The civic engagement of young people living in areas of socio-economic disadvantage

The civic engagement of young people living in areas of socio-economic disadvantag

Physical activity opportunities for young people: A case study of StreetGames

Physical activity opportunities for young people: A case study of StreetGame

A systematic review of the evaluation of interventions to tackle children’s food insecurity

Purpose of Review: To synthesise the research which has sought to evaluate interventions aiming to tackle children’s food insecurity and the contribution of this research to evidencing the effectiveness of such interventions. Recent Findings: The majority of studies in this review were quantitative, non-randomised studies, including cohort studies. Issues with non-complete outcome data, measurement of duration of participation in interventions, and accounting for confounds are common in these evaluation studies. Despite the limitations of the current evidence base, the papers that were reviewed provide evidence for multiple positive outcomes for children participating in attended and subsidy interventions, inter alia, reductions in food insecurity, poor health and obesity. However, current evaluations may overlook key areas of impact of these interventions on the lives and outcomes of participating children. Summary: This review suggests that the current evidence base which evaluates food insecurity interventions for children is both mixed and limited in scope and quality. In particular, the outcomes measured are narrow, and many papers have methodological limitations. With this in mind, a systems-based approach to both implementation and evaluation of food poverty interventions is recommended

Conceptualising financial literacy

The term financial literacy is one that is not new. Financial literacy is perceived as important and as something to be encouraged in those who are not financially literate. These perceptions are exemplified by the existence of centres or bodies dedicated to financial literacy. These include the Financial Literacy Centre, University of Warwick, the National Endowment for Financial Education (USA), Financial Literacy Center (USA), and programmes such as the Start Right Coalition for Financial Literacy (Canada) and the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy (USA). In the UK the Money Management Council is involved in a number of projects aimed at raising the financial literacy of consumers. And yet what does the term financial literacy actually mean ? What distinguishes a financially literate individual from one who is financially illiterate ? This paper explores literature examining aspects of individuals’ financial literacy in particular contexts. Use of the term literacy is also explored. Current definitions were found to be lacking (clearly having implications for the operationalisation of the concept of financial literacy). These limitations are explored and suggestions are offered towards developing an explicit conceptualisation of financial literacy

Conceptualising financial literacy : an ethnographic study of school governors

Financial literacy is perceived as important and yet what does the term financial literacy actually mean? An exploration of literature examining aspects of individuals' financial literacy in particular contexts found a conceptualisation to be absent despite the term being adopted widely. This study addressed this omission and sought a conceptualisation of financial literacy. A reflexive, ethnographic approach was adopted for this exploratory study which examined the experiences of school governors. The study explored a proposed model of financial literacy as a meaningmaking process. A conceptualisation of financial literacy as a sense-making process is offered latterly, where financial literacy is conceptualised as a process involving individuals constructing and making informed decisions with financial consequences. The aim of individuals taking these decisions is to achieve desired outcomes. The conceptualisation is necessarily offered tentatively as a result of the exploratory nature of the study. Acceptance of the conceptualisation offered requires serious revisions in the way financial literacy is currently understood. This thesis argues that financial literacy is a construct relevant to the social world which is characterised by equivocality and ambiguity. The governors in this study engaged in sense-making in order to make the environment sensible. This required governors to seek plausible solutions rather than accurate ones, although there was little evidence to support the view that they recognised this. Financial literacy has previously been concerned with accuracy, rather than plausibility. This thesis argues that it is time for a new era for financial literacy where financial literacy is conceptualised as a sense-making process seeking plausibility rather than accuracy in environments characterised by ambiguity and equivocality. The usefulness of the conceptualisation of financial literacy offered in this thesis is in need of ffirther exploration. The relationship between financial literacy and other terms, such as financial awareness and financial capability, was found to be poorly understood and in need of further clarification.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Shifting policy in school sport coaching - an evaluation and implications for schools and coaches

This paper examines the impact of the School Sport Coaching Programme during the past two years and the implications for schools and coaches in light of the recent changes in funding by the current coalition government. The School Sport Coaching Programme is a strand within the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People and aims to improve the quantity and quality of coaching offered to young people. The research methods included two surveys which asked respondents to report and reflect on the first year of the programme (2008-2009). One survey went to the Partnership Development Managers (PDMs) and another to the coaches coaching in the partnership schools. There were case study visits to four partnerships with differing characteristics and staff were asked to report on the second year of the programme (2009-2010). The case study visits included interviews with National Governing Body (NGB) representatives, PDMs, coach managers, teachers and other partnership staff and focus groups with young people. In the first year of the programme there was a 70% increase in the number of hours of paid coaching reported for each partnership from 588 to 1,001 hours. The main issues for consideration for the future of coaching in schools were that the most successful partnerships were: employing a coach manager to manage the team of salaried and volunteer coaches across the partnership; employing full-time or substantial hours part-time coaches by seeking joint funding with NGBs and other agencies; setting-up satellite clubs on school sites to assist the development of effective school club links; enabling coaches to organise festivals and competitions for the young people. The paper concludes by considering the implications of this evidence on the future of coaching in schools

Opportunities and challenges arising from holiday clubs tackling children’s hunger in the UK: Pilot club leader perspectives

With the school holidays being recognised as a high-risk time for children to experience food insecurity, there is a growing prevalence of school holiday initiatives that include free food. However, information is lacking into what constitutes effective practice in their delivery, and how this can be evaluated. This paper provides insight from individuals who implemented a pilot of a national project which provided free food for children at UK community summer holiday sports clubs in 2016. Focus groups were conducted with all 15 leaders of the holiday clubs that participated in the pilot to understand: (1) what opportunities are provided by community holiday sports clubs which include free food; (2) what challenges arose as a result of offering free food within a broader community holiday club sports offer. Results indicate that offering free food at such clubs creates multiple opportunities for attending children, including: experiencing social interactions around food; enhancing food experiences and food confidence; and promoting positive behaviour. However, free food provision is associated with challenges including resource constraints and tensions around project aims. Future work should determine whether holiday clubs can positively impact children’s wellbeing and healthy eating

Rights, risks, and responsibilities in the recruitment of children within the global football industry

This paper examines children’s engagement with the increasingly global and commercialised football industry. By combining a Global Production Network approach and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child it is argued that, for children’s rights and best interests to be better upheld and realised within the football industry, regulatory conditions need to account for geographical contextuality and incorporate scope for children to inform regulatory frameworks and practice. The paper highlights the importance of designing and implementing research that recognises and operationalises children’s agency, which can both inform and influence regulations and practices, better to reflect children’s best interests.</jats:p

Country Profile of Slovenia: Sport Policy System in a Small State

The profile provides an overview of the contemporary sport policy system in the small, and relatively young, state of Slovenia. The paper begins by outlining some of the specific characteristics of Slovenia which provide important contextual understanding. A brief overview of the historical development of sport in Slovenia after gaining independence in 1991 is also included. Next, a detailed description of the contemporary structure of the sport policy system in Slovenia is provided, including relevant organisational and financial structures. The paper then discusses some of the specificities of the Slovene context that have also influenced the contemporary sport policy system including characteristics of scale, culture, and the natural environment. Finally, the paper concludes by highlighting the contextual factors that may be relevant to the future of the sport policy system in Slovenia