£120,000 funding boost for ProFormance Pathways to deliver football camps in Hemel Hempstead and St Albans

A community interest company has received a £120,000 funding boost to help deliver football camps in Hemel Hempstead and St Albans this summer on the HAPpy scheme.

ProFormance Pathways is a non-profit community interest company whose aim is to positively effect children and young people across London and the home counties, using sport, education and mentoring projects to inspire, protect and motivate.

Harry Oriordan set up ProFormance Pathways to give young people the chance to create opportunities within the sporting industry, whether that is playing or working.

The funding means there are 6000 places available on the football camps in Hemel Hempstead and St Albans during the five weeks of school summer holidays from Monday, July 26, to Friday, August 27.

The HAPpy scheme enables children on free school meals in Hertfordshire to attend holiday activities for free.

Participants receive a hot meal and enrichment activities while also taking part in the chosen sport or physical activity.

ProFormance Pathways delivered the camps as part of the HAPpy programme during the Easter break and due to the success they have significantly increased the capacity.

Harry said: "We knew we had to increase our capacity and we have more than doubled this at our Hemel Hempstead venue for children attending as part of HAPpy, we also launched a second venue in St Albans, both of these venues having 100 free spaces available every day.

"As well as this we have opened our camps up to senior school children who we feel have far less opportunities for safe and organised places to attend during school holidays, we have and also evening camps available for this age group.

"We will be mixing year 6 pupils into the senior school camps to help support their transition from primary to secondary school.

"Our plan was very ambitious and we believe that we were the largest bid, to be successful is a real privilege, and a positive step for our new CIC.

"Personally, I am so excited about the summer and our future as a community interest company.

"We have a lot of work to do between now and the summer starting, if there are any coaches, tutors, teachers or young people looking for work experience we would love more local people to get involved with supporting this project."

ProFormance Pathways has also received the following pots of funding to support the local community:

> £2000 to run a free football programme for 13 to 17 year olds in Hemel Hempstead (Sporting Chance).

> £3000 to run a free football and talk programme for adult males aged 18 to 30 who may be suffering with mental health problems (Suicide prevention grant).

> £2500 to run a work experience pilot scheme which supports young people aged 12 to 21 in gaining work experience hours which they earn points for and can ‘cash in’ these points for rewards such as us paying for training and qualifications.

If you share a passion to help young people, get in touch with ProFormance Pathways by emailing [email protected].

For more information about ProFormance Pathways CIC visit: www.proformance.uk/pathways.

HAPpy Camps are free for children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, to book a place visit: www.sportinherts.org.uk/hafhappy.