NCFA newsletter.  As the work flow increases in the office we are on constant lookout for volunteers to help continue the great work being done in the children’s game.  If you too are passionate about protecting childhood through football and play in any shape or form then please get in touch. 

National Children’s Football Week’s FREE v FREE is an opportunity to ring fence the children’s game and promote the virtues of play.  As the football machine takes a gulp of breath NCFW is the perfect gap to play the real game for fun with friends and family.

International Children’s Football Week gains momentum this year in Chile, India and Uganda with founder ICFA members adding to the cultural exchanges highlighting the importance of play around the world.   

At a recent conference in Bruge, Belgium the NCFA met with organisations delivering projects commemorating WW1 and made some interesting connections with European partners using football as a tool to educate young people about the 1914 Christmas Truces.    

We have a great update from ICFA ambassador Becca Todd currently working in Chile and we have created links to the wonderful River of Hope in order for you to read their report and hear learn about the great work they do.

Finally, the One World Play Project who are supporting the Peace Fields Project are a likeminded organisation doing some great work.  Do what you can to support One World Play Project – buy a ball and another ball will go to a play project free. 

EDITOR

In this issue

Free V Free.

International Children’s Football Week. 

Easier in Practice

Red Hot Chile Football. 

River of Hope Report.

One World Play Project


www.thecfa.co.uk

Free v Free

Free v Free resonates with more and more young people that like to play a game of football without the pressure of performing in branded arenas or paying for the pleasure of kicking a ball around. We love our football but not at a price. Support NCFW and protect childhood.   

Click here for more information. 

ICFW

International Children’s Football Week, welcomes all clubs, groups and organisations aiming to provide young people a safe area to play without having to pay for the privledge. ICFW provides opportunities for organisations to listen to their children through football and report back to the ICFA their needs and concerns.  How can football help your organisation to communicate to young people through play.

Click here for more information

Easier In Practice 

During the Easier Project, 4 exchange visits took place between teachers and students from Engalnd and Belguim which highlighted the importantance of play submerged in the history of World War One and contextualised by young people.  At a Easier Final Conference in Bruges teachers and project partners shared their experiences and discussed the legacy of the 1914 Christmas Truces. 

Case study here.

Red Hot Chile Football

International Children’s Football Alliance Ambassador Becca Todd updates the NCFA on Futbalistas coaching in Chile where the children’s game knows no boundaries. Their game provides the perfect environment for inclusion, education, health and well-being. While teaching English Becca forms the first girls’ football team running out of Escula Los Trigales.

 Read update here

River of Hope Report

River of Hope International Children’s Football Alliance members are please to announce their online annaul report is available to download from their website. If you are interested in supporting the fantastic work in the Democratic Republic of Congo please click on the link below for futher information.

Download report here.

One World Play Project

One World Play Project  kindly donated 100 special edition Peace Field Poppy Footballs to the Peace Fields Project. Each school participating in the Peace Day Celebrations at the 5 Hub Schools will receive a ball at a ceremony twinning a designated area of play with Flanders Peace Field site of the 1914 Christmas Truces.

Click here for more details
Funding!!! If your organisation or company is interested in supporting any aspect of the NCFA please get in touch with Brendan Hanlon brendanhanlon@thecfa.co.uk  NCFA Jobs Page

‘There is no gendar or race in children’s football only mixed ability and anyone who tells you different is an adult’. Ernie Brennan, Founder of the Children’s Football Alliance’.
 
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NCFA Newsletter
April 2015

NCFA are proud to announce that the Peace Fields Project (PFP) has been granted funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Schools, clubs and groups interested in taking part in the PFP can find more details on the Football & Peace website.  On behalf of the NCFA I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund and all our partners for their support. 

International Children’s Football Alliance, founder members Slum Soccer will be organising a PFP in India, 2016.  Slum Soccer will host a week long event for young people, provide child focused Charities and NGO’s a platform to share best practice and work together in delivering football projects that promote health and well being. In this edition we feature the Slum Soccer film which was produced by the NCFA. Once again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Slum Soccer family (staff, coaches, teachers, volunteers, parents and most importantly children) for their warm friendly hospitality, when I visited last month.   

National Children’s Football Week’s FREE v FREE is a period in the ever consuming football calendar where football focuses on children of all abilities.  There is no agenda – it is FREE to take part please contact the NCFA for futher details. 

2nd Chance is our guest charity in this edition we talk with Justin Coleman about his extensive knowledge of the Criminal Justice System (prison and community) and how family football can support rehabilitation.  

A big thank you to the NCFA’s Race, Equality and Diversity Officer, Don John and the Racism Just Aint Saintly team for a wonderful event in Southampton where children were presented with the Black Football Heritage Book.

Finally, I would like to thank Mal Lee for his candid Don’t X The Line recording.  It is a fitting tribute to everyone in grass roots football the people that work, volunteer and protect childhood in the game. 

Ernie Brennan (Managing Director)

In this issue

Peace Fields Project.

Slum Soccer.

National Children’s Football Week 2015. 

2nd Chance. 

Racism Just Ain’t Saintly.

Refspect


www.thecfa.co.uk

Peace Fields Project

Peace Fields Project received funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund to provide opportunities for school children to learn about their community’s role in World War One.  All members of the community will have access to supporting the PFP which will twin designated areas of play with the Peace Village and Flanders Peace Field, site of the 1914 Christmas Truces.

Click here for more information. 

Slum Soccer

Slum Soccer, India’s Children’s Football Alliance will facilitate the first Peace Fields Football events in 2016, their designated areas of play will be twinned with Flanders Peace Field, site of World War One, 1916, Christmas Truces, where the famous football games were recorded by alie and German soldiers.   The Slum Soccer film produced by the NCFA is available for funders to view online.

Watch the Slum Soccer film here

National Children’s Football Week 

FREE V FREE resonates with more and more people that like to play a game of football without the pressure of performing in branded arenas or paying for the pleasure of kicking a ball around. We love our football but not at a price that squeezes us out.  NCFW promotes football in its simplest forms.

More details here.

2nd Chance

We have been extremely impressed with the way 2nd Chance work, their philosophy and the hope, structure and future it gives not just the people on their programmes but the families, friends and local community. It has a profound effect and the results have been nothing short of astonishing.  In this edition of the newsletter we look at the work of 2nd Chance and how they go about achieving change.

 Read article here

Racism Just Ain’t Saintly

Racism in football is a fact! It exists on and off the pitch. It clearly exists in the board rooms at all levels in the game. There is no point brushing the problem under the carpet after all its been in the game since 1863.  Racism Just Ain’t Saintly is a campaign with a history for educating young people so they gave away free copies of The Black Football Heritage Book.

Read the full article here.

Refspect

Mal Lee is the founder of Don’t X The Line  and he is also a founder member of the National Children’s Football Alliance. In this candid self recording Mal reflects on the DXTL campaign’s past, present and future. This is one modern day soliloquy that will resonate with many organisations that don’t feel apart of the so-called football family. 

Click here to listen to Mal
Funding!!! If your organisation or company is interested in supporting any aspect of the NCFA please get in touch with Brendan Hanlon brendanhanlon@thecfa.co.uk  NCFA Jobs Page

‘The NCFA has both the interests of children and the game at its heart. There is not any other organisation in my knowledge that can honestly make such a claim’.€˜ Jim White, Author ‘You’ll Win Nothing With Kids’.
 
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