A PROJECT, which has been running successfully in Lowestoft for the past five years, has helped to engage hundreds of youngsters in a 'positive way.'The Suffolk Positive Futures scheme is a sports based social inclusion project managed by Catch 22 on behalf of the Home Office.

A PROJECT, which has been running successfully in Lowestoft for the past five years, has helped to engage hundreds of youngsters in a 'positive way.'

The Suffolk Positive Futures scheme is a sports based social inclusion project managed by Catch 22 on behalf of the Home Office. The project uses sport and other leisure based activities to engage young people aged between 10 and 19 in a positive way, hopefully widening horizons and providing access to new opportunities within a culturally familiar environment.

The project aims to steer young people towards education, training and employment. Within Suffolk the scheme operates in three main areas - Lowestoft, Ipswich and Haverhill, with activities having also recently taking place in Stowmarket and Kessingland.

Within Lowestoft, the project has been running since 2003, in which time hundreds of young people have attended and benefited from the project.

Activities such as sports programmes, music projects, healthy eating projects, interview skills and summer activity programmes have encouraged young people to participate and have had a positive influence upon their lives.

'Some of the outcomes of this work have led to young people gaining employment, returning to mainstream school, gaining college places, and also leading healthier lifestyles,' Paul Knight, from Suffolk Positive Futures, said.

Current projects in Lowestoft include an alternative curriculum programme with local high schools and also some open access sports sessions.

These sessions include martial arts, which runs every Tuesday between 6pm to 7pm and also an open access football project that runs between 5pm-6pm on Thursday evenings. Both sessions run from Water Lane leisure centre.

As a national sports and activities based social inclusion programme, which is funded by the Home Office Drugs Strategy Directorate, there are 123 projects in England and Wales.

For further information on the Suffolk Positive Futures project please contact Paul Knight on 07717 290 545 or paul.knight@yots.suffolkcc.gov.uk