Beth is Streets Ahead with Football

Street Football Wales is a social inclusion project run in Wales. 

The street football league is made up of team members aged 16 and above and facing social exclusion through homelessness, substance misuse, mental ill health or cultural issues. 

Some team members may have been long term unemployed or involved in the criminal justice system but all are facing daily barriers to be part of the society and communities they live in, caused by the ever present stigma attached to their situations.

Here, 18 year-old Beth tells of the help the project is giving to turn her life around.

Some people can say that their childhood was great, well I can’t say that. From a young age I witnessed my mum get abused physically and emotionally by my step-dad. He then started to abuse me and my sister, it wasn’t a one off - it was a regular thing. He would hit us after a couple of cans, always when my mum was in work or bingo. At the age of 14 he took it too far and made my mum choose between me and him; she chose him. Whether it was because she was scared of him or that she had 3 children with him, I had to leave.

Just after my 16^thbirthday I moved into a Homeless Project despite Social Services disagreeing due to me being young and vulnerable. I had a warm welcome from the staff and some of the young people. At first I hated the project but once I settled it finally felt like home. The staff were lovely and I knew I had support whenever I needed it. I was at York House for 10-11 months and made really close  friends, with the help of Llamau I was ready and able to move into my own property in Ringland where I received a Tenancy Support Worker; allowing me to have support even after my move.

Llamau then received an email from Street Football Wales asking for females who would be interested to attend the selection day to get picked for the Homeless World Cup Poland. I rang the number that was given on the email hoping to speak to Claire who was co-ordinating female attendance. Unfortunately she wasn’t available that’s when I spoke to Keri. I felt nervous speaking to the manager but everything went well. He explained everything to me and also told me about a match day that was taking place the following week and said “he hoped to see me there”.

It was the day of the match day, it was quite nerve racking because I didn’t really know anyone apart from my friend who I brought along with me. I then met Claire and Keri who told me more about the project and about the rules for Street Football. I played for Kaleidoscope as I didn’t have a team. I enjoyed the time I spent playing football and speaking to other participants.

Many weeks passed, it was then time for the big day – selection try-outs. There were 16 girls and 16 boys competing for a place in the team, we all went through with the pain that all the exercises gave us. I never gave up I kept going I wanted to prove that I could do it. The following day I had a phone call off Rosa, the support worker for the Welsh Warriors saying that I had been picked to go to Poland. I was overwhelmed, I actually felt wanted, I couldn’t wait to play for my country. Me and the other 7 girls then trained for 12 hard weeks, with pain, sweat and tears and we never gave up. During the training programme for the Warriors we also attended some football training courses and I passed the courses and got qualifications in Show Racism the Red Card (Intro to Coaching), Sport leadership, Football Leaders Award and also 1^st Aid for Football, I felt I was achieving things for the first time in years.

We also had to prove ourselves to the manager of the warriors (Keri) and assistant coach (David John). The twelve weeks passed and it was time to go to Poland and play for Wales.

When we arrived in Polandit was boiling. We stayed in a 4-star hotel for two days before the Homeless World Cup started. As days passed we won a couple of games but also lost a few. We were put into the Equality Cup where we were up against England, USA, Sweden and Denmark. We lost to England but we came out fighting beating USA 5-0 Denmark5-0 and Sweden 5-2 we was then in the final with England, it was time for revenge. I gave it my all, hoping to beat them, the game ended with us drawing 4-4, unfortunately we lost in a penalty shoot out.

It was a life changing experience. When I came back to Newport I had so many people proud of me it was amazing, I’d successfully played for Wales, gone through a 12 week training programme and also had qualifications to show for it. If I could I would do it all over again.

Since I have been back I’ve moved from Newportto Skewen (Neath) and I am currently on a Football Gateway programme which is run by SFW. This course gives us in depth knowledge on SFW does and also gain skills that will help in finding work. As part of the course me and 9 other participants are organising a Social Inclusion Cup Competition in December.

www.streetfootballwales.org

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Mae Pêl Droed Stryd yn brosiect cynhwysiant cymdeithasol sy’n cael ei weithredu yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd.

