Sports students from West Nottinghamshire College joined forces with a Nottingham-based youth support enterprise for a month of sport, coaching, skills enhancing, and helping the community.

The Level 1 and 2 sport learners enjoyed sessions at the college’s Derby Road-based sports hall, courtesy of The Pythian Club. The sessions included basketball, boxing, football, personal mentoring and discussion groups to kick-start a community action project.

The Pythian Club was formed in 2014 to provide sustainable and unique programmes that directly work towards supporting and mentoring young people, with the aim of reducing youth violence and driving community cohesion.

The club delivers this through a framework of sport, art, and educational programmes in the community, educational settings, and from its base in the Heathfield Community Centre, Nottingham. It is the brainchild of chief executive and founder Ben Rosser, a former police constable.

Students were introduced to team sports that they may not practise on their curriculum, such as basketball, football, and boxing and were given professional tips via the Pythian mentors, which helped them to understand more about the rules and teamwork required.

Time was also spent carefully planning learners’ CVs and gathering confidence when thinking about interviews for jobs or volunteering positions.

Students were also asked to consider a local issue that they would like to resolve. Between the groups, a litter pick at a Mansfield-based park was mooted and plans made to put a strategy together to tackle picking litter at Titchfield Park and neighbouring areas (pictured).

Level 2 sport student Mollie Radford said: “It’s nice to be getting a different level of mentorship from this outside company. It was great to work together on the social exercise at Titchfield Park, helping to clear up litter to make it a more inviting place for parents to go with their children.”

Ben(pictured with students), said: “We are honoured and excited to have worked alongside some inspiring, passionate, and determined young people who want to make a positive difference to their community.

“The students at the college identified some local issues and came together to plan an exciting, youth-led programme that showcased their talents and determination. We are looking forward to seeing how far they go following this successful time with us.”

Head of sport Sarah Morley added: “It’s been great to hear how well our students engaged with Ben and his mentors. Exposing them to different sports outside of their classes, and being able to explore their own project, really helped to support team cohesion.

“We have noticed a wealth of newly-developed confidence amongst the learners too, which has been boosted by Ben’s team’s coaching techniques. Well done to all our students for working so well together, daring to try something new, and getting stuck into the litter-picking in the park on what was a very frosty day!”