1. “Leadership & Empowerment through Sport” (LETS) The intentions, hopes, ambitions & reality of creating a Sport – for - Development organisation in Cape Town. A work in progress!! Presented at international conference :Universities developing social entrepreneurship through cross-sector collaboration York St John University 1-3 Sept 2015

2. What is Sport – for – Development? The use of sport to facilitate social improvement in specific communities The belief is that sports inherent values can make a real contribution to change in peoples lives Contested social construct The belief that sport has the power to develop social capital, promote community cohesion and contribute to economic growth has been met with scepticism A new form of ‘cultural imperialism’

3. What is LETS? Non profit company registered in Cape Town South Africa The specific objectives of the programme are: 1. To work in partnership to develop current & future community leaders through sports leadership and entrepreneurial programmes. 2. To create and deliver programmes that contribute towards participant’s holistic development. 3. To incorporate international best practice and research to develop programmes that meet specific individual and community requirements.

4. Why Cape Town? Specific communities such as Nyanga in Cape Town have 67% of under 24 not in education, employment or training It is the country with the highest gap between rich and poor Huge social issues around social exclusion, poverty and educational underperformance ‘The Gateway to Africa’

5. Partnership Working & Curriculum The Level 1 programme is designed as an introduction to sport & recreation leadership. This programme was developed in partnership with the City of Cape Town Sport and Recreation Department (DSRA) and was delivered as a pilot programme in July 2014 with 25 young leaders.  The Level 2 curriculum is broken into two separate strands. Level 2 (Leadership & Entrepreneurial) is a progression programme that focuses in more detail on the development of a value based approach, the planning and delivery of tournaments and the increased awareness of entrepreneurial opportunities. Level 2 (Coach Development) is designed for coaches already working within schools, community clubs and community projects. The curriculum focuses on the development of a value based approach and does not include the entrepreneurial part of the programme. This programme was developed in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs & Sport (DCAS) and the initial pilot programme was run with 20 curriculum advisors and developers in February 2014.

6. Methodology The methodological approach used within this research is case study. LETS as an organisation is essentially a bounded entity which cannot be removed from its contextual conditions, in depth consideration must be given to the nature of the case including historical, physical, institutional and political contextual factors It is an interpretive enquiry that goes beyond the research of isolated issues and enables an in depth study of contextual and complex issues within a specific organisation. The research has been informed using a constructivist epistemology with the belief that people effectively construct meaning of the reality that is around them. The intention is to apply their constructed reality to the future development of the organisation.

7. Data Collection stage 1 & 2 The primary data was collected at the following two pilot programmes in 2014: Coach Education Pilot Programme – Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) – February 2014 Young Leaders Pilot Programme – Department of Sport, Recreation and Amenities (DSRA) – July 2014  Data was collected through interviews with support workers and managers from the Department of Sport, Recreation (DSRA) and Amenities and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) in Cape Town.  Questionnaires were also completed by all participants to gain a wider sense of the potential impact. Their views were sought on the organisation, the programmes, the potential value of this type of approach within Cape Town and their thoughts on how the organisation could ensure its success and relevance in the future.

8. Results & Discussion Understanding Cultural Awareness “The issues that LETS will face in trying to reach its aims is in the way in which it attempts to understand the culture in which it works and the backgrounds of the participants. It needs to research local issues and develop local based programmes” (Participant - Pilot Coach Education Programme, 2014) “It is important for the programme to develop in a more ‘home based’ way to show a deeper understanding of the cultural and territorial differences within the Cape” (Participant - Pilot Coach Education Programme, 2014)

9. Understanding Cultural Awareness Organisations looking to further their own aims and objectives are mediated by wider social issues such as local culture, policy and an array of different power relations (Lindsey & Grattan, 2012)  Employment – Education – Poverty – Governance – Marginalisation For LETS to be able to play a small part in addressing some of these issues for the programme participants it has to do more than to be aware of the cultural, social, economic and political issues within the communities in which it will work. The way forward is through engagement with local stakeholders and through the development of clear channels of communication. It has to work with, and give a voice to the community and develop its knowledge through participation and engagement.

