Football Programme Cuts Youth Offending and Boosts School Attendance in Ayrshire

A football-focused support programme delivered by Killie Community is helping to improve school attendance and reduce youth offending across Ayrshire, with new figures highlighting significant gains in engagement and behaviour among participating young people.

The Pitchin’ In initiative, which uses football as a gateway to structured support and learning, has recorded a marked improvement in outcomes during its most recent delivery. Average school attendance among participants rose by 16 per cent, increasing from 63 per cent to 79 per cent over the course of the programme. At the same time, behavioural referrals fell sharply from an average of 4.4 per month to 1.4.

Perhaps most striking was a 50 per cent reduction in crime involvement among participants, with no criminal incidents recorded in November involving young people on the programme.

Daryl Knapp, programmes manager at Killie Community, said the results demonstrate the impact of early intervention built around trust and consistency.

“These results show what is possible when young people are given consistent support, trusted relationships and a safe space to grow,” he said. “Football is the hook, but it is the connections we build that breed results.

“We are incredibly proud of the progress the students make, not just in terms of the statistics, but in their confidence and changes in behaviour. The initiative is delivering tangible results for the young people, schools and the wider community.”

Pitchin’ In runs as a structured eight week programme combining physical activity with educational workshops. It also benefits from partnership working with organisations including Police Scotland, Show Racism the Red Card, the STAR Centre and the Prevention and Service Support Team.

To date, the programme has supported 44 young people from seven schools across Ayrshire. Participants recently came together for a pre-Christmas football tournament, marking the end of the latest programme and celebrating individual and collective achievements.

While the overall figures point to strong outcomes, individual stories underline the deeper impact of the initiative. One young person increased their school attendance from just 25 per cent to 77 per cent, while another reduced school referrals from nine in a single month to zero.

Parents and school staff have also reported noticeable improvements in behaviour, confidence and engagement. Several students have described Pitchin’ In as the key motivation for attending school on a weekly basis.

Looking ahead, Killie Community hopes to expand the programme to reach more schools and young people.

“We are keen to expand our reach and involve more schools next year,” Daryl added. “Demand is rising, and we want to increase capacity so we can support more young people.”

Further information on Killie Community and its programmes is available via the club’s community website.