Last term, the boys participated in approximately 150 hours of technical and tactical football training under the guidance of Coach Johnny McKinstry.  Full sized football goals have been built and the new pitch is now fully established.  Such efforts were clearly rewarded as the boys managed to complete the term without losing a competitive match which was a great achievement.

The vision of the CBF Academy is that students reach their true potential in life through a combination of sport, education and leadership development.  Last term, our scholars’ curriculum included Mathematics, English Language, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry and Physics with the term culminating in exams in all subjects showing promising results for our first generation.  The Academy boys also took part in raising awareness for World AIDS Day, by participating in an awareness workshop led by the HIV and AIDS coordinator for the Tombo Health Centre, Mrs. Christina Williams, and by wearing the symbolic red ribbons.

“The Craig Bellamy School is a very good school, filled with lots of talented pupils. We have very good teachers, and we learnt a lot from them last term. They teach us in a way that is fun, and easy to understand. I really enjoyed my first term at our new school” — Dennis, aged 13

“I think we had a great first term at the Academy. We scored lots of goals in our games, and never lost a match. In training our coach makes things simple for us, making sure that we have all the skills we need to be professional footballers” — Alhassan, aged 13

The term was a great start to the academic year and to Academy life in Tombo.  The Craig Bellamy Foundation would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those involved in supporting this programme with special thanks to SSGI for the donation of a much needed Academy minibus and for their continued sponsorship and partnership.

Photographs of first term

If you would like to make an enquiry then please do contact Susie Daniell (Susie.daniell@righttodream.com – international) or Ben Keene (ben@tribewanted.com – Sierra Leone).

The CBF League’s unique model requires each participating football team to participate in community development projects, adopt principles of fair play and to attend school for which equally weighted points are awarded, in addition to those gained from match performance.  Whilst the full results from this season are yet to be seen, last season saw the average school attendance for those involved rise from 29% (nationwide, Sierra Leone, UNICEF 2009) to 84% (CBF League 2010), clearly demonstrating the impact that the League has managed to have on development goals.  Other notable successes have included a reduction of youth violence in the club’s communities as a result of a focus on fair play on the field and improved health awareness amongst communities.  Samba Bimba, 13 years, “I have been playing football for a long time but until CBFL I never knew there were rules governing the game.  Thanks to God, the rules of football have taken my appetite for violence away forever.  My school results are good because of this league.  It is changing my life”.

One of this season’s primary objectives is to create a sustainable model to enable more youths to benefit from the League across Sierra Leone.  A partnership has been established with the Salone Microfinance Trust who are helping to implement a pilot microfinance programme in the Makeni region.  Five clubs in the region have been selected to run microfinance enterprises (second hand clothing, tele centres and soap making) to generate additional income to support their teams’ involvement in the League.  If successful, the scheme will be spread across all regions.  To assist with these enterprises the League is seeking funding to set up community football hubs in each of the four regions where projects can be organised from and a centre for each region established.
Meanwhile, the girls’ league that was piloted at the end of last season continues to operate after witnessing significant positive changes amongst those girls involved.  The League “has given them confidence and they are admiring themselves as valuable members to the community”, Veronique Conteh, Team Manager, Makeni.

Sport certainly has great influential power and the CBF League has proven to be an effective tool for social development.  The CBF League would like to thank all of its sponsors and partners for their continued support of this programme.  The League has the potential to significantly impact upon the lives of thousands more youths in Sierra Leone and consequently affect the development of the country.  In order for this to happen, further partnerships and funding are required to enable its growth and progression.

If you would like to make an enquiry then please do contact Susie Daniell (Susie.daniell@righttodream.com – international) or Ben Keene (ben@tribewanted.com – Sierra Leone).

The CBFL operates across four regions in Sierra Leone and involves over 1600 children in a unique programme using football to achieve social development goals. Each of the 88 teams participating in the league earn equally weighted points for winning football games, adopting principles of fair play, school attendance levels and the operation of sustainable community projects. In the first year the league raised the average school attendance from a nationwide average of 29% (UNICEF 2009) to an average of 84% amongst those participating in the League. The other notable success has been how a focus on fair play has helped to reduce a culture of youth violence in the clubs and the communities.

Samba Bimba, 13 years, “I have been playing football for a long time but until CBFL I never knew there were rules governing the game. Thanks to God, the rules of football have taken my appetite for violence away forever. My school results are good because of this league. It is changing my life”.

“The League has demonstrated great commitment amongst the boys to contribute to their community. They are determined to do whatever it takes in the interest of development”, Ibrahim Barrie, Team Manager, Freetown.

Towards the end of last season, a girls’ programme was also piloted with great success and it is hoped that this will be developed further to allow girls across the nation to be empowered through sport. The League “has given them confidence and they are admiring themselves as valuable members to the community”, Veronique Conteh, Team Manager, Makeni.