Mae’r gynghrair pêl droed stryd yn cynnwys aelodau tîm sy’n 16 oed a hŷn ac yn wynebu eithrio cymdeithasol oherwydd digartrefedd, camddefnyddio sylweddau, salwch meddwl neu broblemau diwylliannol. 

Efallai fod rhai o aelodau’r tîm wedi bod yn ddi-waith yn y tymor hir neu wedi bod â chyswllt â’r system cyfiawnder troseddol ond maent i gyd yn wynebu rhwystrau dyddiol i fod yn rhan o gymdeithas a’r cymunedau maent yn byw ynddynt, a achosir gan y stigma hollbresennol sy’n gysylltiedig â’u sefyllfaoedd.

Dyma Beth, 18 oed, i ddweud wrthym sut mae help y prosiect yn rhoi cyfle iddi newid ei bywyd. 

Mae rhai pobl yn dweud bod eu plentyndod yn grêt, wel dydw i ddim yn gallu dweud hynny. O oedran ifanc iawn, roeddwn i’n dyst i mam yn cael ei cham-drin yn gorfforol ac yn emosiynol gan fy llys-dad. Yna fe ddechreuodd e fy ngham-drin i a’m chwaer, ac nid un waith ddigwyddodd hynny – roedd yn beth rheolaidd. Roedd yn ein taro ni ar ôl can neu ddau o ddiod, pan oedd mam yn ei gwaith neu yn y bingo. Pan oeddwn i’n 14 oed, fe aeth pethau’n rhy bell ac fe wnaeth e i mam ddewis rhyngo’ i a fe; fe ddewisodd hi fe. Am fod ganddi ei ofn efallai, neu am fod ganddi 3 o blant gydag e. Roedd rhaid i mi adael.                                             

Ar ôl troi’n 16 oed, fe symudais i i Brosiect Digartref er bod y Gwasanaethau Cymdeithasol yn anghytuno gan fy mod i’n ifanc a bregus. Fe gefais i groeso cynnes gan y staff a rhai o’r bobl ifanc. Roeddwn i’n casáu’r prosiect i ddechrau ond, ar ôl i mi setlo, roedd yn teimlo fel cartref yn y diwedd. Roedd y staff yn hyfryd ac roeddwn i’n gwybod eu bod nhw yno i ’nghefnogi i bob tro roeddwn i eu hangen nhw. Fe fues i yn York House am 10-11 mis ac fe wnes i ffrindiau da iawn yno. Gyda help Llamau, roeddwn i’n barod i symud i fy eiddo i fy hun yn Ringland a chael Gweithiwr Cefnogi Tenantiaeth, fel ’mod i’n gallu cael cefnogaeth ar ôl symud hyd yn oed.

Yna cafodd Llamau neges e-bost gan Bêl Droed Stryd Cymru yn holi am ferched gyda diddordeb mewn mynychu diwrnod dethol i gael eu dewis ar gyfer Cwpan y Byd y Digartref yng Ngwlad Pwyl. Fe ffoniais i’r rhif yn y neges e-bost gan obeithio cael siarad efo Claire a oedd yn cydlynu presenoldeb y merched. Yn anffodus, doedd hi ddim ar gael ac felly fe siaradais i gyda Keri. Roeddwn i’n teimlo’n nerfus i ddechrau yn siarad gyda’r rheolwr ond fe aeth popeth yn iawn. Fe eglurodd hi bopeth i mi a dweud wrthyf i am ddiwrnod gêm a oedd yn cael ei gynnal yr wythnos ganlynol ac fe ddywedodd ei bod yn gobeithio fy ngweld i yno.

Daeth diwrnod y gêm ac roeddwn i’n nerfus iawn oherwydd doeddwn i ddim yn ’nabod neb ar wahân i ffrind i mi oedd wedi dod gyda mi. Yna fe wnes i gyfarfod Claire a Keri, a soniodd fwy am y prosiect ac am reolau Pêl Droed Stryd. Fe wnes i chwarae i Kaleidoscope am nad oedd gen i dîm. Fe wnes i fwynhau’r amser wnes i ei dreulio yn chwarae pêl droed ac yn siarad gyda’r cyfranogwyr eraill.

