The British government has awarded a funding boost of £400,000 to sports community groups with the aim of battling extremism.
The organisations, which include England Netball, Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation and Southend United Community and Education Trust, receive a share of £400,000 funding to create year-long sports-based schemes and support people who may be vulnerable to extremism. It is unclear how the scheme intends to identify those who may be vulnerable to extremism, unless there are plans to go into mosques or Muslim communities to research the vulnerabilities of their congregation, asking questions and mixing with them occasionally.
The support ranges from boxing classes and football workshops to community engagement projects and table tennis sessions. The workshops effectively will serve to keep young people occupied and hence out of the potential trouble that wondering aimlessly can sometimes create. The type of extremism the government is trying to combat includes hate crime and mainly terrorism designed to cause division among us.
Exactly how an amount like £400,000 will be spent in countering terrorism is yet to be seen. In the absence of close monitoring, it is never possible to tell whether the money is being used effectively and honourably. The government’s intentions are certainly to achieve greater integration and unity among its citizens, but most extremist individuals who maintain their own views and extremist ideologies interact with other members of society. A positive element in assembling individuals in sporting events is making all participants feel a part of the group, but the aim of countering extremism may need more than just that.
It is important the youths are developed in multi-faceted ways that improve and mature the ideologies they hold and the way they evaluate information they receive. Frequent quality speeches and useful workshops that encourage open discussions as a part of expert influence on why extremism is dangerous and deplorable will be a necessary part of any useful scheme to battle extremism.
Many of the groups will be used to promote values of integration, and to enlighten people to spot the signs of extremist rhetoric whenever brought their way. If used well, it would be positive.
Baroness Williams, the Minister for Countering Extremism, made the announcement as the BSBT network met at St Andrew’s – the home of Birmingham City Football Club – to discuss how their work has helped counter extremists’ narratives.
Baroness Williams, Minister for Countering-Extremism, said:Whether it is cricket, football, netball or boxing, sport is a uniquely powerful way to break down barriers and provide a common platform to unite us all.
The Building a Stronger Britain Together programme is all about strengthening communities so that they can stand against those who seek to divide us with extremist views. We want to create more opportunities to bring people from a wide range of backgrounds together.
Since 2015, the BSBT programme has supported more than 130 organisations, including the EFL Trust and Show Racism the Red Card, for innovative projects to stand up against extremism. It was set up as part of the government’s Counter-Extremism Strategy.
The BSBT network includes grassroots campaigns that bring together young people from segregated communities, build resilience to extremism and challenge extremist narratives.
One group to have received funding from BSBT in the past is Lord Taverners, who run Wicketz, a community cricket programme targeting young people aged 8 to 16 living in areas of deprivation.