Brothers. Balance. Belonging.

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Thanks to support from the South Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), Cricket Arena’s Youth Sports Club has offered a simple promise to young men across Sheffield: on the nights when you’re most likely to have nowhere to go, there’ll be a safe hall, a trusted coach and something positive to be part of.

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Across the project, young people from neighbourhoods such as Burngreave, Firth Park and Tinsley have been coming together for indoor windball cricket, badminton, football and outdoor games. Sessions run in community venues and sports halls across the north and east of the city, led by a mix of qualified coaches and local volunteers who understand the pressures young people are facing.

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It’s not just about sport. Partnership with Aspire 1 Performance has brought regular group workshops in a local gym, where young men learn how to train properly, look after their bodies and build healthy routines. In between sets, conversations naturally drift to college, work, friendships and how to stay calm when things get heated. The message is the same on and off the weights: discipline, self-respect and small daily choices add up.

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The club has also created space for trips and away days – from friendly cricket fixtures to local walks – giving lads the chance to step out of their usual environment, mix with people from different postcodes and see their city in a new way. Those drives and after-match huddles are where friendships are made and stereotypes begin to break down.

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Throughout the project, the Youth Sports Club has been closely linked with South Yorkshire Police and the VRU. Officers have dropped into sessions and referred young people they’re worried about; the VRU’s independent evaluation team has spent time talking with participants, parents and coaches about the difference they see at home, in school and on the streets. Parents describe their sons coming home tired but calmer, more talkative and more reflective. Young people talk about feeling part of a genuine community, learning to communicate better, and discovering that there are adults in their corner when things are tough.

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Feedback from VRU-supported summer cricket sessions backs this up. Young people told us that taking part in Cricket Arena projects helped them feel safer in their community, more confident dealing with conflict and more connected to people from other areas. The same spirit runs through every Youth Sports Club session: patience, teamwork, humility and the belief that you can always grow.

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Although this particular phase of VRU funding has a clear endpoint, the Youth Sports Club does not. The structures, venues and relationships built through the project are now part of Cricket Arena’s long-term offer. With ongoing backing from the VRU and the wider community, we’ll keep opening doors in the evenings, keep mixing cricket with other sports, keep running fitness and mentoring sessions, and keep making sure that when young men in Sheffield need somewhere to go, Youth Sports Club is there for them.