Fe aeth sawl wythnos heibio a daeth y diwrnod mawr – diwrnod y dewis. Roedd 16 o ferched ac 16 o fechgyn yn cystadlu am le yn y tîm. Roedden ni i gyd yn barod i wneud ein gorau yn yr ymarferion anodd. Doeddwn i ddim am ildio, dim ond dal ati; roeddwn i eisiau profi bod posib i mi lwyddo. Y diwrnod canlynol, fe gefais i alwad ffôn gan Rosa, gweithiwr cefnogi’r Welsh Warriors, yn dweud fy mod i wedi cael fy newis i fynd i Wlad Pwyl. Roeddwn i wrth fy modd ac yn teimlo bod rhywun fy angen i. Roeddwn i’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at chwarae dros fy ngwlad. Fe fues i a’r 7 merch arall yn hyfforddi am 12 wythnos, gan weithio’n galed iawn ac yn chwys diferol. Ond doedd dim ildio. Yn ystod rhaglen hyfforddi’r Warriors, fe fuon ni mewn cyrsiau hyfforddi pêl droed hefyd ac fe lwyddais i yn y cyrsiau a chael cymwysterau mewn Dangos y Cerdyn Coch i Hiliaeth (Cyflwyniad i Hyfforddi), Arweiniad Chwaraeon, Dyfarniad Arweinwyr Pêl Droed a hefyd Cymorth Cyntaf ar gyfer Pêl Droed. Roeddwn i’n teimlo ’mod i’n cyflawni pethau am y tro cyntaf ers blynyddoedd.

Hefyd, roedd rhaid i ni ein profi ein hunain i reolwr y Warriors (Keri) a’r hyfforddwr cynorthwyol (David John). Aeth y deuddeg wythnos heibio ac roedd yn amser mynd i Wlad Pwyl a chwarae dros Gymru.

Pan wnaethon ni gyrraedd Gwlad Pwyl, roedd yn boeth eithriadol. Roedden ni’n aros mewn gwesty 4-seren am 2 ddiwrnod cyn i Gwpan y Byd y Digartref ddechrau. Wrth i’r cystadlu fynd yn ei flaen, fe wnaethon ni ennill gêm neu ddwy ond colli rhai hefyd. Fe gawson ni ein gosod yn y Cwpan Cydraddoldeb i gystadlu yn erbyn Lloegr, UDA, Sweden a Denmarc. Fe gollon ni i Loegr ond roedd rhaid dal ati ac fe wnaethon ni guro UDA 5-0, Denmarc 5-0 a Sweden 5-2. Roedden ni yn y rownd derfynol yn erbyn Lloegr wedyn ac roedd yn amser dial. Fe chwaraeais i fy ngorau, yn y gobaith o’u trechu nhw. 4-4 oedd y sgôr yn y diwedd ond, gwaetha’r modd, fe gollon ni ar giciau cosb ar y diwedd.

Roedd yn brofiad wnaeth newid fy mywyd i. Pan ddes i’n ôl i Gasnewydd, roedd cymaint o bobl yn falch ohono i, roedd yn rhyfeddol. Roeddwn i wedi llwyddo i chwarae i Gymru, wedi dilyn rhaglen hyfforddi 12 wythnos ac wedi cael cymwysterau hefyd am fy ngwaith. Fe fyddwn i’n gwneud y cyfan eto.                       

Ers i mi ddod yn ôl rydw i wedi symud o Gasnewydd i Sgiwen (Castell-nedd) ac ar hyn o bryd rydw i ar raglen Porth Pêl Droed sy’n cael ei rhedeg gan Bêl Droed Stryd Cymru. Mae’r cwrs yn rhoi gwybodaeth fanwl i ni am waith Pêl Droed Stryd Cymru a hefyd rydyn ni’n cael dysgu sgiliau a fydd yn ein helpu gyda dod o hyd i waith. Fel rhan o’r cwrs rydw i a 9 o gyfranogwyr eraill yn trefnu Cystadleuaeth Cwpan Cynhwysiant Cymdeithasol ym mis Rhagfyr.