Step Out, Stay Out Recognised in Parliament
SOSO founder Pete Bell and our Jumpers 4 Goalposts event were recognised in the House of Commons by Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South.
SOSO founder Pete Bell and our Jumpers 4 Goalposts community football event were recognised in the House of Commons by Lilian Greenwood, MP for Nottingham South.
Speaking in Parliament, Greenwood told MPs how she had joined local residents of all ages at the event on the Clifton Estate. She highlighted the range of organisations involved, including students from Farnborough Academy, Nottinghamshire Police, the Armed Forces, the Prison Service, Nottingham City Council, and Nottingham Forest.
She asked the House Leader to congratulate Pete and the students involved, and called for a debate on the role sport-based education and mentoring can play in helping offenders turn their lives around and in preventing young people from getting involved in crime and antisocial behaviour.
The House Leader responded by congratulating Pete Bell and the Jumpers 4 Goalposts initiative, and suggested it could make an excellent subject for an adjournment debate.
What Is Jumpers 4 Goalposts?
Jumpers 4 Goalposts is our community football event held on the Clifton Estate. It brings together young people, families, and local organisations for an afternoon of football and fun. The event is open to everyone and is part of our wider work to build stronger, safer communities through sport.
Partners have included Nottinghamshire Police, the British Army, HMP Lowdham Grange, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham Express Transit, and Nottingham Forest. Our ongoing work with Nottinghamshire Police and relationships with clubs like Forest have also led to opportunities beyond the estate, including a recent behind-the-scenes visit to the City Ground for our young people.
What This Means for SOSO
Having our work raised in Parliament is a big moment for a grassroots community organisation. It shows that what's happening on the Clifton Estate is being noticed at the highest level, and it adds weight to the case for sport-based approaches to youth engagement, crime prevention, and rehabilitation.
Pete has always said that football can change lives. He's proof of that himself. Recognition like this helps open doors to more funding, more partnerships, and more opportunities for the young people we work with.