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Cash hope for martial arts club that helps cut gang crime
Matthew Beard, Sports News Correspondent15.06.09
A youth project which resolves conflict among gang members through the Brazilian martial art of capoeira has been nominated for a £60,000 charity award.
Capoeira Youth was set up in Newham last year following its success in transforming the lives of slum-dwellers in a pilot project in Bogota, Colombia.
The martial art, which was invented by African slaves and took root in Brazil, is a hybrid of sport and dance with an acrobatic duel taking place to the accompaniment of music.
Leaders of the scheme say they have seen a remarkable change in the 200 newly recruited capoeiristas, including young asylum seekers, gang members and drug abusers.
"Because it is such a multi-faceted sport using martial arts, acrobatics, music and dance there is something for everyone and it unites rather than divides" said project founder Josephine Genetay.
Capoeira Youth is among five projects in line for the London Legacy Award, a prize honouring a charity which best uses sport to tackle social problems.
The award is jointly funded by the Beyond Sport foundation, which aids projects that promote social change through sport, and Mayor Boris Johnson. It is supported by the Evening Standard.
Other projects to make the shortlist are a boxing academy for disadvantaged youths, a five-a-side football scheme for the mentally ill, an inner-city horse riding club and a football project that helps rehabilitate homeless people.
The shortlist was chosen by judges from Beyond Sport, City Hall and the Standard from 40 entries.
Nick Keller, founder of Beyond Sport, said: "Each of the five projects that made the shortlist for the Beyond Sport London Legacy Award shared the common attribute of having a fantastic community leader.
"What we're hoping is by holding up these projects that others will be inspired by the potential of sport to address some of the capital's most pressing social issues."
Readers of the Standard can vote for their favourite charity by 26 June.
Mr Johnson will announce the winner during the Beyond Sport Summit on the evening of 8 July.
Sport groups on grant shortlist
Ebony Horse Club, Brixton
The riding club was set up 13 years ago for children from ethnic minorities. Ebony, which was praised by judges for breaking down estate boundaries, is raising funds for a riding centre in the Coldharbour district.
London Boxing Academy, Tottenham
This combines boxing and schooling for teenagers who have been excluded from mainstream schools. A second centre is to open in Hackney.
Coping Through Football, Waltham Forest
The project offers football training and league matches for long-term mentally ill men aged 20-39 who are referred by the NHS.
Street League, various London projects
This scheme uses football to get London's homeless off the streets. Set up in 2001 by an A&E doctor, players also sign up to a Directions2Work programme to give them skills and qualifications.
Capoeira Youth, Stratford
About 200 disadvantaged youths have taken up the martial art since the programme began last year. It would use the grant to extend training across London.
To vote go to www.beyondsport.org
Reader views (14)
Youth For Youth is a charity working to help young people to NOT get involved in youth crime, gang violence, drug use and other negative and unhealthy alternatives.
The young people are British youth BUT also asylum seekers or new arrivals to the country.
This is an attempt to make strong and healthy leaders and help young people to learn how to work together no matter what background, race or religious preference.
It is a NON VIOLENT, effective and safe way of providing long lasting results.
- Luke, London
Fantastic project, great initiative! Congratulations to making the effort.
You are a great example to young people in London. Anyone with negative comments- you dont know what you are talking about! Go and see their work before you make negative assumptions.
ps The young people are NOT gang members, drug users since entering this! That's the whole point of the project. To bring them away from that. To give them healthy alternatives.
- Sophie, London
Frank there's no room here for your narrow-minded hate-driven drivel. The kids live and breathe this project and they're achieving great things together. Full stop.
- Rashwan, London
- Peter, East London
"Nothing better with your time than writing misinformed and negative messages?"
Working hard and long hours paying the taxes that go towards cleaning up after the likes of you and your gang members. Nothing negative about getting a job and making a contribution to society. You and your sort should try it sometime.
You earn respect, you do not demand it at the end of a knife or gun.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
It makes me sad as a member of CapoeiraYouth and as a teenager that people think that this projects teaches us to be violent. CapoeiraYouth teaches us how to NOT be violent through being involved in positive activities after school. I have been with this project for 1 yr and a half and it has changed me. I am now in college and not in a gang anymore, i dont smoke and i love coming to capoeira. Capoeira is martial arts but ALSO dance, and jumps, and music and theater so for everyone who has a comment, learn about Capoeira before you make assumptions about it being violent. We are not thugs or bad people, we are young people who are trying to make something better with our lives instead of gangs and knives and drugs! For P Stalker and whoever else left a negative message, what are you doing that is so great in your life? Nothing better with your time than writing misinformed and negative messages?
Come out to East London and visit us instead before saying something stupid.
If it wasnt for CapoeiraYouth I would be holding a knife to your throat probably, but i'm NOT!!!!
- Peter, East London
I've visited the Coping Through Football project and played in goal!
All the guys (and women!) were having loads of fun and you wouldn't have known they had mental health illnesses. They have made great friendships, love training together and often go to matches each weekend. Some of them are even training to be coaches themselves.
It shows that sport is not only important for physical health but mental health as well!!
- Katherine, London
The readers seem to have a very twisted view of how martial arts would teach youngsters to become more violent!? Martial arts teaches discipline and teaches young people how to CONTROL their anger and work on respect, team building and confidence. The very problems that are at the root of gang violence.
I hope that this project gets the money and I hope people who have nothing productive and clever to say keep their mouths shut.
- Susanna, london,uk
Capoeira, and or other dance projects and martial arts are a great way for young people to be involved in positive activities after school. I have worked for Newham for 3 years and I think that what CappoeiraYouth are doing is great. Having opinions about how to tackle social issues without working in the field is great, as long as you stay informed, something which previous readers obviously have not.
Comments like suggestig cliff diving (a flat joke on how to kill the young people) is not only immature and offensive to the people working hard to try to make the street safe, but also incredibly naive.
- Daniel, London, London, England
Capoeira is a martial art AND dance. If one is familiar with the benefits of martial arts and how it incorporates discipline and team bulding, maybe the two comments above wouldnt have been so ignorant and common.
Furthermore being a resident of Newham and having come across CapoeiraYouth i can say that the young people have truly become an example for other youth.
I hope that people who comment in the future will have a bit more education and read the actual article before making assumptions about Capoeira or the young people in this article.
- A Smith, E15
EDITED by admin @ 16.15 on June 15 2009
Religious/Racial
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London
Teach them to be violent with the public's money, brilliant, very positive.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Martial arts, properly taught, teaches people respect for each other and gives them a sense of self worth so they are actually less likely to want cause harm to others. This idea could really help to cut crime, especially knife crime.
- Clare, london
Do they ever think before spending our money?
I think cliff diving while the tide is out the only sport I would fund for these thugs
- Maz, London W5
"newly recruited capoeiristas, including young asylum seekers, gang members and drug abusers"
What a frightening waste of money, teaching young thugs how to practise martial arts, so they can then cause even more harm.
And without the worry of getting caught carrying a knife.
Why can't the money be given to dance groups, sports groups etc, where team building can be learnt.
Just look at groups like Diversity & Flawless that were in BGT, they were an inspiration for young people.
- P Staker, London