10. Community Engagement “It is important to run the programme within the community itself and to approach community leaders to engage them in the learning process” (Participant - Pilot Coach Education Programme, 2014) “By establishing links with local role players such as schools, places of worship, civic organisations, local government and community leaders etc. by being linked with the community the community will be more forthcoming and open up to the programme” (Participant - Pilot Coach Education Programme, 2014)

11. Community Engagement The organisation needs to be developed in a bottom up rather than top down way. A new methodological approach is required to increase the opportunity for community ownership  PAR - Participation enables people, through a philosophy of action, to determine their own development and to participate meaningfully in the process of finding their own solutions.  The intention for all future research is to move from the current interpretive paradigm to a critical paradigm. Through this paradigm shift collaborative research between the researcher and the participants will develop. The intention will be to improve the experience and to provide the opportunity to empower, liberate and raise the consciousness of both the researcher and the participants.

12. Curriculum Design “ What is important for us is that you look to incorporate an entrepreneurial aspect to the programme. We want the young people to have those skills as we feel they are lacking within the communities” (Manager DSRA) “I do think the recreation focus could increase. Sport programmes are often dependent on equipment and facilities but the starting point for a recreation can be the space and resources at their disposal. There should be less of an emphasis on formal sport moving more towards a ‘sport for all’ programme where rules can be made up to suit attaining social outcomes” (Manager, DSRA)

13. Curriculum Design There is the need for the curriculum to move towards a more recreational model and away from the more sports orientated elements. Through developing a larger focus on recreational activities there is a return to more traditional methods of learning that have served communities well for many centuries (Spaijj &Jeannes, 2013) Entrepreneurialism is highly evident within these communities but it is the absence of developed social organisations and the lack of support available rather than the absence of entrepreneurial energy at the personal level that create barriers to individual progress. Entrepreneurialism is limited through the individualised nature of it, in the Global North entrepreneurialism is a collective endeavor, within the Global South the lack of a collective approach within communities has become a bigger obstacle to economic development rather than the deficient entrepreneurial spirit of individuals

14. Curriculum Design - Pedagogy The adoption of critical pedagogy within curriculum development is vital to ensure the validity of the programme and the participant’s experience. The development of this pedagogical approach is an on-going, continuous process in order that participants achieve a critically transitive consciousness that enables individuals to interpret problems, develop curiosity and to reject the passive positions that society expects of them (Freire, 1973). A key challenge will be to ensure that this approach is maintained in the face of external pressures from partners, participants and funders. The complexities of developing in this way will be a continuous challenge; it is a long process of change based upon international best practice, academic theory and a continuous cycle of participatory research.

15. Monitoring & Evaluation “The key issue that we had was that there was a change to the regional boundaries in the city, we no longer had people in place within the organisation to monitor the young people” (Manager, DSRA) “If I am being honest we did not know how to collect the data that you wanted. We do not have the resources in place to be able to monitor participants, we were not prepared” (Manager, DSRA)

16. Monitoring & Evaluation There are clear structural, economical and communication issues here which are impacting on the need to ensure a rigorous process of monitoring and evaluation. Without an effective system in place the future of both the partnerships and the organisation itself are at risk. The difficulty of communicating with partner organisations on the other side of the world The pressure that they are under with regard to other programmes Lack of initial planning for the collection of post programme data Lack of understanding as to how to collect this data. A clear structure needs to be provided for the partner organisations as to the type of monitoring and evaluation that is required

17. Future Developments – Moving Forward Increase cultural awareness through building and maintaining partnerships and community engagement Be flexible and embrace change Incorporate a methodological approach of Participatory Action Research to all future research The adoption of critical pedagogy within curriculum design Resolve the issue of Monitoring & Evaluation

18. Final word Sport can be an effective agency for enhancing social inclusion and the five key forms of capital: human, social, financial, physical and cultural capital (UK Sport, 2004, p7). It can be part of the process for development in a diverse range of environments and circumstances but the limited evidence to support the claim that it can produce social change ensures that organisations must be aware of both its limitations and its possibilities (Jarvie, 2011, p242).