A JUNIOR football team is helping youngsters stay on the right side of the law by laying on free football sessions.

Brickfield Rangers has launched the #StayOnSide project, a life skills scheme for primary and secondary pupils in the Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Cheshire areas aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour.

Using a mixture of fun teaching strategies and coaching sessions, the goal of the scheme – which is sponsored by the VoltCom Group – is to prevent youngsters from falling victim to abuse or becoming involved in criminal activity.

Project organiser Andy Ruscoe says he wants to use football to engage with pupils and help them steer clear of anti-social behaviour.

The free sessions are already being delivered at Brynteg County Primary School near Wrexham, and Andy, a qualified teacher and licensed football coach, has three other schools interested in taking up the project, including Victoria County Primary School in Wrexham and Rofft Primary School in Marford.

“This is a long-term project aimed at getting the pupils involved in their communities, while at the same time offering them some free football coaching,” said Andy.

“It is a way of helping the children stay out of trouble. We use various teaching methods, we have some group discussions and see what they know about anti-social behaviour issues like criminal damage and trespass.

“They learn the laws surrounding the issues and the effects these actions have on the community.

“We also let them discuss other issues. It might be things in football such as verbal abuse and thuggery, but we leave it up to them to decide what topics to talk about.”

The football coaching is delivered in two-hour long sessions over five weeks with a visit to Brickfield Rangers’ educational suite included in the sixth week.

Andy added: “We are extremely excited to be delivering non-accredited educational workshops on some very seriously tough issues that are becoming a problem within certain regions of North Wales.

“We hope that we can successfully safeguard young people from potentially serious crimes while helping to develop a safer and healthier lifestyle for our youth of tomorrow via the benefits of football. ”

Any schools interested in hosting the scheme can ring Andy on 07503515057 or email him at aruscoe2@outlook.com.