Harry Ngata: Auckland FC Foundation head on the new project that aims to use football to rehabilitate prisoners

The Twinning Project was originally launched in the UK in a bid to rehabilitate prisoners with the power of sport, and it's now making its way to New Zealand.

The project is a collaboration between Auckland FC, FIFA Foundation and The Department of Corrections. 

Auckland FC Foundation head Harry Ngata says the club has already had a significant impact on local communities, and this project is another channel for that type of engagement.

"It's a really exciting project, I'm delighted with the start... we've got five weeks to go and another two cohorts, so we have three cohorts for the year."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks edb Right.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
For the first time in New Zealand, the power of
football is being embraced to help rehabilitate prisoners. A six
week program it's called the Twinning Project, was first launched
in the UK in twenty eighteen. It's now been introduced
in New Zealand through a collaboration between Auckland FC, FEFER
Foundation and the Department of Corrections form All White. Harry

(00:33):
Natter is the head of the Auckland FC Foundation and
leads all their community work and Harry is with me now, good.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
Morning, good morning, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Tell me about the Twinning Project.

Speaker 3 (00:46):
Yeah, it's a really exciting project. As he talked to
just on the intro, they are introduced into eighteen the
UK based project there are Initially it was that the
outcomes were pairing local prison facilities or corrections facilities in
the UK and in Wales with local football clubs to

(01:09):
improve both physical and mental well being, mental health of
inmates and obviously the their reintegration process back into society
with general life skills. So it's it's a it's a
project that all the most of the I think that's
seventy odd out of the ninety odd English football clubs

(01:30):
participate in this project, so all the big clubs are
involved in it through their own community arms. And it's
been introduced into New Zealand for the first time earlier
this or late last week, and we've been grateful enough
to be able to deliver the project into into prison
here in Auckland. So it's it's exciting. We're excited about it, obviously,

(01:55):
it's it's you know, we're yeah season two at the moment.
But I think we've all seen, I guess the impact
the club have had on local communities fan engagement, and
this is just another another channel of that type of engagement.
We're getting into communities to improve the health and wellbeing
of our people. So it's a really exciting project. I'm

(02:16):
delighted with the start and yeah, this is this I
mean we've got five weeks ago and then another two cohorts,
So we have three cohorts for the year, each consisting
of sixteen inmates. We go through forty eight altogether go
through the program, and at the moment it's been hugely positive.
The feedback I guess the engagement from the inmates and

(02:39):
the correction staff and the facility themselves, so we're all
in it together and it's proven to be real success
so far.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
Harry, how does it work? Did you sort of you know,
ask for interest and then the coaches and things going
into the prison to work with the prisoners.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
Yeah, there is a selection process that goes through the
correction's facilities and then the men themselves are highlighted through
an internal program that they conduct. We go in and
to deliver the program. So we our own Auckland FC
coaches will deliver the program on a regular basis for

(03:18):
the six weeks. But I guess with the help as
you talked to earlier, with the help of the FIFA
Foundation and how involved and the expansion is actually you know,
throughout the world. So we're one of many regions now
that have started this program this year Australia with Melbourne City.
It's going into South America, into Singapore. I think it's

(03:39):
in ten states in the US obviously UK and Europe.
So it's yeah, FIFA Foundation have supported it and it's yeah,
like I said, it's super exciting for us.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
What is it about football or sport in general, maybe
that can be powerful as a rehabilitation tool.

Speaker 3 (03:56):
Look, it's not so much about I guess football is
the vehicle, right, but sport, social engagement, whether it's sport,
whether it's workplace, whether it's far no, lifestyle are all
integral to the well being of our people. And I
guess our channel in this instance is through football. And

(04:17):
we've seen the engagement that football has globally but also locally,
I think post Women's Will cupment even before that, right
a couple of years ago, we've seen the rise and
numbers in football, the number of engagements in football all
Kadee've got off the ground when I started the OFC
Pro League this weekend. The guys rough to World Cup
you know in six months time, but the Women's Will Company.

(04:39):
So there's a there's a real solid and positive momentum
that football has at the moment. And what better way
to do that is to transfer that energy into I
guess areas of our community that really that really matter
and that really hungry for you know, for engagement, positive
engagement too. So the inmates themselves will come out the

(05:01):
other side with a with an entry level qualification that
they can take as part of their re integration program
back back into society society when they're released, and we're
hopeful that I guess with forty eight we're dealing with
at the moment that I guess the reoffending rates is
one thing that is the focus of the program as well,

(05:21):
but also I guess having potentially a candidate that's gone
through the program come and help us to deliver it
back into the next cohort. I think that that will
be our ultimate goal. So we're actually the ones that
we're actually working with and training with and are actually
helping the next the next cohort through so that that

(05:44):
type of behavior is what we're hoping to kind of
install as well.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
And would you like it to be able to move
it further out than just being in Auckland.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
Absolutely, absolutely, there's no there's no doubt. It's at the
moment we're in, we're in our discovery phase. I guess
it's the first pilot phase of this project. We have
three to deliver this year and in and around the
Crone region just to get out to get it embedded
into into the program. But there's no reason why we

(06:13):
can't incorporate other other regions in the other areas of
vulted or as well for future and also conducting you know,
whether it's whether it's a youth focus and also a
female focus as well.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
Oh, Harry Nata, thank you so much for your time
this morning. Fascinating stuff. It's called the Twinning Project. If
you want to have a little Google and find out
a little bit more on it, it's a collaboration between
Auckland c, FIFA Foundation and the Department of Corrections.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.