Trust earns high-profile praise
The work of the Charlton Community Trust in South Africa has won huge praise from the country's government and support from the England's 2018 World Cup bid team.
An Addicks delegation, comprising trust chief executive Jason Morgan, trustee and former player Paul Elliot and officials from partners British Airways and the Metropolitan Police, recently returned from a trip to the country.
And the South African Police Service and the South African Football Association also backed the trust's efforts in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Since 2003, Charlton have used football as a vehicle to educate young people and drive down crime and promote community cohesion in some of the most deprived townships in South Africa.
The seven-year programme has seen the UK partners train 69 schools officers, 191 football coaches and educate and coach 3,600 young people.
The trust has helped set up three community programmes at Premier League clubs BidVest FC, Ajax Cape Town and AmaZulu, with Ajax Cape Town now having four full-time staff working in 120 local schools.
Modelling their community programme on the Charlton trust, Ajax are seen as a beacon of success in South Africa, and work alongside the police to drive down crime and disorder.
"We are immensely proud of our achievements in South Africa over the past seven years, and were pleasantly surprised by the enormous support there is in South Africa for what we have achieved and continue to achieve," said Morgan.
"The partnership with the Metropolitan Police, British Airways and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office shows how a multi-agency approach can make a real difference and impact within communities.
"The success of our programmes in Cape Town and Johannesburg in particular has been well documented, but there is now a real impetus to replicate these programmes on a national basis."
The main focus of discussions which took place during the recent trip were to support education so children achieve their full potential, the cementing of strategic partnerships relating to crime and disorder and the introduction of integrated safer schools panels, the concept of using sport against crime, and the creation of community schemes within football clubs and other sporting codes.
In addition, meetings with the Kristan Nematandani, the president of the South African Football Association, and Irvin Khoza, the chairman of the Premier Soccer League, led to a commitment to creating a community coaching course in partnership with the twinning programme.
This will lead to an entry-level football coaching course to enable community coaches to be able to support their local police service in driving down crime through the power of football.
Finally, there was a pledge to see community coaches linked to clubs across the country and agreement that sport must play its part in community safety ahead of this summer's World Cup.
Meanwhile, South African Police pledged to change policy and to support schools policing nationally and co-train 24 SAPS trainers with the UK team in Durban in March.
Added Morgan: "During the meeting with the SAFA president, an invite was extended for them to attend the delivery week in Durban in March when the UK partners will coach 1,800 children from 16 schools, deliver education workshops and run a coach education programme for 22 candidates."
During a busy week, the trust team also found time to train a further 31 coaches to be able to deliver community courses at their own clubs.
Jason said: "The success of our work in South Africa means that discussions have commenced with the 2018 bid team on how the work in South Africa can support England's bid to host the World Cup, demonstrating the importance of leaving a legacy.
"We hope all the work delivered in South Africa over the past seven years will lead to a lasting legacy and have a real impact in communities once the biggest competition in the world leaves town."
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