Foxes Friday Participant Gains Confidence Thanks To Leicester City in the Community Role Model
- Foxes Friday participant Katie has made great strides with confidence and self-esteem thanks to weekly one-to-one sessions
- The programme is delivered by Leicester City in the Community, working with care experienced children to develop their skills
- Participants take part in regular team-building activities at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre
- Leicester City in the Community work with Leicester City Council’s Social, Emotional and Mental Health team on the project
Leicester City’s charitable arm – Leicester City in the Community – are making a difference to care experienced children in the city on the Foxes Friday programme.
Funded by the Premier League Charitable Fund and Children in Need, Foxes Friday aims to develop children’s emotional skills through one-to-one interventions.
Foxes Friday participants, who are children in Key Stage 2, are referred to Leicester City in the Community by Leicester City Council’s Social, Emotional and Mental Health team.
Katie, one of those participants, has benefitted from the focus of Foxes Friday and Leicester City in the Community Education Manager explained the work they have done together.
“I have been working with Katie each Friday since Christmas,” Emma said. “We have been doing a one-to-one mentoring session.
“When I first met Katie, she was a little bit low in confidence, self-esteem and struggled with managing her emotions.
“Over the past seven weeks we have been working really hard.”
After being limited to virtual sessions, once a week, participants have started venturing to Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre to test their developing skills in real-life scenarios with other children.
Katie mentioned the reasons why she loves Foxes Friday and working with Emma.
“Foxes Friday is really nice because every Friday I have something nice to do in the afternoon,” Katie said.
“[Leicester City in the Community Education Manager] Emma is always happy; Emma is always smiling, and Emma is always giggling.
“So even if it has not been a good week, or even if it not been a good Friday – Emma always brightens it up.”
Leicester City in the Community combine one-to-one sessions – identifying and working on specific issues – and group visits to places like Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre, to enhance participant’s development into their teenage years.
It is this blend that has allowed participants like Katie to really shine and come out of their shells, as she explained at Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre.
“What she encouraged me to do is be a little bit more respectful of Chloe (Katie's sister), because before I wouldn’t leave her room when she asked me to.
“Now, with how Emma has helped me with that, I leave her room and I feel like Emma has helped me.”
Watch Katie's story here.
You can find out more about Foxes Friday by contacting Emma Lowry at emma.lowry@lcfc.co.uk.