Selhurst Community Academy

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Selhurst Community Academy 〰️

Selhurst Community Academy

Creating Opportunities. Building Confidence. Developing Futures.

A place where young people can discover their potential, develop new skills and build a positive pathway towards their future.

Who is the Academy for?

The Selhurst Community Academy supports young people aged 14–19 from Croydon and neighbouring communities, including those experiencing social or economic disadvantage and young people rebuilding their lives in a new community.

The Academy provides opportunities through sport, mentoring, education, leadership, creativity and employability pathways.

We believe that every young person has inherent value, potential and a contribution to make.

Our role is to create the environment, relationships, opportunities and support that enable them to discover it.

OUR VISION

From participation to progression.

The Selhurst Community Academy is more than a football programme.

Football and sport provide the starting point — a way to engage young people, build trust and create relationships.

From there, participants are encouraged to explore education, leadership, creativity, employment, volunteering and personal development.

Our aim is to help young people move from:

Engagement → Confidence → Skills → Opportunity → Progression

WHAT WE DO

SPORT & FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT

Football is one of our most powerful engagement tools.

Through structured coaching, matches, tournaments and football-related activities, participants develop:

· Teamwork

· Communication

· Discipline

· Leadership

· Resilience

· Confidence

· Emotional regulation

· Physical wellbeing

· Decision-making

Football also creates opportunities for participants to explore progression routes into coaching, refereeing, sports leadership, volunteering and community sport development.

We use sport not simply as an activity, but as a vehicle for positive change.

EDUCATION & SKILLS

The Academy creates opportunities for young people to develop practical skills alongside their sporting interests.

Our programme can include:

· BTEC and other accredited learning

· AQA Unit Award opportunities

· Digital skills

· Gaming and creative activities

· Music and creative development

· Communication and presentation skills

· Leadership development

· Community education

· Career and employability preparation

Where appropriate, participants can work towards recognised achievements and certificates that strengthen their confidence and future applications.

MENTORING & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Behind every successful young person is often someone who believed in them.

Our mentoring approach provides young people with encouragement, guidance and positive role models.

Through mentoring and personal development activities, participants are supported to:

· Identify their strengths

· Set personal goals

· Develop confidence

· Manage challenges

· Improve communication

· Understand their emotions

· Make positive decisions

· Develop leadership skills

· Plan for their future

We want young people to leave the Academy not only asking “What can I do?”, but also:

“Who can I become?”

EMPLOYABILITY & FUTURE PATHWAYS

A key part of the Academy is helping young people understand that their current experiences can become stepping stones towards their future.

We therefore create opportunities to explore:

· Employment

· Volunteering

· Work experience

· Apprenticeships

· Coaching

· Sports leadership

· Hospitality

· Entrepreneurship

· Digital careers

· Community development

Through partnerships and practical experiences, young people can gain an understanding of the workplace and develop skills that employers value.

Our goal is to help participants move from potential to opportunity.

COMMUNITY & LEADERSHIP

We believe young people should not only benefit from their community — they should have opportunities to help shape it.

Participants can become involved in:

· Community events

· Volunteering

· Youth leadership

· Peer support

· Community projects

· Football and sporting events

· Fundraising and social action

This helps young people recognise that they have a voice, that their contribution matters and that they can positively influence others.

WELLBEING & EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE

Young people face pressures that can affect their confidence, relationships, education and future aspirations.

The Academy creates a safe and welcoming environment where participants can build relationships, express themselves and develop strategies for managing challenges.

Through sport, mentoring, workshops and group activities, we encourage young people to develop:

Self-awareness

Understanding who they are and what makes them unique.

Emotional awareness

Recognising and managing emotions in positive ways.

Resilience

Learning how to respond when things do not go according to plan.

Healthy relationships

Building trust, respect and positive connections with others.

Hope

Developing a positive vision for the future.

INCLUSION & BELONGING

The Academy welcomes young people from a wide range of backgrounds, including those with refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds. Where sport can provide an important first step towards building friendships, confidence and a sense of belonging.

We aim to create an environment where every participant feels:

Welcome. Valued. Respected. Included.

Our diversity is not a barrier.

It is one of our greatest strengths

OUR FOUR CORE DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES

VALUE

Recognising strengths, talents and potential.

RELATIONSHIPS

Building trust, teamwork and positive connections.

EMOTIONS

Developing confidence, resilience and emotional awareness.

FUTURE

Creating pathways towards education, employment and positive life choices.

THE LEARNER JOURNEY

A young person’s journey through the Academy may begin with something as simple as turning up to play football.

But that can be the beginning of something much bigger.

ENGAGE

A young person joins an activity and begins to feel part of the Academy.

