DECISION RECORD Decision ID: PCCML 000538 2020 Decision title Supporting partners to engage diverse communities to keep them safer Executive summary Unity 101 FC is a local community football team that reaches into the heart of the St Marys area of Southampton and promotes community cohesion within the diverse community. Three years ago the new community football team was set up by Ram Kalyan "Kelly" who has run the local community radio station Unity 101 for 14 years. Unity 101 is the south’s first and longest running Asian and ethnic community radio station and Kelly is a highly respected community leader and influencer. The Police and Crime Commissioner has sponsored and supported the team since it was set up and as a result, through the work of the team and Kelly, has been able to support community cohesion and been more accessible to those communities to ensure they have a voice on policing matters. Recommendation That the Police and Crime Commissioner approves the provision of sponsorship funding to Unity 101 FC in the sum of £5,000 for the Financial Year 2020-2021 to replace kit and to support with training and game costs to enable the team to continue engaging with the local community to promote community cohesion. Statement on publication This Decision Record and supporting Decision Request documentation is suitable for publication. Police and Crime Commissioner approval I hereby approve the recommendation above. Comments on the decision taken: I regularly see the positive impact of Ram Kalyan as a community leader and the impact of Unity 101 FC in supporting community cohesion in the local area and beyond. I absolutely endorse the support of this team because of the positive impact its members have in their local and diverse communities. Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton DECISION RECORD Decision ID: PCCML 000538 2020 Signature: Name: Michael Lane Police and Crime Commissioner – Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton Date: 25-Feb-20 Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton DECISION REQUEST Decision ID: PCCML 000538 2020 Decision Window: 2020-03 Document version history: Version Version date Requester of change Summary of change(s) Number v1.0 31-Jan-20 Not applicable – First issue Not applicable – First issue v2.0 12-Feb-20 OPCC Programme Office Minor changes to format. v2.1 17-Feb-20 OPCC Programme Office Section 14 updated. Decision title: Supporting partners to engage diverse communities to keep them safer Requester details: Requester: Laura Cadd Role title: Head of Communication and Engagement 1 Summary Unity 101 FC is a local community football team that reaches into the heart of the St Marys area of Southampton and promotes community cohesion within the diverse community. Three years ago the new community football team was set up by Ram Kalyan "Kelly" who has run the local community radio station Unity 101 for 14 years. Unity 101 is the south’s first and longest running Asian and ethnic community radio station and Kelly is a highly respected community leader and influencer. The Police and Crime Commissioner has sponsored and supported the team since it was set up and as a result, through the work of the team and Kelly, has been able to support community cohesion and been more accessible to those communities to ensure they have a voice on policing matters. 2 Recommendation That the Police and Crime Commissioner approves the provision of sponsorship funding to Unity 101 FC in the sum of £5,000 for the Financial Year 2020-2021 to replace kit and to support with training and game costs to enable the team to continue engaging with the local community to promote community cohesion. v2.1 dated 17-Feb-20 Page 1 DECISION REQUEST Decision ID: PCCML 000538 2020 3 Strategic context Unity 101 FC is a local community football team that reaches into the heart of the St Marys area of Southampton and the Asian community. The sponsorship by the PCC has enabled Unity 101 FC to provide a safe and secure place for people of all faiths, races, countries and languages to come and play football together and has built and grown local community cohesion. Three years ago the new community football team was set up by Ram Kalyan "Kelly" who has set up and run the local community radio station Unity 101 for 14 years. Unity 101 is the south’s first and longest running Asian and ethnic community radio station with an audience of around 60,000 people across the city and broadcasts to thousands more online and on smartphone apps. Kelly was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Solent University last year for his dedication to community media and providing opportunities for all. Kelly is a highly respected community leader and influencer. Every Tuesday evening for the past year the team have trained and provided a safe place in the heart of Southampton for anyone and everyone to have the opportunity to play football and network. The Tuesday evening sessions have been a great way to engage people from all socio-economic groups and ethnic backgrounds with an emphasis on addressing barriers to participation in football in a fun, accessible and inclusive way. The importance and success of these sessions for the city of Southampton is one of the primary reasons why Naz Azram was recognised and awarded runner up in the BBC Sports 2019 Unsung Hero Award (after making the final three). The financial support from the Police and Crime Commissioner has given the players football kit of high quality which has a great improvement on morale which has a knock on effect on the team playing well and gaining respect and support young people in the local community. In the first season Unity 101 FC won the championship and also finished in the quarter final of the Hampshire cup. Off the pitch the team is involved in a range of community projects which aim to build community cohesion in addition to raising awareness and funds for a mixture of both local and international causes. This has included organising and volunteering in the Derby Road Fun Runs in inner city Southampton, football marathons for great causes, and participating in community events organised by the local emergency services. Some recent off the pitch events Unity 101 FC participated in and supported: In December 2019 Unity 101 FC participated in a local event at Southampton Fire Station to promote community cohesion which was fantastic and a huge success. The club and its players supported the event alongside Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Hampshire Constabulary and Unity 101 Community Radio where around v2.1 dated 17-Feb-20 Page 2 DECISION REQUEST Decision ID: PCCML 000538 2020 600 presents were wrapped and distributed to local children with any remaining presents gifted to the children at the local hospital. In July 2019 the team supported a fun run in one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in Southampton. The event aimed to bring people together in the community for a great cause and also encourage participation in sports. In June 2019 the team supported a 12-hour football marathon which raised funds and awareness for a great international cause in Ghana. This event took place in Reading and we are looking to support a similar event in Southampton this summer alongside our friends at Volta Sports and their ‘Street to School’ programme. 4 Options appraisal Unity 101 and Unity 101 FC are unique to the area and provide an important link into the Asian and ethnic community, helping the Commissioner and policing to be more accessible to that community and to support community cohesion. The Commissioner has supported the team since it was first set up and has a strong and positive relationship with the community radio station and the team. If the Commissioner did not invest and support the team their reach and impact could be reduced, missing an opportunity to reach into an important target group. There are opportunities to also invest in similar community teams, like Totton FC that engage with their local community including young people and diverse communities which can also be considered. 5 Timescales The sponsorship will run from April 2020 for one year. 6 Financial and resourcing implications The request for the sum of £5,000 to support Unity 101 FC to replace kit and to support with training and game costs to enable the team to continue engaging with the local community to promote community cohesion. Total cost £5,000 Timeframe funding required for April 2020 to March 2021 v2.1 dated 17-Feb-20 Page 3 DECISION REQUEST Decision ID: PCCML 000538 2020 Funding allocation in each financial year: Funding allocation in each 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 financial year Capital £0 £0 £0 Revenue £0 £0 £5,000 Funding source: Funding source Capital Revenue (insert ‘Yes’ if applicable) (insert ‘Yes’ if applicable) Transformation reserve Commissioner’s reserve Yes Commissioning budget Approved capital programme General fund 7 Communications and engagement implications Supporting Unity 101 FC enables the team to become ambassadors for community cohesion and safety supporting the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan. This support provides a good opportunity to raise awareness of the role of the PCC and also enables the Commissioner to consult with the local residents from a diverse and vulnerable community, to ensure their views are being represented. 8 Legal implications Under section 96(1) of the Police Act 1996, the Commissioner has the duty to make arrangements for obtaining the views of people in the area about policing matters and their co-operation with the police in preventing crime and anti-social behaviour as well as obtaining the views of victims of crime about policing matters.