Exeter football scheme uses sport to help teens avoid crime

A pioneering football-based scheme aimed at helping young people in Exeter avoid crime and antisocial behaviour has been launched with the support of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The initiative, called Change Our Path (COP), is run by Exeter City Community Trust and targets 11 to 18-year-olds who are at risk of offending, being exploited, or struggling in mainstream education.

Referrals come through schools, police, and youth justice services.

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The scheme, partly funded by a £30,000 one-year grant from Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez’s office, uses football as a way to engage participants.

Alongside training sessions, it offers boxing, mentoring, educational support, and life skills training.

Young people taking part are also given the opportunity to meet Exeter City FC’s men’s and women’s first-team players and academy players, who act as role models and share their own life experiences.

Last week, Finnish international and Exeter City midfielder Ilmari Niskanen joined a session, telling participants how he left school without qualifications but went on to build a professional football career through determination.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez attended the session and said she was encouraged to see the enthusiasm of the young people involved. Two boys, she noted, made extra efforts to attend despite delays caused by a fatal M5 crash earlier that day.

“Projects like this can turn lives around and prevent offending, but change has to start with the individual,” she said. “Our investment helps provide positive role models and opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.”

Danny Harris, Head of Services at Exeter City Community Trust, said the programme was already making an impact:“By using football as a hook, we can engage with young people who might otherwise slip through the net.

The mentoring and support they receive alongside the sport is what really makes the difference.”

The Exeter scheme runs in parallel with a similar project at Plymouth Argyle, which also received £30,000 in funding and covers Plymouth and Torbay.

Both initiatives are designed to reduce youth crime and exploitation across Devon and Cornwall by offering early intervention and positive pathways.

The Commissioner’s office says it is exploring ways to expand sports-based programmes across the region, including for adults, to address the root causes of offending and promote community cohesion.