It’s a slam dunk for Holyhead youth thanks to money seized from criminals

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Andy Dunbobbin visited Ynys Môn Celts at Holyhead Leisure Centre to see how money seized from criminals is being used to tackle youth crime through basketball, as part of the Your Community, Your Choice initiative.

Your Community, Your Choice is decided through a public vote and supported by the PCC, North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT). The funding comes partly from money seized by the courts through the Proceeds of Crime Act, with the remainder provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Ynys Môn Celts is using Your Community, Your Choice funding to establish ‘Social BALL: Tackling Youth Crime and Inequalities Through Basketball’, which offers various local tournaments for young people aged 7-14 in Holyhead. The initiative provides supervised basketball games throughout the summer, culminating in a showcase event featuring police officers playing alongside and against participants in a tournament.

The Social BALL programme will also include promotional basketball days delivered in schools across Anglesey to encourage wider participation and identify young people who may benefit from the structured support.

During his visit, the Commissioner met with Team Leader Sion Parry and toured the facilities where the basketball sessions will take place. The project addresses the lack of local recreational options for young people, with the nearest basketball league being in Flintshire.

Sion Parry, Team Leader at Ynys Môn Celts, commented: “We’re thrilled to receive this funding to bring basketball closer to home for our young people. With basketball being the most in-demand sport in Wales according to Sports Wales surveys, we’ve identified a real gap in provision locally. Social BALL will give boys and girls a positive outlet and something to look forward to over the summer months and help build those crucial relationships with local police officers through sport.”

Andy Dunbobbin, North Wales Police & Crime Commissioner, said: “It was fantastic to visit Ynys Mon Celts and see their innovative approach to youth engagement through basketball. This project perfectly demonstrates how sport can be a powerful tool for crime prevention and community building. By providing structured activities during peak times for anti-social behaviour, we’re investing in our young people’s futures.”

PACT Chairman Ashley Rogers said: “The Social BALL project shows the real impact that Your Community, Your Choice funding can have in local communities. By taking proceeds of crime into positive youth projects like this, we’re creating opportunities that will benefit Holyhead.”

North Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans commented: “Early intervention through positive activities like basketball is at the heart of effective policing. The Social BALL project not only provides young people with something constructive to do but also builds those vital bridges between Police and communities that help prevent crime before it happens.”

Over the past 12 years, Your Community, Your Choice has awarded almost £660,000 to 214 projects working to reduce crime in their neighbourhoods and which support the priorities in the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.

For more information about Ynys Môn Celts, visit www.ynysmoncelts.com.

To learn more about PACT, visit www.pactnorthwales.co.uk and to learn more about the work of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, visit www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk.