Graduate to coach Welsh team at Homeless Football World Cup

A Welsh graduate has travelled to California to coach the Welsh team at the Homeless Football World Cup.

Jo Price recently graduated from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David with a BA in Youth Work & Social Education and is currently involved in a number of projects aimed at supporting people through sports.

As a result of all her hard work, Jo has been appointed as one of the coaches for the Welsh National team (ladies) in California this month.

The Homeless World Cup was spearheaded by Welsh actor Michael Sheen and uses the positive power of football to raise the profile of social exclusion and homelessness on a national and global stage, as well as challenge the perceptions of people caught in social exclusion.

Support

Jo works as a youth worker for Pembrokeshire Youth Service working in the Youth Support Team which focuses on supporting young people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

She also volunteers offering multi sports sessions to young people and she coordinates Street Football sessions for people over the age of 16.

Sessions are offered weekly in Haverfordwest and have proved extremely popular as they are the best attended in Wales at present.

Jo said: “The opportunity is one that I am extremely proud of and will ensure that I use to inspire young people to maximise their potential and embrace the opportunities they are presented with.

“This will raise awareness of raising aspirations for young people in Pembrokeshire, something I am passionate about providing platforms for.”

Jo came to study at UWTSD as the degree was offered to her via her work with the Pembrokeshire Youth Service and she studied part time alongside carrying out her roles as a senior youth worker.

She said: “Being passionate about maximising young people’s potential, this course appealed to me for many reasons. I have been passionate about changing people’s lives from a young age, being engaged in the community and providing opportunities for people and young people in particular to enhance their quality of life is an area that I believed I could make an impact in.”

Jo thoroughly enjoyed the placement element of the course, especially when visiting organisations in the third sector.

Highlight

She said her placement at the Hive which is situated in the Garth was a real highlight for her as a student.

“Having developed a good relationship with the manager at the Hive (Anji Tinley), I could see how passionate she was about maximising the potential of young people and providing them with a safe space and sense of belonging at the Hive, I knew that I too wanted to make a difference for young people in that ward and throughout Pembrokeshire.

“As a result, we worked collaboratively with external agencies and departments throughout the local authority to secure funding in order to develop a sports facility that has benefitted the entire community.”

The multi-sports facility now located at the Hive is a space that young people can use to improve their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and have a place they can call their own and be proud of.

The Cruyff Foundation are the main funders and have decided to name the court the ‘Jo Price Cruyff Court’ following her involvement in the process and her sporting background.