'It's made me a better person' - the football sessions bring young people together in Bristol

• Ross Arnott went to meet some of the young people benefitting from the free sessions.

Free football sessions are being run as a way to bring young people together in some of the most deprived areas in Bristol.

Bristol City's Robins Foundation has been running regular training sessions in Hartcliffe.

Those behind the scheme say it plays a part in moving them away from anti-social behaviour and fosters a sense of community across the city.

Chris Stenner, Chief Community Officer from the Robins Foundation, said: “It’s about positive opportunities for these young people that may otherwise feel they’ve not got that opportunity, may feel they don’t belong.”

In just a few months of the scheme's launch, crime and anti-social behaviour has dropped in some of the most deprived areas, organisers told us.

Ibrahim Dissasi, 19, attends the sessions and says it brings young people together, encouraging them to "stay away from trouble".

“It’s made me stay focused, meet some friendly people. It’s made me a better person, made me think about other kids that also need a leader. It’s done a lot of good stuff for me", he said.

The foundation already runs dozens of these sessions, with funding which has come from the police, the council and supermarket chain Morrisons.

They even host football in the supermarket car park in Hartcliffe, that was once the target of anti-social behaviour and abuse. 

Dave Hutt, Morrisons store manager, said: “We were having 40-50 calls a week, since the Robins Foundation has come in, that’s dropped to 10-20 a week if that. It’s fantastic.” 

There are sessions running every day, uniting people from all corners of Bristol. 

“These sessions aren’t about who’s the best player, this is about putting smiles on faces, socialising, making new friends", Chris from the foundation said.

"And building up relations with staff where they might not have role models at home that they can really rely on.”