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CONNECT

They build relationships with coaches, mentors and other young people.

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DISCOVER

They begin to recognise their strengths, interests and potential.

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DEVELOP

They gain new skills, knowledge, qualifications and experiences.

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LEAD

They are encouraged to take responsibility, volunteer and support others.

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PROGRESS

They move towards further education, employment, volunteering or other positive opportunities.

Our ambition is simple:

Don’t just give young people something to do.

Give them somewhere to belong, something to believe in and a pathway towards their future.

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

Through collaboration with community, education, sporting and corporate partners, the Academy is able to provide access to facilities, accredited learning, mentoring, volunteering, employment pathways and specialist expertise.

Partners have included:

Hillsong

City Select

Reaching High Team

Palace For Life

Change Foundation Team

Nando’s

Brit Kids

Fareshare

Neighbourly

Adidas

Crescent School

Croydon College

AQA

Croydon & Bromley Christian league

We are committed to developing partnerships that create real opportunities rather than simply activities.

MEASURING WHAT MATTERS

We believe impact is about more than attendance.

We measure progress through:

· Confidence and self-belief

· Relationships and social connections

· Skills development

· Qualifications achieved

· Volunteering and leadership opportunities

· Employment and education progression

· Community participation and engagement

· Emotional wellbeing and resilience

Most importantly, we listen to the voices, experiences and journeys of the young people themselves. Their stories help us understand the real difference the Academy is making.

IMPACT AT A GLANCE

The Selhurst Community Academy is committed to creating meaningful opportunities that help young people develop confidence, skills, qualifications, relationships and positive pathways towards their future.

YEAR 1 HIGHLIGHTS

120–150 young people engaged weekly through football, mentoring, employability, digital skills and community-based activities.

38 accredited qualifications achieved

  • 22 young people graduated from the SAYNA Digital Programme.

  • 16 young people achieved Level 2 Food Hygiene qualifications.

  • Progression into education, employment and training

  • 4 participants progressed into potential paid opportunities with Palace for Life Foundation.

  • 4 participants progressed into paid or expenses-supported roles with Communities First.

  • 1 participant secured employment as an Elm Court Secondary School Teaching Assistant.

  • 1 participant progressed to Birmingham University.

  • Football and sporting progression

  • 2 participants signed for semi-professional club Cobham FC.

  • Leadership and volunteering pathways established Participants progressed into:

  • Volunteer roles

  • Young Leader positions

  • Peer mentoring opportunities

  • Community Ambassador roles

  • Community programmes delivered

  • Weekly Football Academy Sessions

  • SAYNA Digital Programme

  • Leadership Workshops

  • Employability Sessions

  • Community Football Tournaments

  • Walking Football Programme

  • Football vs Poverty Campaign

  • Community Volunteering Opportunities

  • NHS and Royal Marsden Health Awareness Workshops

  • Community Food Support initiatives delivered through Pret Foundation and Neighbourly partnerships

  • Strong partnerships creating opportunities The Academy strengthened and expanded partnerships with organisations including:

  • Hillsong

  • Palace for Life Foundation

  • Bromley & Croydon Christian League

  • Nando's

  • SAYNA Digital Programme

  • Pret Foundation

  • Neighbourly

  • Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

DEVELOPING THE WHOLE YOUNG PERSON

Our activities are designed to support:

Physical Wellbeing – through football, sport and physical activity

Digital Skills & Technology – through coding, digital literacy, project-based learning and career exploration

Employability & Qualifications – through accredited learning, workplace preparation and employer engagement

Leadership & Community Engagement – through volunteering, mentoring and community projects

Wellbeing & Belonging – through confidence building, positive identity, emotional wellbeing and community cohesion

LOOKING AHEAD

The Selhurst Community Academy continues to develop.

Our ambition is to create an increasingly connected pathway where a young person can enter through sport and, depending on their interests and aspirations, access opportunities in:

Education | Sport | Creative Industries | Employment | Volunteering | Leadership | Community Development

We want the Academy to become a place where young people can return not only as participants, but eventually as volunteers, mentors, coaches, leaders and role models for the next generation.

JOIN THE SELHURST COMMUNITY ACADEMY

Whether you are a young person looking for opportunities, a parent or carer, a community organisation, education provider, employer, funder or potential partner, we would love to hear from you.

Together, we can create opportunities, build stronger communities and help young people develop brighter futures.

GET INVOLVED

[Activity Sign-Up]

[Volunteer With Us]

[Become a Partner]

[Contact Communities First]

SELHURST COMMUNITY ACADEMY

Discover Your Value. Build Your Relationships. Master Your Emotions. Map Your Future.

Communities First Charitable Foundation

Creating opportunities. Building stronger communities. Developing brighter futures