Sport certainly has great influential power and it cannot be emphasised enough the speed with which a positive impact is being seen with this approach; the scalability of such programmes could make serious change happen fast.  The recent backing shown by the UN General Assembly demonstrates its importance and the CBFL hopes that such methods are both supported and advanced in the future.

A WARM welcome awaits the first generation of Academy boys from the Craig Bellamy Foundation and official partners Security Support Group International (SSGI) when they return to Freetown from Ghana on 1 July, 2010.

Youngsters from the first ever Football Academy in Sierra Leone, who went through a vigorous selection procedure before being offered a five year football and academic scholarship at the elite Craig Bellamy Foundation (CBF) Academy in Tombo, have spent the past three months acclimatising to school life at the Right to Dream Academy in Old Akrade, Ghana before they move into their new Academy building on 1st September next.

As part of the intensive preparations for life in their new Academy, the boys have been developing key learning and communication skills alongside staff and fellow scholarship students at Right to Dream, Ghana.

Earlier this month Craig Bellamy spent valuable time coaching and mentoring his boys as a group and also on a one-to-one basis. He explained:

“The move into the new facility heralds a new start for the CBF family. Like any team they will need to work hard and support each other in order to make the most of this opportunity – and I want them to feel confident in the knowledge that we are all in this together.”

In addition to sharing lessons and undertaking a series of friendly matches, both Academies played in the inaugural edition of the Craig Bellamy Challenge Cup against invited teams from across Ghana. The trip was a huge success according to Director Tom Vernon:

“The opportunity to witness the interaction between these two very different groups has been most rewarding and proved that the love of football can bridge the gap between boys from     incredibly different social and cultural backgrounds. Each has learned so much from the other and friendships for life have been forged.

“Initially, when Craig first wanted to set up his Academy in this war-torn nation it seemed almost impossible as there was no structure in place to help locate the most talented youngsters.  The CBF League was founded – which rewards school attendance and participation in community projects in addition to performance on the pitch. That has provided a much needed structure and revolutionized the way education and community projects are now viewed.”

Additional support in the form of a US$300,000 sponsorship deal of the CBF League and Academy agreed with SSGI earlier this year further strengthened the project and underlines the security and logistics specialists’ ongoing commitment to support the re-building of Sierra Leone.

SSGI spokesman Group Project Manager Martin Small:

“This is a terrific project and we are thrilled to be able to support Craig in his ambition to help  some of the most talented young footballers in Sierra Leone fulfill their dreams and become positive role models for others. The boys have been working really hard in Ghana and a party with friends and family is just what they need before they get back to school in September.”

Whether or not all of these youngsters become the football superstars of their dreams, they will all be equipped with the educational background to provide a better future for themselves and the ability to help others in their country do the same – becoming inspiring role models for future generations along the way.

-ends-

NB

The Craig Bellamy Foundation offers five-year residential football and educational scholarships to talented but underprivileged youngsters from 11-16 years of age, based on the successful Right to Dream model in Ghana. The ambition is to provide elite, ethical football coaching in a stable and inspirational environment to aid the development of remarkable young footballers with real leadership potential – and an awareness of their social responsibility to improve their own communities back home.

OUR PARTNERS SECURITY SUPPORT GROUP INTERNATIONAL (SSGI)

In May 2010 Security Support Group International (SSGI) signed a three-year partnership agreement with the Craig Bellamy Foundation worth $300,000 to sponsor the CBF Academy.  This support package will be delivered through a combination of security and technical services at the Academy plus cash donations spread over the duration of the agreement.

As a Sierra Leonean company, SSGI has the potential to create a real impact for the communities in which we operate and we actively recognise our responsibility to our local communities across all levels.

The Craig Bellamy Foundation is such a unique project and SSGI firmly believes in the CBF vision to  invest its expertise to help develop  the youth potential of Sierra Leone.

SSGI was formed in 2001 to influence and inspire the security marketplace by providing thoroughly professional and accountable security and logistic services. We offer something different; combining enterprise, creativity to ensure that fantastic service quality is the corner stone of everything we do.

We hold a diverse portfolio of clients that reads like a “Who’s Who” across all sectors and our services are personal and transparent. Our focus on operational excellence, coupled with inventive recruitment and investment in our staff has culminated in a strong reputation  market recognition.

Our client retention rate is second to none and we have a proven track record of real expertise, meeting our commitments and for providing exceptional value for money. We feel absolutely certain you will find our business methods refreshing and confirm SSGI has a distinct competitive edge over other providers. We deliver security and logistics solutions as they  should be!

Both the Times newspaper and the BBC travelled with Craig – here are their excellent features:

The Times: Craig Bellamy the wayward star provides light for extended family to follow

The Times: Craig Bellamy building foundations for the future stars of Africa

BBC: Bellamy’s academy brings hope to Sierra Leone

BBC World Football Special – Sierra Leone

more pictures from Craig’s trip can be seen on facebook

you can support Craig’s work in Sierra Leone here